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Board debates whether to single out short‑term rentals in town survey
Summary
Members argued over whether to list short‑term rentals separately or keep them under 'commercial growth.' One member suggested that if rentals are singled out the survey should note that five short‑term rentals are currently permitted in town.
During a lengthy exchange, board members discussed whether short‑term rentals should appear as a distinct category in the survey or be subsumed under a broader "commercial growth" label. One member warned that singling out short‑term rentals could "trigger people" and produce emotionally driven answers; another said, "If we're gonna put short term rental, we should put currently there are 5 permitted in town," arguing that respondents need context to answer meaningfully.
Members ultimately favored keeping "commercial growth" as the visible option while using optional reason fields so respondents who care about rentals can elaborate. The board recognized it lacks a complete inventory of rental units but cited an estimate of five permitted short‑term rentals; members agreed that if the board explicitly asks about short‑term rentals it should provide a current permitted‑units figure so answers are grounded in local context.
