HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-08-23 Public Comment - M. Ross - Opposition to Additional STR OrdinancesFrom:melissaross71@gmail.com
To:Agenda
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Opposition to Additional STR Ordinances
Date:Tuesday, August 8, 2023 10:20:08 AM
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Dear Bozeman City Commission,
I recently attended a meeting where Deputy Mayor, Terry Cunningham, was present to hear
concerns of parties opposed to additional ordinances pertaining to short term rentals in the city of
Bozeman. I commend him for taking the time to meet with us and hear an opposing viewpoint to
the one more often mentioned at the commission meetings and in the local media. I, personally,
would like to voice my opposition to any additional ordinances affecting STR’s.
To add additional, and more complete bans on what a person can do with their property without
appropriate information or data supporting the efficacy of such a ban, is nothing more than a
trampling of individual property rights, which we hold in high value in Montana. I drive all over the
greater Bozeman area as part of my profession as a real estate agent and I can see multiple
apartment complex developments and rental homes in REMU zoning between Bozeman and
Belgrade in several phases of construction. Some are near completion, some are still coming out of
the ground, and others are currently accepting leases. I was frankly taken aback when Mr.
Cunningham stated that the City is not currently tracking the number of new units that they have
approved or how many units will be coming to the market between 1-12 months and beyond, nor do
they track the average rents those units are advertising, which would seem to be public information.
How in the world would they every try to target STR’s when they aren’t even calculating the
designated LTR units in the valley that could fulfill the affordable housing need? That, to me,
amounts to complete and utter dereliction of duty as elected officials not to prioritize finding that
data before making any informed decision on STR’s.
Until the commission has a quantifiable understanding on whether or not this type of ban can have a
meaningful effect on housing affordability, this ban should not be on the table or up for
consideration. This should include understanding how many units would likely be returned to long-
term rental, and if that will have any notable impact on rental rates across our city. If further
analysis is deemed necessary, the city should also consider the negative impact that this could have
on how many of these short term rental units that are being used by those homeowners to create
housing affordability in Bozeman for themselves by generating extra income.
The commission should also consider the great number of individuals who manage, clean, maintain
and otherwise care for short term rentals, and the loss of wages for them. Often this type of work is
an additional job or supplemental source of income so that they can afford to live in our
community. The commission should not trade one person’s right to work hard and invest
responsibility to be able to afford to live in our community, for another person’s ‘entitlement’ to
receive something from those people.
Additionally, the commission should consider any other unforeseen economic impacts to the
community. Things like will our travel nurse dependent hospitals be able to maintain critical nursing
levels, what will the tourism dollar loss be by pushing tourists outside the city or to other
communities, what are the exposures to and costs of potential litigation.
The stakeholders for short term rentals will present empirical evidence as to why additional laws and
regulations against short term rentals should be a non-starter, but I would like you to know that as a
member of this community, I am not in favor of new short term rental ordinances, or using
Bozeman’s time and resources in pursuing research as to whether or not this is a good idea, when it
should seem clear that it is not.
Thank you.
Melissa Ross
1488 Alder Creek Dr, Bozeman