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Westfir council reviews draft ordinance to limit short-term rentals
Summary
At a Oct. 23 work session the Westfir City Council reviewed an early draft ordinance to regulate short-term rentals, discussing spacing, occupancy, licensing and enforcement mechanics with local owner Paul Mather and staff. Councilors asked for clarifications and attorney review before a public hearing.
The Westfir City Council discussed a draft short-term-rental ordinance at a work session on Oct. 23, focusing on how to preserve neighborhood character while allowing some homeowner rentals. Mayor (speaker 1) opened the session and introduced the agenda item: "the first item of business on the agenda is a general discussion of vacation rentals." Paul Mather, who identified himself as the owner of the Westborough River Cottage, attended as a resource and described operating rentals since 2014.
Council members and staff said the draft is an early adaptation of other cities' models and emphasized keeping the code simple. Staff (speaker 2) said the version under review is "a very early draft" adapted from ordinances such as Cascade Locks' and that additional adjustments will be needed. Members suggested rewording unclear definitions, particularly the distinction between a hosted home share (a rented portion of an occupied home) and a vacation home rental (an entire dwelling), which generated detailed line-by-line discussion and proposals to clarify the 30‑day thresholds.
