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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY
[1. Call to Order]
AFTERNOON.I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS, UH, TOWN COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING MONDAY, OCTOBER 13TH TO ORDER IF YOU'LL JOIN US IN SAYING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, UNITED STATES AMERICA, AND TO HEAR WHAT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[3. Adoption of the Agenda]
DO WE HAVE ANY CHANGES TO THE AGENDA TODAY? NO, SIR.ANY MOTION TO ACCEPT THE AGENDA? I MOVED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? SO LIKE RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.
[4.a. Consideration of an Ordinance to Repeal and Replace Title 10, Chapter 2 of the Municipal Code of the Town of Hilton Head Island Entitled Short-Term Rentals; and Providing for Severability and an Effective Date - First Reading - Shawn Leininger, Deputy Town Manager]
WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO NEW BUSINESS.WE HAVE IN CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO REPEAL AND REPLACE TITLE 10, CHAPTER TWO OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND SHORT-TERM RENTALS AND PROVIDING FOR SEVERAL BUILDING AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
FIRST READING ON OCTOBER 27TH, 2025, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICES COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED TOWN COUNCIL APPROVE THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENTS.
REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT FOR PROOF OF INSURANCE AS PART OF THE APPLICATION AND PERMIT REQUIREMENTS.
PERMIT FEES SHALL BE 500 FOR ZERO TO FOUR BEDROOMS AND 1000 FOR F FIVE OR MORE BEDROOMS. THE FIRE ALARM SYSTEM HAS ONLY BEEN REQUIRED FOR SHORT-TERM RENTALS HAVING 3,600 SQUARE FEET OR MORE.
PARKING SHALL BE BASED ON THE SITE PLAN AND THERE SHALL BE A MAXIMUM OF SIX PARKING SPACES.
MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY SHALL BE TWO PEOPLE PER BEDROOM, PLUS TWO PEOPLE FOR THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL STUDIOS SHALL HAVE A MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY OF FOUR PEOPLE.
REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT FOR ANY FLOOR PLAN AS PART OF THE APPLICATION AND AS A POSTING AT THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPERTY.
THE EFFECTIVE DATE SHALL BE DETERMINED BY STAFF REGARDING AMENDMENT TWO.
AFTER ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION, THE COMMITTEE DID NOT TAKE ACTION ON AN AMENDMENT TO ORDINANCE 25 27, 2020 5 27, AMENDING THE PHYSICAL YEAR 26 CONSOLIDATED BUDGET FEE SCHEDULE, AND SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERMIT FEES.
THIS WILL WAS TO ALLOW THE TOWN MANAGER THE OPPORTUNITY TO EVALUATE THE OPERATIONAL IMPACTS AND COST TO IMPLEMENT, ADMINISTER AND FORCE, COMMUNICATE AND MAINTAIN THE RESULTING SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROGRAM.
SHOULD A REVISED SHORT-TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE BE ADOPTED BY TOWN COUNCIL, CHANGES TO SHORTTERM RENTAL PERMIT FEES WILL BE BROUGHT FORWARD FOR THE TOWN COUNCIL CONSIDERATION.
AS PART OF A FUTURE BUDGET ORDINANCE AMENDMENT, MR. LEER MAYOR, I MOVE ADOPTION OF THE ORDINANCE BEFORE US WITH THE FOLLOWING TWO CHANGES.
I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A PRESENTATION UNDER SECTION 10 DASH TWO DASH 20 B COMPLIANCE TO ADD THAT ANY APPLICATION FOR A NEW SCR PERMIT ON OR ACT AFTER THE ADOPTION DATE SHALL COMPLY WITH THE TERMS REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED IN THIS CHAPTER ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1ST, 2026.
AND THAT SECTION 10 DASH TWO DASH 60 C BE REVISED TO PROVIDE THAT FOR THOSE STR PROPERTIES, WHICH HAVE SEVEN BEDROOMS AND ABOVE, UH, AND WHICH ARE THREE, 600 SQUARE FEET OR MORE IN SIZE.
THE MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY MAY BE INCREASED BY TWO UPON COMPLIANCE WITH ALL OTHER TERMS REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED BY THIS CHAPTER.
IS THERE A SECOND? IS IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION? MR. ALFORD IS SECONDED.
MAYOR PERRY, MEMBERS OF TOWN COUNCIL, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CON CONTINUED GUIDANCE ON, ON THIS, ON THIS MATTER TO DATE.
YOU'LL, YOU'LL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE US HERE THIS AFTERNOON.
I TRUST ALL OF YOU'RE IN RECEIPT OF MY STAFF REPORT THAT WENT OUT IN THE PACKET ON FRIDAY MORNING TRUST YOU ALL HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THAT INFORMATION.
AND I'LL, WE CAN DIVE INTO THE DETAILS OF THAT INFORMATION AS NECESSARY.
UH, SIMILAR TO THE COMMITTEE CONVERSATION, I'M GONNA PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE.
I'M GONNA ALSO REVIEW, UH, MARY, AS YOU JUST DID, I'LL TAKE A LITTLE BIT DEEPER DIVE INTO THE COMM COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION, WHICH HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO YOU BY THREE OH VOTE TO TOWN COUNCIL.
WE'LL ALSO THEN AT THE END, WORK WITH YOU TO UNDERSTAND YOUR COLLECTIVE DIRECTION AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
FIRST, THOUGH I'D LIKE TO DO IS REVIEW THE STAFF REPORT AS IT'S SUM OR THE, THE ORDINANCE AS IT'S SUMMARIZED IN THE STAFF REPORT.
UM, AS I DO THAT, I MADE A COMMENT TO OPEN UP AT THE COMMITTEE MEETING.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US ALL TO JUST RE FOR ME TO RESTATE THAT AND MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ORDINANCE DOES NOT INCLUDE.
THE ORDINANCE DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY REQUIREMENT FOR A MINIMUM STAY, WHETHER THAT BE ONE WEEK, TWO WEEKS, ANY PERIOD OF TIME FOR A MINIMUM STAY.
IT DOES NOT INCLUDE A CAP ON THE NUMBER OF SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERMITS THAT CAN BE ISSUED.
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AND THEN FINALLY, THE ORDINANCE DOES NOT INCLUDE A RESTRICTION ON WHERE SHORT-TERM RENTALS CAN AND CANNOT BE LOCATED.THOSE THREE ITEMS ARE NOT PART OF THIS ORDINANCE CURRENTLY OR AS PROPOSED COMING OUT OF THE CDPS COMMITTEE.
SO, WITH THAT MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT.
LEMME SCROLL DOWN INTO THE STAFF REPORT.
UH, THERE IS A SUMMARY, UH, LOTS OF INFORMATION IN THE STAFF REPORT ABOUT DATA.
UH, THINGS THAT WE, WE'VE, WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON OVER THE LAST, UH, COUPLE WEEKS GOING BACK TO SEPTEMBER MEETINGS.
BUT I REALLY LIKE TO FOCUS IN ON THE, THE, THE HANDFUL OF SECTIONS THAT ARE IN THE ORDINANCE AS THEY'RE SUMMARIZED HERE.
THE FIRST SECTION IS THE PURPOSE AND INTENT.
THERE ARE MINIMAL CHANGES TO THIS SECTION CURRENTLY.
THIS SEC OR THE ORDINANCE ONLY REGULATES RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES THAT ARE RENTED TO TRANSIENT OCCUPANTS, OCCUPANTS FOR LESS THAN 30 DAYS, CONSECUTIVE DAYS.
THE ORDINANCE ALSO DOES NOT APPLY TO HOTELS, MOTELS, OR OTHER SIMILAR USES.
THAT IS NOT CHANGING AS PART OF THIS.
A NEW SECTION THAT IS IN THE ORDINANCE DEALS WITH COMPLIANCE STATES ALSO AS PART OF THE ENABLING LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ADOPT THIS ORDINANCE.
THERE'S ALSO LANGUAGE IN THERE ABOUT THE EFFECTIVE DATES OF THIS ORDINANCE.
IN SHORT, WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT THE ORDINANCE, IF ADOPTED, WOULD GO INTO EFFECT ON MAY 1ST, 2026.
THAT'S FOR ALL PERMITS WITH ONE EXCEPTION.
