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Soldotna council adopts substitute short-term rental ordinance and sets permit fee to $0
Summary
The Soldotna City Council on April 22 adopted a substituted ordinance to create a uniform administrative permit for short-term rentals, revising density limits and contact requirements, and voted to set the short-term rental permit fee to $0. The measures passed on separate 5-0 votes.
The Soldotna City Council on April 22 adopted a substitute ordinance that establishes a uniform administrative permit for short-term rental units and voted to set the permit fee at zero dollars.
Council member Chilson said the substitute ordinance incorporated community feedback from a January hearing and from stakeholders, and he described a series of changes meant to simplify compliance. "I do think it represents a good compromise," Chilson said. The council adopted the substitute ordinance and later approved a related resolution to set the permit fee to $0; both votes were 5-0.
Why it matters: The ordinance revises how short-term rental units are regulated in the city, changing who must be designated as a contact, how density limits apply in multi‑unit buildings, and aligning permit and tax registration to reduce administrative burden for operators and the city.
What the ordinance and resolution do: Chilson told the council the substitute ordinance removes the previous requirement for a 24/7 "local" contact and replaces it with a single primary contact, eliminates duplicative parking language by referencing existing code, replaces a prior numeric-room cap with a 50% cap on buildings of four or more units, and increases density allowances so duplexes, triplexes and single-family homes with ADUs can use up to two units for short‑term rental purposes. The substitute also includes explicit language requiring tax compliance at both the borough and city levels and directs staff to combine permitting and tax-certificate registration into a single unified online process. Separately, resolution 2026-013 amends the fee schedule to set the short-term rental permit fee at $0 going forward.
Public comment: Tyson Cox, a local rental operator, spoke during public comment in support of the substitute ordinance changes. "I would definitely ... be a proponent altogether of not having renters taxed," Cox said, and urged the council to consider exemptions or wording to avoid increasing burdens on lower-income renters.
Votes and formal actions: Council member Chilson moved to amend by substitution; Council member Nelson seconded. The substitute to ordinance 2025-039 was adopted and the ordinance passed on a 5-0 vote. Chilson moved to adopt resolution 2026-013 to set the permit fee to $0; the resolution likewise passed on a 5-0 vote.
What comes next: Council discussion and staff comments indicate the city will proceed with the unified registration process and administrative changes described in the substitute. The ordinance and fee change are recorded as having passed; implementation details and any administrative rules will be developed by city staff.
