Commission introduces rental‑registration rewrite; members press staff for clearer inspection timelines and to include short‑term rentals

The commission voted to introduce an ordinance amending the city's rental registration and inspection rules to clarify the city's authority over non‑owner‑occupied residential properties and to modernize terminology.

During a lengthy line‑by‑line discussion, several commissioners pressed staff to add clearer timelines for scheduling inspections and to specify enforcement steps if a property owner will not provide access. One commissioner asked whether registration is annual and said the draft needs explicit language on timing.

"I would like to see clarification in terms of, is it an annual registration? Then I think we need to say that shall register annually," a commissioner said while reviewing the registration section.

City staff explained the existing certificate of compliance is valid for two years and said the administrative hearings bureau can issue tickets or fines when access is refused. "We do require, a certificate, a rental certificate of compliance is valid for 2 years," a staff member told the commission and noted the city runs reports on upcoming expirations.

Commissioners also debated whether to explicitly include short‑term rentals in the definition of non‑owner‑occupied properties; several members recommended adding "short‑term rentals" to the enumerated list so it is clear the ordinance covers them. Staff said they would draft clarified language and return with edits at the next work session and that tonight's vote was only the introduction step; final adoption will be scheduled following the work session.

What happens next: staff will return with revised ordinance language that adds timelines for access/enforcement and explicit short‑term rental language ahead of the ordinance's second reading and final adoption date the commission set for 09/08/2026.