SO ALL THE REGULATIONS, ALL THE REQUIREMENTS THAT GO INTO EFFECT ON MAY 1ST, 2026, WITH ONE EXCEPTION, THAT EXCEPTION HAS TO DEAL WITH ANY SHORT TERM RENTAL THAT HAS A VALID PERMIT AS OF THE ADOPTION DATE OF THIS ORDINANCE.
SO, SECOND READING IS SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 21.
IF THAT IS OF THE ADOPTION DATE, ANY PERMIT THAT IS VALID ON OR BEFORE THAT DATE AND THEN RENEWED PRIOR TO MAY 1ST, 2026 WOULD BE EXEMPT FROM MEETING THE FIRE SAFETY ALARM REQUIREMENTS.
SO THE FIRE SAFETY ALARM REQUIREMENTS, YOU REMEMBER, ARE THE AUTOMATIC SMOKE DETECTION THAT'S MONITORED AND THE MANUAL FIRE ALARM THAT'S ON THE WALL.
OTHERWISE, ALL OTHER REGULATIONS GO INTO EFFECT ON MAY 1ST, 2026.
WE ALSO PROVIDED IN THE ORDINANCE A LIST OF UPDATED DEFINITIONS TO CLARIFY WHO'S INVOLVED IN THE SHORT TERM RENTAL APPLICANT PROCESS.
WHO'S RESPONSIBLE IN THE SHORT TERM RENTAL APPLICANT PROCESS PERMIT PROCESS, WE DEFINE MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY.
MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY IS AN OVERNIGHT OCCUPANCY FROM 10:01 PM TO 6:59 AM THAT HAS NOT CHANGED, AND WE DEFINED A NUMBER OF OTHER TERMS HERE, INCLUDING NATURAL PERSON, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A SECOND.
AS PART OF THE PERMIT, MUCH OF THIS LANGUAGE IS EXISTING.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PERMIT PRIOR TO ADVERTISING OFFERING OR MAKING AVAILABLE SHORT-TERM RENTAL.
ONE THING THAT IS NOTED, AND WE TALKED AT THE AT PREVIOUS MEETINGS ABOUT IS MOVING THE, THE PERMIT PERIOD.
RIGHT NOW THE PERMIT PERIOD IS FROM JANUARY ONE TO DECEMBER 31.
THIS ORDINANCE WOULD PROPOSE TO MOVE IT TO MAY ONE, TO APRIL 30TH TO ALIGN IT WITH THE BUSINESS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS.
ALSO TO PROVIDE TOWN STAFF, PARTICULARLY THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO GET THEIR PERMIT APPLICATIONS AND PROCESSES AND SOFTWARE UP TO SPEED AND READY TO GO TO ACCEPT PERMITS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS NEW ORDINANCE.
PERMITS ARE NOT VALID WITHOUT A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.
PERMITS ARE NON-TRANSFERABLE AND NON-REFUNDABLE EXISTING REQUIREMENT, AND THEN A HOST OF OTHER REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO WHAT NEEDS TO BE PROVIDED.
YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE US YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION.
WE CAN SEND AN APPLICATION FOR EACH YEAR, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, FALSE AND ACCURATE INFORMATION SHALL BE GROUNDS FOR SUSPENSION AND REVOCATION.
AS I MENTIONED, WE DID DEFINE A NATURAL PERSON.
THERE WAS SOME COMMENTARY ABOUT THIS AT THE COMMITTEE MEETING.
WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT A PERMIT CAN BE HELD, CANNOT BE HELD BY A PER BY A BUSINESS OR TRUST.
IT ABSOLUTELY STILL CAN AND, AND CAN BE AS PART OF THIS, THIS ORDINANCE.
HOWEVER, IT'S NOT JUST SIMPLY ENOUGH TO STATE WHO THE LLC WHO THE BUSINESS IS.
WE NEED SOMEBODY TO SIGN THAT PERMIT THAT HAS THE ABILITY, THE, THE AUTHORITY TO SIGN ON BEHALF OF THAT BUSINESS ENTITY.
THEREFORE, THAT'S A NATURAL PERSON REQUIREMENT.
THE NEXT SECTION DEALS WITH LICENSES, PERMITS, PAYMENT OF FEES, TAXES REQUIRED.
THIS IS SIMPLY STATING THAT YOU HAVE TO PAY ALL YOUR FEES.
YOU HAVE TO BE CONCURRENT CURRENT ON ALL YOUR TAXES, WHETHER THAT'S PROPERTY TAX, A TAX, OR ANY OTHER TAX THAT'S HAVE, ARE REQUIRED BY THIS, BY THE LOCAL, BY BY HILTON HEAD, UH, BY THE COUNTY OR THE STATE AT THE TIME OF YOUR PERMIT APPLICATION.
NEXT SECTION DEALS WITH REGULATIONS FOR SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPERTIES.
FIRST IS RESPONSE TO COMPLAINTS.
THERE WAS ALSO SOME COMMENTS MADE ABOUT THIS, UH, PARTICULAR SECTION AT THE COMMITTEE MEETING.
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NOT CHANGING AS PART OF THIS ORDINANCE RIGHT NOW, IF YOU HAVE A SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERMIT, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO BE, UH, ACCESSIBLE AT ALL TIMES IF THERE IS AN ISSUE RELATING TO THAT PERMIT.ACCESSIBLE MEANS AT ANY TIME BY TELEPHONE.
BUT IF THERE ARE CERTAIN SITUA CERTAIN SITUATIONS WHERE WE NEED YOU TO BE ON A PROPERTY REPRESENTATIVE OR A PROPERTY OWNER TO BE ON SITE AS PART OF YOUR PERMIT, YOU HAVE ONE HOUR TO BE WITH ONSITE OR SOMEONE HAS AN AUTHORITY TO BE ON SITE THAT CAN MAKE A DECISION OR, OR RECTIFY THE SITUATION THAT'S HAPPENING ON THE PROPERTY.
IT'S REALLY TO FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY.
SOME OF THESE ARE, ARE, UH, EXISTING REQUIREMENTS THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PROPER, UH, FIRE SAFETY EQUIPMENT, WHETHER THAT BE A SMOKE DETECTOR, FIRE EXTINGUISHER, CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR.
WE ARE ADDING A REQUIREMENT FOR A COMBUSTIBLE GAS DETECTOR.
A LOT OF OUR HOMES ARE, ARE FUELED BY THE STOVES.
THE KITCHENS ARE FUELED BY PROPANE.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT EVERYBODY HAVE A COMBUSTIBLE GAS DETECTOR IN IN THEIR UNITS.
UH, IF ANY EVENT THAT PROPANE IS PRESENT FOR, FOR A COOKING SOURCE, THE NEXT ITEM FOR ANY SHORT TERM RENTAL THAT'S MORE THAN 3,600 SQUARE FEET HAS TO HAVE AN INSTALLED MONITOR FIRE ALARM SYSTEM, INCLUDING AUTOMATIC SMOKE DETECTION SYSTEM AND A MANUAL FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.
HOW THIS WAS PRESENTED TO THE COMMITTEE WAS THAT ALL SHORT-TERM RENTALS HAD TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THIS REQUIREMENT.
THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED THAT THAT THRESHOLD BE AT 3,600 SQUARE FEET OR MORE, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH THE FEBRUARY DRAFT OF, OF, OF, OF A SIMILAR ORDINANCE.
AND WE ALSO HEARD SOME COMMENTARY ABOUT THE MANUAL FIRE ALARM SYSTEM, WHETHER OR NOT THAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED INTO, INTO THE ORDINANCE AS IT'S BEEN PRESENTED, AS IT'S BEEN RECOMMENDED FROM FROM THE COMMITTEE.
THAT ELEMENT IS STILL A REQUIREMENT OF THIS ORDINANCE ALSO HAVE TO EQUIP THE OUTDOOR GAS FIRED GRILLS WITH AUTOMATIC SHUTOFF TIMERS.
UH, THE ORDINANCE SPECIFIES THOSE ARE 60 MINUTE TIMERS.
AND THEN SOMETHING THAT'S IN, IN THE CODE ALREADY IS THE ENSURE UNOBSTRUCTED ESCAPE ROUTES, UH, REMOVED FROM THIS OR REFERENCES TO FLOOR PLAN AND FIRE ESCAPE PLAN AS RECOMMENDED BY THE COMMITTEE.
