Resident urges council to table short‑term rental ordinance over fees, 24‑hour rule and authority questions

Bill Kalen, a Streator resident, asked the council to table a proposed short‑term rental ordinance and sent it back for more discussion, saying the draft contains technical and legal problems.

"I'm here to ask the council to table this," Kalen said, pointing to a 24‑hour minimum booking rule that he warned could make a 4 p.m. check‑in with a next‑day noon check‑out a violation. He also criticized requirements that appear to make third‑party hosting platforms responsible for guest identification and a five‑year retention requirement for guest records.

Staff explained one change in the current draft: the ordinance's effective date was moved to October 1 to give administration time to prepare enforcement and payment processing, and the city would prorate 2026 license fees for permits issued after that date. The staff member said samples from other LaSalle County communities and other jurisdictions were reviewed while drafting the ordinance.

Council members focused on three issues: the fee structure, enforcement language that could force operators to falsify check‑in/out times, and whether the city has statutory authority to require licensing beyond hotel/motel tax and zoning. One council member noted current hotel‑tax receipts come from about three rentals and that between five and 20 short‑term rentals had been discussed at the planning commission.

Rather than voting on the ordinance that night, council agreed to place the item on the Committee of the Whole agenda for staff and the mayor to work on revisions and return it for approval. The motion to place the planning commission recommendation on file for discussion earlier that night passed on a roll call of ayes from Danko, Geary, Reid, Shire and Mayor Tara Bidda.

Next steps: staff will revise ordinance language (including fee and 24‑hour provisions) and return the item to the Committee of the Whole for further consideration.