HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-07-23 Public Comment - J. Cyr - STRFrom:Jackson Cyr
To:Agenda
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Public Comment
Date:Saturday, August 5, 2023 9:58:32 AM
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Dear Bozeman City Commission,
As a business owner, employer, and property owner in the City of Bozeman, I have someconcerns regarding an ordinance being contemplated by our elected officials. And before
judgement is passed on what I think or believe, I would like to be clear that I have been along-time proponent of workforce housing solutions.
The ordinance being considered is a wider ban on short term rentals (STRs) in the city limits.
This first came to my attention when a small, special interest group got some publicity callingfor such an ordinance. It first seemed comical because such an ordinance logically can’t have a
meaningful effect on housing affordability in Bozeman. That being said, Bozeman TenantsUnited has time, resources and now it appears the commission’s ear, so we are treating it as a
legitimate threat to Bozeman’s property owners’ rights.
Currently, the city has on the books ordinances, including the recently passed 2131, thatclosely regulate and restrict short term rentals. Those restrictions were based on some
foundation of logic and reason (although the federal courts disagree with that reasoning andhave determined no residential rental is to be construed as a commercial use), and I do not
oppose, and frankly encourage, the enforcement of existing city ordinances. What I do notsupport is new law, layered onto old law not being enforced, that is passed based on emotions
and feelings.
I have reached out very respectfully to the Bozeman Tenants United because I had assumedthat if a group was pursuing creating new law, that the group would have answers to some of
the obvious questions regarding the benefits of implementing the law they hope to pass. Thosequestions have all gone without response. Anytime a group is unwilling to engage in civil
discourse to talk about their position I question the merit of that position. This group is verygood at painting a narrative, but it is just that, a story. It is not based on empirical evidence
that this type of additional regulation would help any of the people their group hopes tosupport.
Conversely, the groups that have now had to step in to bring some direction to this discussion
like the STR hosts, platforms, real estate professional, and STR owners will be providingnumbers to show the inefficacy of such laws. They will go one step further to show the other,
negative economic impacts of further regulation of STRs. You would be robbing manyhomeowners of a tool that they work hard to use to CREATE affordability for themselves and
their families. You would be stripping opportunity for the cleaners, maintenance people, lawncare and snow removal providers who depend on the additional income to be able to afford to
live in our community. You would be taking away housing from travel nurses who depend onshort term rentals to be able to come work in our hospitals. You would change how tourists
engage with city businesses and where they spend their money. You would be infringing on
private property rights. But most importantly you would not move the needle on bringinghousing to ‘poor and working class’ people as the proponents of additional regulation hope.
We can’t let small special interest dictate to our commission what laws should be passed based
on feelings. It is that very behavior that has negatively impacted housing affordability. Smallspecial interest has swayed the city commission to vote against the professionals who
administer the Bozeman Planning & Zoning Board on Zoning Map Amendments that wouldhave added hundreds, if not more, units of housing to our market, it is small vociferous special
interest that prevented viable student housing projects from going in near the university andforcing those students to the outskirts of town, further burdening and congesting our town’s
infrastructure, it is small special interest that has added layers of architectural guidelines to theUDC robbing developers of their most affordable home plans, and small special interest that
has pushed for the use of tax dollars to preserve historic homes, park and open space, orremove actual affordable homes to make way for more parks.
Regulation has largely contributed to a reduced number of housing units and higher housing
costs. More regulation is not going to rectify the challenges we face because of those earlierregulatory choices.
Not being one to fight against issues without proposing alternatives, I would like to revisit
some of the suggestions that the business owners, the Chamber of Commerce and myself havebeen pushing for since housing affordability was first slipping away in Bozeman.
The most recent UDC is a great example of the city leadership’s constant assault on housing
affordability through regulation. The open space requirements, length of time and cost tonavigate permitting, onerous off site improvement costs and now even architectural design
guidelines have takenaway the opportunity for builders and developers to put together some of our most affordable
projects. So, the easiest and most cost effective way to lower housing costs in the city wouldbe through a speedier permit process and lighter regulation as well as investment in city
infrastructure. This is how real supply is created.
If the city insists on subsidies to create affordability, you have to consider alternatives tothrowing money at housing itself. With the current cost of land and housing, it is a highly
inefficient use of taxpayer dollars. Consider a subsidy instead to allow for quality, affordabledaycare. Quality affordable daycare does two great things for our city. It brings parents that
are staying home with kids back into the workforce, while bringing a second income back intothe household. We all know that one of Bozeman’s biggest challenges is finding quality
employees. There are many out there that are not working because of the cost of daycare. Thecost of one single family home in Bozeman could operate a 60 child daycare for 3 years. This
would make a huge difference for a significant number of families’ ability to afford Bozemanby greatly increasing household income.
Public transit would be the third leg of housing affordability that should be considered. It is
common across this country that the critical workforce for a town or city or metropolis is notable to live right where they work, or in the very best or most desirable areas. Because of
heavy regulation the vast majority of our city is very desirable, and therefore expensive. Wemust consider, then, that not all of our workforce is able to live in the city proper, and the best
thing that our city can do to bring affordability to our workforce, is bring accessibility toBozeman from the communities, like Belgrade, that are actually working on meaningful
affordable housing development. I am sure that inter-municipality public transit is fraught withregulation, but for lawmakers that is the type of puzzle you are tasked with putting together.
Making commuting easy and affordable brings real housing to real people that are working inBozeman.
It seems that the first of these is unlikely since the voting record of our city leaders, and the
citizens themselves, has proven time and time again that we are far more interested in PrettyBozeman than Affordable Bozeman. It also seems that we want to try to throw sums of
taxpayer money at the problem, so maybe we can do that in a more effective, efficient, andimpactful way.
At this moment in time, let us at least not further regulate short term rentals, and watch the
litany of ‘unintended’ consequences unfold. Once we have put this discussion behind us, let usthen engage in ways to make meaningful differences for Bozeman’s workforce through
efficient use of the resources available to us.
Your job is a difficult one, but the decision on whether to pursue additional STR regulation isa simple no.
Thank you
Jackson Cyr