UH, NEXT IS THE OXY REGULATIONS.
THIS IS A TWO PLUS TWO MODEL, UH, EXCEPT FOR STUDIOS WHERE, UH, IT WAS CLARIFIED AT THE COMMITTEE BEING THAT STUDIOS SHOULD BE FOUR BED, FOUR, UH, MAXIMUM FOUR PEOPLE FOR A STUDIO TREATING A STUDIO AS ONE BEDROOM.
NOISE REGULATIONS REMAIN, UH, LARGELY UNCHANGED, UH, JUST ADHERENCE WITH THE EXISTING TOWN CODE.
TRASH REGULATIONS REMAIN UN GENERALLY UNCHANGED.
JUST THAT REGULATIONS YOU HAVE TO SHOW US ON A SITE PLAN WHERE YOUR TRASH IS LOCATED, YOU HAVE TO MAINTAIN IT PROPERLY.
UH, WHERE WE DID SEE SOME CHANGES, OUR PARKING REGULATIONS AS IT WENT TO COMMITTEE, THE GENERALLY THE REGULATIONS SPECIFIED WHERE YOU COULD PARK AND WHERE YOU COULD NOT PARK.
SO AS PART OF THIS, THE PERMIT APPLICATION, THERE HAS TO BE A DESIGNATION OF WHERE THE OFF STREET PARKING IS LOCATED.
THERE WAS ALSO AN ADDITION THEN OF NO MORE THAN SIX PARKING SPACES MAY BE PROVIDED.
PARKING REGULATIONS, UH, WILL ALSO SAY THAT THEY HAVE TO BE ON SITE.
THEY HAVE TO BE AN IMPROVED AREA.
THEY CANNOT BE OFFSITE ON STREET OR BLOCKING ANY BUFFERS, SIDEWALKS, PEDESTRIAN AREAS.
THERE'S ALSO A REQUIREMENT THAT PARKING CANNOT BE EXPANDED.
UH, SIMPLY JUST ADD MORE PARKING.
UH, IT IS UP TO SIX, NOT A MAX, NOT NOT A, A RIGHT TO SIX.
IT IS UP TO SIX BASED ON THIS SITE, WHAT YOU'RE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE ON YOUR, ON YOUR SITE.
AND YOU ALSO HAVE TO MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF THE LML.
UH, THE FINAL REQUIREMENT THEN IN THIS SECTION REGARDING INSPECTION AND COMPLIANCE.
UH, AND THIS BASICALLY STATES THAT ANY PROPERTY THAT HAS A SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERMIT WITH 48 HOURS NOTICE IS SUBJECT TO AN INSPECTION TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THESE REQUIREMENTS.
SECOND TO LAST SECTION DEALS WITH WHAT NEEDS TO BE ADVERTISED AND DISPLAYED WITHIN THE UNIT ITSELF.
IN THE PREVIOUS CODE OR IN THE CURRENT CODE, I SHOULD SAY.
UH, THIS IS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT.
WE TOOK AND CONSOLIDATED THIS INTO ONE SECTION SO IT'S EASIER TO FIND IN, IN ONE LOCATION.
UM, SO IN THIS CASE, UH, ONE, THE ADVERTISEMENT HAS TO INCLUDE, UH, THE INFORMATION THAT'S IN THIS, IN THIS ORDINANCE.
AND THEN WITHIN THE, OR WITHIN THE, THE UNIT, WE HAVE TO, THERE HAS TO BE, THE FOUNDING INFORMATION HAS TO BE IN INCLUDED, UM, IN A, IN A PROMINENT PLACE IN THE UNIT OWNER AND AGENT CONTACT, MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY NOISE RESTRICTIONS IF THERE'S A SWIMMING POOL, WHEREAS A SAFETY EQUIPMENT RELATED TO SWIMMING POOL, ET CETERA.
MANY OF THESE ARE EXISTING REQUIREMENTS EXCEPT FOR THE MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY.
AND THEN FINALLY, AGAIN, MUCH OF THIS IS EXISTING LANGUAGE THAT'S IN OUR ORDINANCE TODAY.
UM, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF GROUNDS FOR, UH, FOR SUSPENSION AND LIMITS SUSPENSIONS TO ONE YEAR.
UH, AND THEN IF THERE IS A SUSPENSION, WHAT'S
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THE PROCESS FOR CONSIDERATION OF A REVOCATION? ESSENTIALLY, IF A PRO, IF A, IF A PERMIT IS SUSPENDED, UH, THERE'LL AUTOMATICALLY BE A HEARING BEFORE TOWN COUNCIL DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THAT PERMIT SHOULD BE REVOKED.I'M GONNA GO BACK UP TO THE TOP AND JUST REPEAT WHAT THE ACTION OF THE COMMITTEE WAS LAST WEEK, SIX DAYS AGO.
SO AT THAT MEETING, THE COMMITTEE DID RECOMMEND UNANIMOUSLY BY A THREE OH VOTE TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE TO TOWN COUNCIL.
WITH THESE SEVEN ITEMS. ONE, REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT FOR PROOF OF INSURANCE AS PART OF THE APPLICATION AND PERMIT REQUIREMENTS THAT HAS BEEN DONE.
AS I SHARED WITH YOU, THE PERMIT FEE SHALL BE $500 FOR ZERO TO FOUR BEDROOMS AND A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR FIVE OR MORE BEDROOMS. UM, THE COMMITTEE PROVIDED THE DIRECTION ON THIS, UH, AS WAS SHARED, UH, IN THE, IN THE INTRODUCTION BY MAYOR PERRY.
UH, ULTIMATELY THE BUDGET AMENDMENT ORDINANCE DID NOT ADVANCE, BUT THE COMMITTEE PROVIDED THEIR DIRECTION ON THIS TOPIC.
AND THE TOWN MANAGER, AFTER HE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASSESS THIS ORDINANCE AS IT IF IT IS ULTIMATELY ADOPTED.
IF IT IS ADOPTED, WE BRING BACK A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE FEE STRUCTURE FOR SHORT TERM RENTALS.
BASED ON THE DIRECTION PROVIDED BY THE COMMITTEE.
THE FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SHALL ONLY BE REQUIRED FOR SHORT TERM RENTALS HAVING 3,600 SQUARE FEET OR MORE, AS I SHARED, THAT HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED.
PARKING SHALL BE BASED ON THE SITE PLAN.
THERE SHOULD BE A MAXIMUM OF SIX, SIX PARKING SPACES AGAIN, THAT HAS BEEN INCORPORATED IN THE ORDINANCE.
MAXIMUM SHALL BE TWO PEOPLE PER BEDROOM, PLUS TWO PEOPLE FOR THE SHORT TERM RENTAL.
THAT'S HOW IT WAS PRESENTED TO THE COMMITTEE.
UH, THERE WAS CLARIFICATION THAT THE STUDIOS SHALL HAVE A MAXIMUM OCC OF FOUR PEOPLE REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT FOR ANY FLOOR PLAN AS PART OF THE APPLICATION AND AS A POSTING AT THE SHORT TERM RENTAL PROPERTY THAT IS WRITTEN STRUCK FROM THE ORDINANCE AS WELL.
AND LAST, THIS IS THE EFFECTIVE DATE SHALL BE DETERMINED BY TOWN STAFF.
AND I SHARED WITH YOU WHAT THAT EFFECTIVE DATE IS.
STAFF UTILIZED THE CONSENSUS THAT WE HEARD FROM, FROM COMMENTS FROM TOWN COUNCIL TO COME UP WITH THAT.
SOME WANTED IT TO BE SOONER, SOME WANTED IT TO BE LATER.
WE HEARD THAT WE, WHAT WE HEARD WAS SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE, AND THAT'S HOW WE CAME UP WITH THE, THE MAY 1ST, 2026, WITH AN EXCEPTION FOR THE FIRE SAFETY ALARM SYSTEM TO BE MAY 1ST, 2027.
DID YOU NOT ALSO REMOVE THE ALTERNATIVE REFERENCE TO SPRINKLER SYSTEMS? THE ALTERNATIVE REFERENCE? YEAH, IT WAS EITHER A SPRINKLER SYSTEM OR, AND SMOKE DETECTORS.
