HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-11-19 Public Comment - K. Powell - STR Update to City CommissionFrom:Chris Mehl
To:Agenda
Subject:FW: STR Update to City Commission
Date:Wednesday, December 11, 2019 7:34:38 PM
Chris Mehl
Bozeman Deputy Mayor
cmehl@bozeman.net
406.581.4992
________________________________________
From: KPowell & S Griswold [powellgriz@icloud.com]
Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2019 2:53 PM
To: Chuck Winn
Cc: Chris Mehl; Tanya Andreasen
Subject: STR Update to City Commission
Chuck
Thank you for sending, via Tanya, a copy of your STR Update to the City Commission 12/2/19.
Your presentation that night was informative.
One thing that struck me is that the City’s fire inspections and county’s health inspections have made STRs safer for
visitors.
Safety really shows up in the numbers for fire inspection.
2018 = 169 STR inspections and 82 were approved (including 59 that needed to be re-inspected)
So 87 were not approved including 28 that did not call for re-inspected or were not approved
So a total of 169 applied for registration as STRs but only 82 were approved fire safe or 49%
2019 = 44 STR inspections and 29 were approved (including 9 that needed to be re-inspected)
So 15 were not approved including 6 that did not call for re-inspection or did not get approved.
So a total of 44 applied for registration as STRs but only 29 were approved fire safe or 66%
For both years 111/213 were approved or only 52% were fire safe as future STRs.
Also was encouraged that:
—The Code Compliance Program Manager is bringing more consistent enforcement to STRs.
—Software was bought by Sales Force (I think) and that is was actively being updated for the city last week -
hopefully resulting in better monitoring.
—Fees are covering cost of software and likely staff time.
Question, do excess license & fire inspection fees from one year carry over to next year to cover cost of next year’s
software and staff?
Still 57 operating STRs are not registered, but 15 of these have responded to the letter sent out about their
noncompliance. Hopefully the rest will respond too.
Good to hear these 57 are a city priority to get them in compliance or to cease and desist.
So as of 12/2/19 there are 106 registered STRs & potentially 57 more that could get approved.
Bozeman will still have their challenges with STRs, but the Ordinance is helping the City manage STRs, protect
neighborhoods and still give people an option to earn money in the appropriate place.
Question? Of the approx 20-22 CUP applications made within the grandfathering period, how many were
approved?
As you said at City Commission, some people didn’t continue having an STR after they found it was not as lucrative
as they expected, maybe too much work or life changed.
One improvement would be to notify neighbors when there is a change in contact information of a Type 2 STR or a
grandfathered Type 2 or 3. There was a case in our area where the info on who to call for noise and trash had
changed but neighbors did not know that.
It was unfortunate that the Chronicle had a photo of a yard sign from Above & Beyond Property Management
advertising a Vacation Rental since exterior advertising in yards is not allowed in the current STR Ordinance. Yes
the photo was from 2007 but that was in tiny print.
Also unfortunate that the article said STRs are rentals for less than 30 days when it is < 28 consecutive days and that
an owner only has to live in a home part of the year (just the summer was the example) when it has to be a primary
residence (owner lives there more than 50% of the time).This would all get straightened out with registration of an
STR, but the public gets confused with incorrect information.
I will share this info (along with the answers to the above 2 questions) with INC and people in our area who
advocated for a STR Ordinance.
Again thanks for the copy of your power point.
Kathy Powell
406-600-1164
powellgriz@icloud.com<mailto:powellgriz@icloud.com>