Farmers Market

City Council passed an ordinance, on the first of two readings, regulating home share rentals, also called short-term rentals.

The ordinance allows property owners or long-term renters to rent out a portion of a home, or an accessory building, while they are on the premises, or the entire home while they are on vacation. Under the ordinance, the home's primary use must be as a residence, not a short-term rental, and property owners can only have one home share rental each. Hosts are required to register with the city and provide a local contact in case of any problems. If a short-term rental generates complaints from neighbors, registration can be revoked. 

Those who are for having regulated short-term rentals in the city say it is away to keep money in the local economy since residents are directly profiting and regulations of home share rentals will deter investors turning local residences and neighborhoods into businesses. 

Some are against allowing short-term rentals in the city because of the noise and trash issues that are associated with them.

The council voted 7-0 to approve the first reading of the ordinance, to change the land use matrix to include short-term rentals as a new land use and to change the nuisance abatement ordinance to a rental property standards ordinance. 

The ordinance's second reading is scheduled for Aug. 1. The city council will review the ordinance and its effects 12 months after it passes.