I BELIEVE WE DID, BUT I MAY CHECK THE CODE JUST TO MAKE SURE I HAVE, HAVE THAT ACCURATE.
UM, SO WITH THAT, MAYOR PERRY, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, UH, THAT IS, UH, THE ORDINANCE THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED TO YOU THIS AFTERNOON.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
CERTAINLY, UH, UH, TO TAKE A LITTLE DEEPER DIVE IN ANY OF THESE ITEMS AS, AS IS NECESSARY.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION FOR MS. BRYSON, A SECOND FROM MR. ED.
UM, IS THERE DISCUSSION AMONGST COUNSEL? OKAY.
WE'LL MOVE ON WITH THE DISCUSSION.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR AND THE COMMUNITY IS CLEAR AS FAR AS DIRECTION IS CONCERNED.
THE CURRENT MOTION ON THE FLOOR DOES NOT INCLUDE THE FEES.
AND WHAT I'M HEARING FROM THE ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGER IS THAT THE FEES WILL BE TAKEN UP AT A BUDGET AMENDMENT AT A LATER DATE.
SO IF THERE ANY SUBSEQUENT MOTIONS HERE, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE CLEAR THAT THE, THE FEE STRUCTURE WILL BE TAKEN UP LATER IS BECAUSE IT WAS NOT PRESENTED TO US THROUGH SUBCOMMITTEE TO HEAR ACCORDING TO THE ORDER.
IS THAT CORRECT ON THAT? THAT IS CORRECT.
AND, UH, COULD YOU REREAD THE MOTION SOMEONE? YEP.
THE MOTION TO IS IS TO APPROVE ON FIRST READING THE DRAFT ORDINANCE IN FRONT OF US WITH THE TWO FOLLOWING REVISIONS.
ONE IS UNDER SECTION 10 DASH TWO DASH 20 COMPLIANCE TO ADD LANGUAGE, WHICH PROVIDES THAT ANY APPLICATION FOR A NEW STR PERMIT ON AFTER THE ADOPTION DATE SHALL COMPLY WITH THE TERMS REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED IN THIS CHAPTER ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1ST, 2026.
IN ADDITION, WITH REGARD TO SECTION 10 DASH TWO DASH 60 C, THAT THE TABLE BE REVISED TO PROVIDE THAT FOR THOSE STR PROPERTIES, WHICH HAVE SEVEN BEDROOMS AND ABOVE, AND WHICH ARE 3,600 SQUARE FEET OR MORE IN SIZE.
THE MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY MAY BE INCREASED BY TWO UPON COMPLIANCE WITH ALL OTHER TERMS REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED BY THIS CHAPTER.
I'D LIKE TO OFFER AN AMENDMENT TO THIS MOTION.
MAY I SPEAK TO THE MOTION FIRST? YES.
FIRST OF ALL, IN THE ADOPTED STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN, UH, THE GOAL ESTABLISHED AS NUMBER ONE IS TO PROTECT ISLAND CHARACTERS THROUGH MANAGING GROWTH.
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CONSIDERATIONS OF, UH, AMENDMENTS TO SHORT-TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS.IN ADDITION, UM, ACCORDING TO THE SURVEY ANNUAL SURVEY TAKEN BY THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AMONGST THE CONCERNS OF RESIDENTS ON THE ISLAND, UM, ARE OVERCROWDING EVER DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING THE INCREASE IN SHORT TERM RENTALS.
UM, AND THAT'S BEEN CONSISTENT OVER THE FOUR WAVES OF THE CHAMBER SURVEY, WHICH IS REPORTED TO US ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
IN ADDITION, UM, IN THE CONDITIONS AND TRENDS ASSESSMENT ADOPTED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL, IT INCLUDES A SECTION ON HOUSING AT SECTION F, WHICH PROVIDES THAT SHORT TERM RENTAL CONVERSION IS ANOTHER FACTOR IN REDUCING THE, UH, AMOUNT OF, UH, WORKFORCE HOUSING.
UM, AND ABOUT HALF OF THE ISLAND'S, NEARLY 34,000 HOUSING UNITS ARE DEFINED AS VACANT OR WITHOUT A YEAR-ROUND OCCUPANT.
THIS INCLUDES SHORT-TERM RENTALS, SEASONAL HOMES, AND UNITS FOR RENT OR SALE WITHOUT AN OCCUPANT.
UM, IN ADDITION, GOING BACK TO OCTOBER OF 2023, THE PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL FIRST CONSIDERED PARKING REGULATIONS WITH REGARD TO SHORT TERM RENTALS.
AND THEN IN, UM, SEPTEMBER, I'M SORRY.
AND THEN, UM, IN OCTOBER OF 2023, THE PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE FIRST CONSIDERED OCCUPANCY REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING PROPOSAL SIMILAR TO THAT BEFORE US.
THE TOWN COUNCIL FIRST CONSIDERED PARKING IN OCTOBER OF 2023 AND CONSIDERED OCCUPANCY IN A WORKSHOP SEPTEMBER, 2024, WHEN THE PROVISIONS SET FORTH IN THIS DRAFT WERE INCLUDED, ESPECIALLY OCCUPANCY AND PARKING.
UM, THE, UH, EFFECTIVE DATES AS PROPOSED, THE COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS, UM, DO NOT ADDRESS NEW SHORT TERM RENTALS.
SO WE NEED TO ADDRESS THOSE AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS A COMPLIANCE STATE FOR THEM AS WELL.
UM, THEN WITH REGARD TO OCCUPANCY, UM, BASED ON STATISTICS THAT WE'VE HAD BEFORE US FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, FOREST BEACH HAS 25.72% OF THE SHORT TERM RENTALS.
FOLLY FIELD HAS 14.07% OF THE SHORT TERM RENTALS.
49% ARE ONE BEDROOM AND 32% ARE TWO BEDROOM.
UM, ALSO WE HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE FIRE CHIEF WITH REGARD TO INCLUDING ADDITIONAL FIRE SAFETY ALARMS IF, IF THERE IS NO FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM, UM, FOR THOSE HOMES THAT ARE 3,600 SQUARE FEET AND ABOVE.
ALSO, UM, THE TOWN COUNCIL WORKSHOP ON WORKFORCE HOUSING THIS YEAR, JULY OF THIS YEAR, SHOWED THAT ONE IN FIVE OF THE HOUSING UNITS ON THIS ISLAND ARE SHORT TERM RENTALS, WHICH IMPACTS WORKFORCE HOUSING.
UM, FINALLY WE RECEIVED, UM, A SUGGESTED REVISION TO THE OCCUPANCY TABLE FROM MIKE ALSCO, WHO IS A MEMBER OF THE VACATION RENTAL ALLIANCE, SENDING FORTH A CHART TO ADD SOME OCCUPANCY TO LARGER HOMES.
LARGER HOMES HAVE HAD A GREAT IMPACT ON NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOODS WITHIN THE TOWN LIMITS.
WE'VE HEARD REPEATED CRIES FROM OUR COMMUNITY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE SIZE AND THE OCCUPANCY OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS ON THE ISLAND AND HOW IT'S IMPACTING THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, INCLUDING FORCING LONG-TERM RESIDENTS OUT OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
THE CHART, WHICH MR. ALCO SENT, SHOWED INCREASE, UM, FROM FOUR BEDROOMS UP IN OCCUPANCY.
THE MOTION BEFORE US, WHICH HAS BEEN SECONDED, INCLUDES THOSE WHICH HAVE SEVEN BEDROOMS AND ABOVE FOR TWO MORE OCCUPANTS.
AND LOOKING AT THE STATS PROVIDED BY STAFF, WHICH I UNDERSTAND THEY GET FROM THE SHORT TERM RENTAL INDUSTRY AND FROM, UH, INFORMATION ON APPLICATIONS, UM, SHOWS AVERAGE.
AND, UM, ALSO FINALLY, THE, UM, THE INDUSTRY STANDARD IS TWO PERSONS PER BEDROOM PLUS A NUMBER.
SO THE REVISIONS INCLUDE A REFLECTION OF A REQUEST FROM THE SHORT TERM RENTAL INDUSTRY ITSELF TO INCREASE SOME OF THE OCCUPANCY.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS MOTION DOES.
UH, YES, NOT THAT I TOTALLY DISAGREE OR FULLY AGREE WITH MS. BRYSON.
