Stonington Selectmen continue work on short-term rental rules, weigh housing reserve and resiliency planning

Stonington Selectmen continued deliberations on short-term rental regulation, town housing reserves and an economic resiliency plan intended to help the town respond to pressures on housing and the downtown economy.

Short-term rental committee members presented a PowerPoint overview to the board and discussed registration, fee options and distinctions between owner-occupied rentals and non-owner short-term units. Linda Nelson, who presented economic development updates and the committee’s work, said the group preferred a registration-and-fee approach to balance year-round housing and visitor demand. The board requested staff and the committee draft ordinance language and fee structures for later public hearings.

The board also approved setting aside $100,000 from tax-acquired property proceeds for a housing reserve to support future housing initiatives. Separately, the Selectmen approved a $35,000 economic resiliency consulting engagement to help plan downtown and fisheries-related economic strategies; the motion passed unanimously.

Selectmen framed the short-term rental discussion as one piece of a broader housing and workforce challenge on the peninsula, linking long-term rental availability, seasonal housing pressures and workforce recruitment for local employers including the Island Nursing Home. No final ordinance was adopted during the meetings in this transcript; the board tasked staff and the short-term rental committee to draft proposals and schedule public hearings.