HomeMy WebLinkAboutMacIsaas Michael - In FavorFrom: mi chae l .maci saac@sbcgl obal .ne t
Se nt: Sunday, A ugust 16, 2020 4:52 PM
To: P Cpubl i ccomme nt
Subje ct: Short Te rm Re ntal Ordi nance Publ i c Comme nts
Ci ty of Orange Pl anni ng Commi ssi on
RE: Publ i c Comme nts f or i te m #3.2 Short Te rm Re ntal Re gul ati ons
Fi rst, as a re sponsi bl e short te rm re ntal ow ne r i n the Ci ty of Orange , I w oul d l i k e to thank the Ci ty Counse l
and staf f f or the i r w ork to pre se rve thi s i mportant aspe ct of mode rn vacati on trav e l as a part of the broade r
“Shari ng Economy.” P l atf orms l i ke A i rbnb he l p touri sts f e e l more l i ke l ocal s by stayi ng outsi de of hote l
compl e x e s and of te n more e ff e cti ve l y fi l l the ne e ds of fami l i e s so k i ds, pe ts and e l de rl y fami l y me mbe rs can
be i n cl ose r contact rathe r than i n se parate hote l rooms.
I can spe ak for many of the Short te rm re ntal ow ne rs that w e take pri de i n prov i di ng a safe and w e l comi ng
e nvi ronme nt f or our gue sts w hi l e at the same ti me assuri ng w e re spe ct our ne i ghbors and our communi ty.
I have re ad the draft ordi nance and I w oul d l i ke to draw your atte nti on to se ve ral ke y i ssue s:
Unde r Numbe r of Pe rmi ts the propose d ordi nance state s that “Short Te rm Re ntal s e x i sti ng on the
e ff e cti ve date of thi s ordi nance shal l re ce i ve pri ori ty i n the i ni ti al i ssuance of the pe rmi ts, afte r whi ch pe rmi ts
shal l be i ssue d on a f i rst come f i rst se rv e d basi s.” I w oul d re que st that grandfathe re d short te rm re ntal s i n
good standi ng shoul d have pri ori ty ove r ne w e ntrants y e ar ove r ye ar.
My bi gge st conce rn i s your re qui re me nt that a “prope rty manage r p hy sica lly re spond to the short te rm
re ntal l ocati on w i thi n 30 mi nute s.” Si nce I i nte rpre t physi cal as “i n pe rson” I di d a l i ttl e re se arch. I pe rforme d
a Googl e Se arch and ri ght now , on Saturday A ugust 15th at 1 PM i t woul d take 25 mi nute s to dri ve across the
Ci ty of Orange ! Most of us are si ngl e e nti ty STR ow ne rs who have jobs. We can ce rtai nl y re spond i n a ti me l y
manne r but 30 mi nute s to show up i n pe rson i s not re asonabl e . Many of us coul d not e ve n l e ave our pl ace s of
w ork to pi ck up a si ck chi l d f rom school i n that ti me f rame . Le t’s take a noi se di sturbance as an e x ampl e . If the
owne r i s abl e to mi ti gate that by communi cati ng w i th the gue sts i n a matte r of mi nute s, but i s unabl e to me e t
a 30 mi nute w i ndow of physi cal pre se nce the y w i l l be subj e ct to a mi nor i nfracti on. Ul ti mate l y, what you are
tryi ng to accompl i sh i s that noi se i nf racti ons are pre v e nte d and, i f the y occur, handl e d i n a ti me l y f ashi on.
He re thi s w as accompl i she d but the owne r i s sti l l pe nal i ze d. Isn’t the goal re me di ati on, not pe nal i zati on?
A l so i n 5.94.070 B1d “Othe r vi ol ati ons de e me d mi nor by the Ci ty Manage r or de si gne e ” Thi s state me nt i s
ove rl y broad and shoul d be re move d. If othe r mi nor off e nce s ne e d to be note d the ordi nance shoul d be
ame nde d.
We as STR owne rs partne r w i th pl atf orms such as A i rbnb and V RBO but w e have no control ove r the i r
agre e me nt or compl i ance w i th thi s proposal . We thi nk i t w oul d be prude nt to have the m re spond to the Ci ty
pri or i ts adopti on. For e x ampl e , the abi l i ty f or the TOT to be pai d di re ctl y f rom the pl atf orm to the Ci ty and
the i r abi l i ty to provi de proof of i nsurance . It w oul d be prude nt, e spe ci al l y gi ve n the si tuati on w i th Covi d-19,
that the Pl anni ng Commi ssi on de l ay movi ng f orw ard to f i nal i ze the draft ordi nance unti l the y hav e had two
w ay communi cati on w i th Ai rbnb e tc.
Thank you f or your ti me and atte nti on,
Mi chae l MacIsaac