A LOT OF WHAT SHE HAS TO SAY IS, IS ABSOLUTE TRUTH.
[00:25:01]
MOVE SOMETHING OF THIS ENORMITY FORWARD, I THINK WE NEED A MORE, UH, COMMUNATIVE GATHERING OF REALTORS, UH, UH, LONG STANDING RESIDENCE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME.AND WE MAY VERY WELL END UP IN THE SAME SPOT THAT THE MOTION WAS THAT SHE JUST PRESENTED YOU.
BUT HAVING SAID THAT, AND HAVING TALKED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE OVER THE LAST WEEK, I MAKE THIS MOTION, THIS AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION, I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE FIRST READING OF THE ORDINANCE TO REPEAL AND REPLACE TITLE 10, CHAPTER TWO OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE ENTITLED SHORT-TERM RENTALS, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEE WITH THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENTS TO REMOVE SECTION 10 DASH TWO DASH 60 DASH C AND ALL OTHER REFERENCES TO OCCUPANCY LIMITATIONS.
AT THIS TIME, I FURTHER RECOMMEND THAT WE ADDRESS, UH, PLEASE, I FURTHER RECOMMEND THAT WE ADDRESS OCCUPANCY LOCATION AND USE AS WE FURTHER DISCUSS THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE AND THE REWRITE OF THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
MAYOR, I NEED TO ASK THE TOWN ATTORNEY IF, UH, THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
AND, UM, IS THIS AN APPROPRIATE ADDITIONAL MOTION ON THE FLOOR, THE WAY IT'S MADE? YES.
I MEAN, THERE'S BEEN A MOTION MADE AND SECONDED.
NOW THERE HAS BEEN A MOTION TO FURTHER AMEND WHAT IS, WHAT IS ON THE FLOOR.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S THE ORDER OF THE VOTE WHERE WE'LL HAVE TO BE CAREFUL, BUT YES, HE CAN DO THIS.
UH, BUT THE MOTION WAS NOT TO AMEND, IT WAS TO ADOPT ON FIRST READING THE LANGUAGE THAT HE READ OUT.
I UNDERSTOOD YOUR MOTION TO BE, TO ADOPT ON FIRST READING WITH CERTAIN CHANGES THAT WAS MINE.
BUT HIS MOTION IS AN ADDITIONAL MOTION TO ADOPT, NOT A MOTION TO AMEND.
WELL, I OFFERED AN AMENDMENT TO YOUR MOTION.
I MEAN, THAT WAS HOW MR. DESMOND STATED IT WAS THAT HE WAS OFFERING IT AS AN AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR, WHICH YOU, MS. BRYSON HAD MADE.
UH, IT'S NOT THE WAY I HEARD IT.
ALL RIGHT, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION FROM COUNCIL MR. BROWN? JUST ONE TO COUNCILMAN DECIMAL'S AMENDMENT.
I KNOW THERE WAS DISCUSSION AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL IN REGARDS TO THE FIRE ALARM IN IT BEING, UH, I GUESS A MONITORING SYSTEM VERSUS A MANUAL SYSTEM.
UM, AND I THOUGHT I HEARD THAT THE MANUAL PIECE WAS SUPPOSED TO COME OUT, BUT IT'S IN THE ORDINANCE AT THE MOMENT.
YOUR MOTION DOES NOT DEAL WITH THAT.
SO I'M WANTING TO KNOW IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL ITEMS TO YOUR MOTION, SIR.
WELL, IN THE COMMITTEE MEETING, I DON'T THINK IT WAS MOVED FORWARD AS A, AS A POOL SYSTEM.
WE NEED TO BE CLEAR ON THIS BECAUSE THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE HAD BEEN SOME SHIFT IN THAT PIECE OF IT.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO HAVE CLARIFICATION IN, IN WHAT IT IS THAT'S BEING RECOMMENDED BY THE, UM, CHIEF AT THIS POINT, CHIEF, YOU WANNA COME UP AND, AND GIVE YOUR RECOMMENDATION? AND SEAN, CAN I, CAN I JUST CLARIFY WHAT CAME OUT OF THE COMMITTEE? YES.
TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
SO THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS IN FRONT OF THE COMMITTEE INCLUDED A FIRE ALARM SYSTEM THAT HAD TWO COMPONENTS TO IT.
IT IS AN AUTO, IT IS A AUTOMATIC SMOKE DETECTOR AND A MANUAL FIREARM ALARM, A PULSE SYSTEM THAT'S ON THE SIDE OF A WALL THAT'S MONITORED 24 7 BY A SUPERVISING STATION.
THAT'S WHAT WAS IN THE ORDINANCE AND APPLIED TO EVERY SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERMIT THAT GETS ISSUED.
WHAT THE COMMITTEE CHANGED WAS NOT THE SYSTEM, BUT JUST SIMPLY WHO IS REQUIRED TO HAVE THE SYSTEM.
AND THAT CHANGE WAS FOR ANY SHORT TERM RENTAL THAT HAS 3,600 SQUARE FEET OR MORE OF FLOOR AREA.
SO THE, THE MANUAL FIRE ALARM, THE POLE PORTION OF IT IS STILL PART OF THIS ORDINANCE.
WHAT ARE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, CHIEF? I THINK MY RECOMMENDATION GO FORWARD WOULD POSSIBLY NEED AN AMENDMENT.
UM, BUT WE ARE, WHAT WE'RE COMFORTABLE WHERE WE'VE LANDED WITH BEING COMFORTABLE IS A MONITORED SYSTEM 24 HOURS A DAY.
NOT NECESSARILY THE COMMERCIAL SYSTEM THAT WE PUT FORWARD, BUT WE HAVE LOOKED AT SOME OF THE RESIDENTIAL.
UM, FOR, FOR INSTANCE, WE LOOKED AT SIMPLISAFE
[00:30:01]
'CAUSE THAT WAS WHAT WAS SENT TO US TO, TO CONSIDER THESE, UM, OWNER INSTALLED SYSTEMS ARE RESIDENTIAL SECURITY SYSTEMS, UM, THAT PEOPLE PUT IN THEIR HOUSE AND THERE'S AN OPTION TO HAVE, UH, SMOKE, UH, DETECTORS ADDED TO THEM.UM, HOWEVER, YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE A LOT OF THOSE ARE ONE OR TWO SMOKE DETECTORS PER SYSTEM THAT WOULD NOT MEET THE INTENT.
WE WOULD STILL HAVE TO HAVE ALL THE SMOKE DETECTORS IN THE PLACES, THE BEDROOMS AND EVERYTHING THAT HAD BEEN OUTLINED IN THE ORDINANCE.
SO WITH THOSE SYSTEMS, THERE'S, THERE'S A, A, A PANEL THAT HAS THE, THE PUSH BUTTON, UM, PANIC STUFF WITH IT THAT WE CAN LIVE WITH THAT.
SO REALLY IT'S, IT'S TO MEET THE INTENT OF THE NFPA, UM, UH, STANDARD.
UM, BUT, BUT NOT NECESSARILY MEETING IT.
SO WE COULD GET RID OF THE, THE MANUAL PULL STATIONS, BUT STILL HAVE THAT MANUAL OPTION.
I'M NOT SURE OF THE APPROPRIATE ORDER FOR THE AMENDMENTS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER AN AMENDMENT THAT REFLECTS CHIEF'S, UM, UPDATED RECOMMENDATION AND I, I CAN ASSIST WITH THAT.
SO ON THE SCREEN IS THE, ON THE SCREEN IS THE FIRE ALARM THANK YOU SYSTEM.
AS IT'S IN THE CODE, THERE WILL BE TWO SECTIONS THAT AS CHIEF JUST STATED, WHERE WE WOULD LOOK AT MAKING CHANGES IN THREE.
THE LAST SENTENCE HERE, IT SAYS, THE FIRE ALARM SYSTEM SHALL BE MONITORED BY AN APPROVED SUPERVISING STATION, UH, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE NATIONAL FIRE ALARM SIGNALING CODE.
RATHER THAN SAYING IN ACCORDANCE WITH, WE WOULD SAY, MEETING THE INTENT OF THE NATIONAL FIRE ALARM SIGNALING CODE.
UM, THE SECOND ITEM IS B, SORRY, MAKING SURE THERE'S NOTHING ABOVE THERE, UH, IS B, THAT WOULD BE TO REMOVE B IN ITS ENTIRETY.
