Residents and hosts press Clackamas County on enforcement, density and fire risk at Mount Hood STR town hall

Clackamas County officials held a packed town hall in Welches on short-term rental (STR) regulations and the county’s three-year pilot program, hearing sustained concerns about neighborhood livability, inconsistent compliance and fire risk alongside pleas to preserve small family-run rentals.

Residents described mounting problems that they say accompany concentrated STRs in the Mount Hood corridor. "We've hit the saturation point on this," said Mary Ellen Fitzgerald, a Welches resident, who told commissioners that about half the houses on her street now operate as short-term rentals and asked whether the county would consider density limits that would exclude owner-occupied units and government-camp uses.

The meeting chair and county staff reiterated the pilot’s scope: the Board approved the pilot in 2023, it has been extended twice, and it is set to expire June 30, 2026 unless the board takes other action. County staff said the pilot adds a modest surcharge — roughly $0.80 on a $100 rental — to help administer the program and that the board will review public feedback at a policy session on April 21. "That money's not going anywhere," a county official said, noting roughly $287,000 in revenue over the pilot period and about $169,000 spent so far on program startup and operations.

Speakers pressed the county for tangible enforcement and compliance results. Community members said only a small fraction of registered STRs display contact signage and that response protocols are unclear. Peter Himes, a Welches resident, urged a standardized sign with an owner or manager phone number required at all times, and recommended a two-hour response window when neighbors call about disturbances. "Out of 11 STRs in my neighborhood only one is compliant," Himes said.

Fire and safety concerns were a recurring theme. Several speakers, including a certified wildfire mitigation specialist, warned that crowded properties and unmanaged fire pits increase wildfire risk in the wildland-urban interface. Residents pointed to national guidance on structure spacing and asked the county to include fire-safety measures — smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, clearer rules on fire pits and mandatory event insurance — in STR requirements.

Hosts and managers urged the board to distinguish small, owner-run cabins from commercial operators. Jared Lester of Cascadia Getaways, a local property manager, said many small owners rely on modest STR revenue to preserve aging cabins and support local cleaners, handymen and small businesses. "Please don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach," he said, asking the county to involve property managers in crafting workable standards.

Several commenters proposed concrete policy tools: a cap on new permits or limits by neighborhood, owner-occupied-only permits for mountain residential areas, a three-strikes enforcement policy, tiered fees based on unit size or bedroom count, septic inspections where applicable, and mandatory STR signage. Gerald Murphy, vice chair of the Clackamas County Planning Commission, suggested requiring event insurance and using insurance inspections as part of a compliance strategy.

County staff acknowledged long-standing code-enforcement resourcing limits and said expanded enforcement would require additional funding and staff. Officials also acknowledged data and tracking gaps: community members asked for an easy way to flag suspected unregistered STRs and for public reports showing how many complaints were received and what actions were taken. The board committed to compiling the feedback and returning to the corridor before the pilot’s June 30 expiration.

The next formal step is a county policy session scheduled for April 21, when the board will compile public input and give staff direction on program changes or whether to make the pilot permanent. Residents were reminded they can submit written comments or attend upcoming business meetings in Oregon City.

The town hall underlined competing priorities — protecting neighborhood livability and public safety while preserving small-owner economic activity — and produced a list of community-proposed fixes the county said it will examine before making a policy decision.