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Glenwood board approves package of business, rental and tax ordinances; limits on private pool rentals added
Summary
The Glenwood board approved a set of ordinances clarifying business-license payment timing, restricting short-term rentals and private pool-for-hire activity, licensing cannabis businesses, and adopting municipal grocery/home-rule sales tax measures; trustees discussed enforcement, public education, and next steps for implementation.
The Village of Glenwood board on Aug. 19 approved a package of ordinances that administrators said will modernize business licensing, limit short-term residential rentals and private pool rentals, and capture local grocery and sales tax revenue.
Village attorney presented ordinance 2025-08 to amend the code so that business-license fees are paid after formal approval rather than at the time of application. The attorney said the change is intended to reduce legal exposure when an application is later denied: "the business license is not issued until the actual approval of the business license then subsequent full payment of the actual business license fee," the attorney said, explaining the draft eliminates language requiring payment at application.
The board also approved ordinance 2025-09, which updates chapters 22 and 26 to regulate short-term residential rentals and to prohibit renting private residential swimming pools for profit. The attorney said the change grew in part from a recent incident in which a privately rented pool created problems, and emphasized that private pools remain available for personal guests but not for commercial rental. "You can't be renting it out ... as for profit," the attorney said.
Trustees and residents pressed staff on enforcement and outreach. Village staff and the village administrator described a multi‑pronged approach including existing code-enforcement channels, police investigation when complaints arise, monitoring of listing platforms, and public education through homeowners associations, the village website and new‑resident packets. "I go on Airbnb or VBO or Swimply ... and take a look," the village administrator said, noting staff will proactively report potential listings to police.
The board also voted to adopt ordinance 2025-10 to license and regulate cannabis-related businesses, setting application and license rules, limiting the number of permits allowed by law and permitting impact fees and development agreements to direct revenue back to village services. Trustees said they would have fire and code enforcement check a storefront that residents reported displaying an "open" sign to confirm whether it was operating without a license.
On taxes, the board approved ordinance 2025-11 to adopt the municipal grocery occupation tax locally effective Jan. 1, 2026 to preserve the status quo under recent state changes, and ordinance 2025-12 to increase the village's home-rule sales tax from 1% to 2% to capture additional revenue from nonresident purchases and visitors.
Votes were conducted by roll call; each ordinance passed after trustee discussion and recorded votes.
What happens next
Staff said they will draft public-education materials and coordinate with HOAs and the village's communications channels to notify residents and owners of the new short-term rental and pool rules. Code enforcement and police will respond to complaints and monitor public listing sites. The municipal tax measures will be implemented through the village finance department and local tax collection channels.
Why it matters
Trustees characterized the ordinance package as an effort to reduce legal risk (by clarifying licensing steps), protect neighborhoods from large short-term rental gatherings, and capture revenue from commerce that visits or passes through Glenwood. Residents urged clearer enforcement and direct outreach to landlords and property owners to ensure compliance.
Votes at a glance
- Ordinance 2025-08 (business-license payment timing): approved by roll call. - Ordinance 2025-09 (short-term rentals and private-pool rentals): approved by roll call; includes enforcement provisions and fines in the ordinance text. - Ordinance 2025-10 (cannabis business licensing): approved by roll call; zoning for one proposed location has been approved but staff will verify operations before licensing. - Ordinance 2025-11 (municipal grocery occupation tax): approved by roll call; effective Jan. 1, 2026. - Ordinance 2025-12 (home-rule sales tax increase from 1% to 2%): approved by roll call.
Officials and residents looking for the ordinance texts and enforcement details were directed to the village clerk and the village website for final code language and fee schedules. The board also discussed adding the ordinances to new-resident packets and using water-bill inserts and HOA meetings for outreach.