SO THERE IS A MOTION BY MS. BECKER.
IS THERE A SECOND? DO I HAVE THAT? UH, NO.
A MOTION TO REMOVE B MRS. BECKER MADE A MOTION, UH, TO AMEND THE MOTION TO FOLLOW THE CHIEF'S REQUIRE, UH, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS TO MEET THE NF NFPA STANDARDS OR THE INTENT TO MEET THE NFPA STANDARDS.
AND PART OF THAT ALSO WAS TO, AS SEAN, IF I GOT THIS CORRECT, TO REMOVE B AS WELL.
SO IT'S THE REWORDING IN ACCORDANCE OF, INSTEAD IT WILL STATE INTENT OF THE NATIONAL FIRE AND THEN B, A MANUAL FIRE ALARM SYSTEM THAT ACTIVATES THE OCCUPANT NOTIFICATION SYSTEM THAT WOULD BE STRUCK.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT, YES.
OTHER DISCUSSIONS, MR. ALFORD? I AM CONCERNED ABOUT PUTTING OFF RESOLUTION OF THIS MATTER FOR AN INDEFINITE TIME PERIOD.
IT WAS ONLY A MONTH OR TWO AGO THAT WE HAD AN AUDIENCE OF SIMILAR PROPORTIONS AND VOLUME DEALING WITH THE QUESTION OF MORATORIUM ON SHORT TERM REGULATIONS.
THE COUNCIL DETERMINED IN RESPONSE TO THE REQUEST FOR MORATORIUM THAT INSTEAD OF DOING THAT WE WOULD HURRY UP AND GET THE SHORT TERM REGULATIONS ACTUALLY ADOPTED.
SO I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT PUTTING THIS OFF FOR AN INDEFINITE TIME PERIOD.
AND PART OF THAT IS, TO ME AT LEAST IT IS RELATIVELY CLEAR THAT THERE HAS TO BE SOME COMPROMISE IN WHAT, FROM WHAT THE COMMITTEE APPROVED ON THE 7TH OF OCTOBER AND WHERE WE NEED TO BE BY THE TIME WE GET TO SECOND READING.
IN TERMS OF THE OCCUPANCY LIMITATIONS, I DO THINK WE ARE GOING TO END UP WITH SOME COMPROMISES IN THAT ARENA, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA BE THAT DIFFICULT TO COME UP WITH SOME ACTUAL FIGURES FOR WHAT THAT COMPROMISE SHOULD BE.
SO I'M VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? SEE IF THERE'S ANY OTHERS DOWN HERE FIRST.
ANY COMMENTS? ALRIGHT, BECKER? NO, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, TO SAY THAT FROM THE BEGINNING, FEBRUARY 23, WHENEVER THE LAST TIME, UH, WE DISCUSSED OCCUPANCY, I HAVE NOT VOTED FOR IT NOR BEEN IN FAVOR OF THE WAY IT'S BEEN PRESENTED.
AND THE REASONS I'VE STATED ARE QUITE SIMPLE.
IT DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM THAT WE NEED TO SOLVE IN AND OF ITSELF BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY TO ENFORCE IT.
AND WITHOUT ENFORCEMENT, I'M NOT INTERESTED IN CHECKING BOXES.
[00:35:01]
SO THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN MY POSITION AND IT REMAINS MY POSITION.SO I SUPPORT AT THIS POINT, UM, REMOVING THE OCCUPANCY UNTIL THOSE TWO PROBLEMS CAN BE RESOLVED.
UM, AND THEN WITH REGARD TO FIRE AND SAFETY, I'M GONNA DO WHAT I ALWAYS DO AND I'M GOING TO SAY THAT I'M DISAPPOINTED.
WELL, I'M GONNA SAY I'M GONNA STAY ON THE POSITIVE.
I'M HAPPY THAT WE HAVE SETTLED IN A PLACE THAT THE CHIEF IS OKAY WITH MOST IMPORTANTLY, BUT ALSO, UM, DOES THE JOB OF ALERTING PEOPLE WITHIN A HOME THAT THERE'S DANGER AND THEY NEED TO PAY ATTENTION AND GET OUT AND FIND HELP.
I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT SIMPLE THINGS LIKE PROVIDING AS AN ESCAPE PLAN, AN ESCAPE ROUTE, AND A LADDER, A FOLDABLE KITTY FIRE SAFETY APPROVED LADDER FOR UPPER FLOORS HAS NOT BEEN ADOPTED.
I'M GOING TO STRONGLY RECOMMEND, AS I HAVE ALWAYS PLEASE BUY ONE AND PUT 'EM IN THE BEDROOMS OF THE HOMES.
IF THERE'S A FIRE, IF THERE'S SMOKE, THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH THAT WINDOW.
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE SOMETHING TO CLIMB DOWN, YOU'RE GONNA JUMP.
IF YOU HAVE KIDS, YOU'RE GONNA THROW THEM OUT.
IF YOU HAVE DOGS AND CATS THE SAME AND THE SURFACE BELOW, IT MAY NOT BE FORGIVING.
AND SO YOU'RE EXCHANGING YOUR LIFE FOR PERHAPS FURTHER INJURY TO YOUR BODY WHEN YOU COULD HAVE SIMPLY CLIMBED OUT A LADDER.
SO PLEASE LOOK THEM UP, DECIDE FOR YOURSELF.
BUT I THINK THE WISDOM IS THERE.
YEAH, SO, SO WHAT REALLY CONCERNS ME A LOT ABOUT MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS OCCUPANCY THING RATHER THAN TAKING IT OFF IS DISCUSSIONS THAT HAVE MADE IT CLEAR TO ME THAT WE ALL KNEW IT ANYWAY, BUT WERE SO DIFFERENT BEHIND THE GATE AND OUTSIDE OF THE GATE.
AND, UH, AND WE'RE GONNA BE, AND WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF WORKING ON OUR LMO AND OUR LMO REWRITE.
AND AS I SAID IN THIS MOTION, UM, I SAID I FURTHER RECOMMEND THAT WE ADDRESS OCCUPANCY LOCATION AND USE AS WE FURTHER ADDRESS OUR LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE AND OUR LMO REWRITE.
UM, AND I, I THINK IF, IF WE TRY TO ENACT SOMETHING RIGHT NOW, WE'RE GONNA FIND OURSELF IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE CHANGING IT SHORTLY AND HAVING SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH STAFF JUST AS LATE AS A COUPLE HOURS AGO.
UM, THERE'S BEEN SOME INDICATION OF HOW YOU, OF HOW YOU WORK INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE GATE UNDER THE SAME ORDINANCE WITH OVERLAY DISTRICTS.
SO, UH, IT WOULD BE, I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE POOR LEADERSHIP TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT HAVING ALL THE ANSWERS RIGHT NOW AND HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IT CORRECT IN 60 DAYS TO SIX MONTHS WHEN WE GET OUR LMO IN INTO EFFECT.
MAYOR I YES MAY RESPOND FIR FIRST OF ALL WITH REGARD TO THE CHANGES ON THE FIRE ALERT ALARM SYSTEMS, UM, I'M IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT AS RECOMMENDED BY THE FIRE CHIEF.
SECONDLY, WITH REGARD TO PUTTING OFF OCCUPANCY, UM, UNTIL THE LMO IS ADOPTED, UM, I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE WITH, WITH GREAT RESPECT FOR MR. ORLANDO AND HIS STAFF.
UM, UH, THE PUTTING OFF UNTIL WE DO THE LMO REWRITE AND THE ADOPTION OF THE ZONING MAP IS GOING TO TAKE A LOT LONGER THAN WE THINK IT WILL.
I'VE SEEN IT, I'VE DONE IT IN A MUCH MORE COMPLEX COMMUNITY.
IF WE COULD DO IT TOMORROW, I'D BE FINE WITH THAT, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN THAT WAY.
UM, WE'VE ESTABLISHED AN LMO TASK FORCE.
WE EXPECT THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN LMO REWRITE BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, MAYBE, UH, JANUARY ONE.
UM, BUT AFTER THAT, THE TASK FORCE TAKES A LOOK AT IT, THEN IT COMES BACK TO THE TOWN COUNCIL AND I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT.
AND THEN IT GOES BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR A PUBLIC HEARING.
AND THEN WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES IT MIGHT TAKE TO APPEAR BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION, BEFORE IT FINALLY COMES TO THE TOWN COUNCIL.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, THERE'S A ZONING MAP.
AND ONCE FOLKS SEE WHAT USES ARE ALLOWED IN CERTAIN AREAS ACROSS THE COMMUNITY, THEY WILL BE SURPRISED.
UM, AND THAT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
SO I DO NOT BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO TAKE A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.
AGAIN, IF I THOUGHT IT WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT, BUT I DO NOT THINK IT, IT WOULD.
AND FURTHERMORE, THIS TOWN COUNCIL DOES NOT HAVE A GOOD TRACK RECORD OF COMING BACK TO ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
[00:40:02]
WE NEED TO BE, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT LEADERSHIP.WE NEED TO TAKE THE TIME AND DO IT NOW WHEN IT'S RIGHT BEFORE US AND NOT PUT IT DOWN THE ROAD.
THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN BEFORE US FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS AND WE HAVE PLENTY OF DATA BEFORE US TO BE ABLE TO REACH A REASONABLE CONSENSUS IF THE ONE ASPECT IS OCCUPANCY.
AND I THINK IT'S TIME TO ACT AND IT IS NOT TIME TO PUT IT OFF.
WE HAVE COMPROMISE ABILITY BEFORE US.
WE ALSO HAVE A SECOND READING WHERE WE CAN MAKE SOME CHANGES.
SO WE ARE NOT LOST IN TRYING TO PUT THIS OFF.
NOW, MS. BECKER, MS. DONNER, UH, THANK YOU.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY WHO'S BEEN ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS.
UH, THAT'S HOW GOVERNMENT SHOULD WORK.
SO THERE ARE A LOT, BEEN A LOT OF EMAILS, PHONE CALLS AND COMMENTS DURING THE PUBLIC COMMITTEE MEETINGS, WHICH I APPRECIATE.
THIS WORK ISN'T EASY AND I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF ANGST THAT'S BEING FELT BY EVERYONE, EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM.
RESIDENTS, STR OWNERS, VACATIONAL RENTAL COMPANIES, BUSINESS PEOPLE, TOWN STAFF, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL.
UH, I, AS I SAID IN THE COMMITTEE MEETING, I BELIEVE WE NEED STRONGER ENFORCEMENT.
AND SO I'LL BE LOOKING TO THE TOWN MANAGER TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE STRONGER ENFORCEMENT OF THE RULES WHICH WE LAND ON.
AND THAT WAS A COMMON THEME IN ALL OF THE EMAILS THAT I RECEIVED.
BUT I BELIEVE THERE NEEDS TO BE CHANGES TO SOME OF OUR POLICIES AND WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE WORK IN THE LMO.
AND I'M A BIG BELIEVER THAT WE WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY HAVING THIS DISCUSSION IF THE LMO CHANGES HAD BEEN MADE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
SO I AM IN ALIGNMENT WITH, UH, THE REMOVAL OF OCCUPANCY AT THIS TIME.
AND THE REASON IS IF WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH OCCUPANCY, THERE'S MORE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND WE HAVE IT WITHIN OUR OWN STAFF REPORT WHERE THERE ARE WHAT I WOULD CALL DESIGN QUESTIONS THAT ASK SHOULD OCCUPANCY CHANGE BY SIZE OF PROPERTY.
AND WE HAVEN'T ANSWERED THAT QUESTION.
I APPRECIATE THAT WE WANT TO MOVE ON SOMETHING TODAY IN REGARDS TO OCCUPANCY, BUT I THINK THIS REQUIRES MORE TIME AND WE NEED TO GET IT RIGHT.
I ALSO SUPPORT THE CHANGES TO THE FIRE SAFETY PIECE AS WELL AND, UM, IN REGARDS TO THE REMOVAL OF THE POLE STATIONS.
SO I AM, UM, I THINK WE, THIS PROCESS HAS CAUSED US TO MOVE FORWARD AND WE'RE GETTING BETTER AT WHAT OUR PROPOSAL IS.
AND I, I'M READY TO HEAR MORE FROM OTHER PEOPLE.
ANYBODY ELSE? BECKER? JUST, JUST ONE LAST THING.
WE HEARD AN AWFUL LOT ABOUT ENFORCEMENT THAT IF WE ONLY ENFORCE THE RULES THAT WE HAVE.
UM, AND SO I'M GOING TO APPEAL TO OUR TOWN MANAGER TO, UM, INCREASE THEFOR ENFORCEMENT, UM, PIECE OF THE DAILY WORK THAT OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR DOES AND HAS GOOD CODE ENFORCEMENT.
AND SO THAT WE HAVE EXACTLY WHAT YOU'VE ASKED FOR MORE ENFORCEMENT.
UM, I'M ALSO GOING TO MAKE AN APPEAL TO ALL OF Y'ALL.
YOU HAVE MENTIONED THROUGHOUT THAT OUR DATA WASN'T GOOD AND WE'VE ADMITTED THAT OUR DATA IS NOT GOOD.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO ASK THAT YOU SUBMIT YOURS.
THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE SHORT-TERM RENTAL MANAGEMENT COMPANIES, YOU HAVE DATA, PLEASE HELP US AND SUBMIT IT.
THOSE OF WHO MANAGE PUDS IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, YOU HAVE DATA, PLEASE SUBMIT IT.
PLEASE HELP US TO PROVIDE YOU WITH WHAT IT IS YOU'VE ASKED US FOR.
AND I THINK IN THAT WAY, MAYBE WE'LL GET A BIGGER AND MORE COMPLETE PICTURE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THOSE LAST TWO NOTES.
UH, THE ORDINANCE BEFORE US ALSO DEALS WITH, UH, WITH PARKING WITH A MAXIMUM OF SIX AT THE MOMENT.
AND I GUESS LINES WITH THE ENFORCEMENT CONVERSATION.
UM, I'M, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW IF THE MAX OF SIX INCLUDES GARAGE SPACE.
'CAUSE THE WAY I'M READING IT IS WITHIN A DRIVEWAY, OFF STREET, AND SO ON, BUT WHERE'S THE GARAGE FIT IN THIS? SO BEAR, I'M TRYING TO FIND THE SECTION.
SO THE WAY IT WAS CRAFTED, IT DID NOT SPECIFY
[00:45:01]
WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS IN A GARAGE OR OUTSIDE OF GARAGE.IT SAID A MAX OF SIX PARKING SPACES.
THAT'S HOW IT CAME FROM THE COMMITTEE.
NOW, AS A MATTER OF ENFORCEMENT, WE CAN'T ENFORCE WHAT'S IN THE GARAGE, WHAT WE CAN'T SEE.
SO AS A MATTER OF ENFORCEMENT, IT'S EASIER FOR US TO COUNT WHAT'S ON THE OUTSIDE.
SO IF IT'S SIX ON THE EXTERIOR, IT'S SIX ON THE EXTERIOR.
BUT IT IS THE WAY IT IS WORDED RIGHT NOW, IT IS JUST A SIX MAX UNSPECIFIED.
AND AS FAR AS THE PERMITTING SIDE OF IT, DOES THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE REVIEWING THE PERMITS ARE DEALING WITH THE PARKING INSIDE THE GARAGE TO GET TO THE MAXIMUM OF SIX? YES.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT IN INSIDE THE GARAGE TO GET TO IT, AND THEN THE CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAM WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT OUT IN THE FIELD AND PULL UP SITE PLANS TO FIGURE OUT IF THERE WAS COMPLIANCE.
IN A SENSE, IF THE, IF THE SITE PLAN IS SHOWING MORE THAN SIX PARKING SPACES AND AFTER YOU ADD THE GARAGE, WE GET THE EIGHT, THEN THAT'S A NO-NO.
UM, I'M WONDERING IF ONE OF THE MAKERS OF THESE THREE MOTIONS WE HAVE ON THE TABLE WOULD CONSIDER ADDING THE GARAGE SPACE AS FAR AS PART OF THE PERMITTING PROCESS, UM, SO THAT WE CAN EXCEED THE SIX OR CAN WE MAKE IT, UM, SIX EXTERNAL PARKING SPACES MAKE THE ORIGINAL MOTION? DOES NOT AGREE.
MR. DESMOND, YOU WANNA MAKE YOUR, UM, YEAH, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S REASONABLE TO SAY THE SIX OUTSIDE PARKING SPOTS BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE DON'T USE THEIR GARAGE FOR PARKING MM-HMM
SO TO GIVE SOMEONE SIX SPOTS WITH TWO THAT HAVE A POOL TABLE IN IT, THAT'S NEVER GONNA BE USED.
IT MEANS YOU'RE ONLY ALLOWING FOUR CARS.
SO, AND FOR US AND FOR RESIDENTS THAT SEE THE CARS IN THE PARKING LOT, THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
MS. BECKER, DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT? UM, SO FRANKLY, I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHY THE SIX, UM, PARKING SPOTS MAKES A, A WHOLE LOT OF DIFFERENCE.
I KNOW THAT THAT'S THE STANDARD THAT SOME PUDS USE.
UM, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF THIS, UM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IS THAT YOUR SITE PLAN HAS TO ALLOW FOR, UM, A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PARKING.
NOW, WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO ADD A CAVEAT.
I KNOW WE'VE DISCUSSED IT, THE NINE BY 18 IS NOT, IS NOT ADEQUATE FOR THE TYPE THE SIZE CARS THAT PEOPLE DRIVE TODAY.
WE'LL DEAL WITH THAT DURING THE LMO.
I THINK THAT'S BEEN THE, THE AGREEMENT.
UM, BUT IF YOUR SITE PLAN SAYS YOU CAN ONLY FIT FOUR CARS, THEN YOU CAN ONLY HAVE FOUR CARS.
I DON'T CARE WHERE THEY PARKED.
UM, SO, SO FRANKLY, I WOULD TAKE THE WHOLE SIX PARKING SPACES OFF IT, IT JUST COMPLICATES THINGS.
DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU SHOW YOUR SIX, YOUR NINE BY 18 PARKING SPOT, WHETHER IT'S IN THE GARAGE OR IN THE DRIVEWAY, THOSE ARE ALL THE CARS YOU CAN FIT.
I MEAN, YOU CAN'T PUT ANOTHER ONE THERE.
AND IT GOES TO THE DISCUSSION.
SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF, BUT IT GOES TO THE DISCUSSION THAT MANY HAVE HAD, WHICH ISN'T UNREASONABLE THAT A DRIVEWAY MAY FIT MORE CARS THAN JUST, UM, HOWEVER, ANOTHER, I MEAN, THIS IS WHY THIS IS DIFFICULT, RIGHT? BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN A DISCUSSION, AND MANY OF Y'ALL HAVE BROUGHT THIS UP, THAT YOU CAN REGULATE OCCUPANCY BY REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF CARS, UM, ON THE SITE.
I DON'T HAPPEN TO AGREE WITH THAT BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THAT BUSES COME AND DROP OFF ENTIRE BUSLOADS OF PEOPLE AT SHORT TERM RENTALS.
AND SO THE CARS DON'T REALLY COUNT, DOESN'T REALLY HELP WITH THAT OCCUPANCY PIECE.
SO, UM, MY POSITION IS IF YOUR SITE PLAN SAYS YOU CAN HAVE FOUR, YOU CAN HAVE FOUR.
IF YOUR SITE PLAN SAYS YOU CAN HAVE SIX, THEN Q SIX IN THE GARAGE IS INCLUDED IN THAT COUNT.
DO YOU, YOU DO NOT SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION.
CAN YOU JUST RESTATE IT SO THAT I CAN MAKE SURE THAT I DON'T YEAH, SO IT'S CROSS IT, AND STEVE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THAT THE SIX PARKING SPOTS ARE ON THE EXTERIOR AND IN THE DRIVEWAY.
IF YOU CAN'T FIX SIX ON THE OUTSIDE, IN THE MAX SIX, IT'S A MAX, MAX SIX.
IT'S PER THE, THE, OUR, OUR OUR MOTION AND WHAT WE DID IN COMMITTEE WAS PER THE SITE PLAN, MAX OF SIX.
AND YOU'RE OKAY WITH THAT? I AM.
ALL I'M DOING IS ADDING EXTERIOR, THE WORD EXTERIOR, RIGHT.
WE CAN'T SEE 'EM IN THE GARAGE.
BUT THEN IF YOU CAN SEE SIX ON THE OUTSIDE, I MEAN, I'M JUST CONFUSED ABOUT HOW THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.
IF, IF THERE ARE TWO IN THE GARAGE, I'M NOT GONNA, SO MY, I'M GONNA STICK WITH WHAT MY FEELING IS.
AND MY FEELING IS THAT IF THE SITE PLAN SAYS
[00:50:01]
WHATEVER THE SITE PLAN ALLOWS FOR BASED ON THE SIZE, INCLUDING THE GARAGE, THEN THAT'S WHAT IT WORKS FOR.SO YOU DO NOT SUPPORT THE, UH, AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION? NO.
IF MR. DESIMONE IS OKAY AS THE MAKE OF THAT SECOND MOTION WITH CHANGING THE VERBIAGE TO INCLUDE EXTERNAL, THEN I WILL SECOND HIS MOTION.
MR. COLTRANE, DOES THAT WORK? YEAH.
A LOT OF MOTIONS ON THE TABLE.
CAN Y'ALL CAN CAN, AFTER CURTIS ANSWERS, CAN I ASK SOMEBODY TO JUST SHOW, TELL ME HOW THAT'S GONNA LOOK.
MS. BECKER MADE THE MOTION MOTION MS. BECKER'S MOTION? YES.
MR. BROWN, AFTER SOME DISCUSSION NOW HAS OFFERED AN AMENDMENT TO MR. DESMOND'S MOTION, IF I'M FOLLOWING THIS CORRECTLY, HE, HE SECONDED THE, THE AMENDMENT, THE CHANGE IN HIS, HIS FIRST AMENDMENT.
AND THEN MR. DESIMONE ACCEPTED THAT AS THE MAKER OF THE SECOND MOTION THAT WAS MADE.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE NUMBER ONE WAS MS. BRYSON'S MOTION.
NUMBER TWO IS MR. DEON'S MOTION AS RECENTLY AMENDED THROUGH MR. BROWN'S INTERVENTION.
AND THE THIRD MOTION IS MS. BECKER'S MOTION.
AND WHEN WE ADDRESS THEM, WE GO IN REVERSE ORDER.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION FROM COUNSEL, MR. ALFRED? I POINT NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE IMMEDIATE DISCUSSION, BUT, UH, SEEMS TO ME NEEDS CLARIFICATION.
AND THAT IS, IF, IF YOU HAVE AN OWNER OF A LARGE HOUSE, AND WE HAVE THESE RESTRICTIONS AS TO WHAT CAN BE DONE WHEN THE HOUSE IS RENTED, DO THEY APPLY WHEN THE HOUSE IS OCCUPIED WITHOUT THE PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION? IE FRIENDS, RELATIVES AND SO FORTH? SORRY, MAYOR, I WAS UNABLE TO HEAR SIDE CONVERSATION.
CAN YOU REPEAT WHAT YOU SAID? YES.
ONE OF THE MANY COMMENTS I RECEIVED IS A QUESTION, IF YOU ARE THE OWNER OF A LARGE HOUSE AND DO YOU HAVE TO ABIDE BY OCCUPANCY LIMITS, PARKING LIMITS AND SO FORTH, IF YOU HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN A LARGE NUMBER OF CARS PRESENT, BUT YOU'RE NOT LEASING TO ANY OF THESE PEOPLE, THERE'S NO COMPENSATION TAKING PLACE, YOU'VE GOT FRIENDS OR RELATIVES.
WELL, IF I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION, THE ANSWER WOULD BE NO, BECAUSE IT'S NOT A SHORT-TERM RENTAL UNLESS YOU HAVE A PERMIT.
THEN IF YOU, IF YOU ARE A FORTUNATE HUMAN BEING AND HAVE A LARGE HOUSE AND A VERY LARGE FAMILY TO GO ALONG WITH IT, THEN YOU KNOW, AND, AND YOU'RE JUST LIVING THERE OR YOUR RELATIVES COME TO VISIT, NO, THEN IT'S NOT SUBJECT TO THE SHORT TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT ENGAGED IN THAT ACTIVITY.
SO I, I THINK IT, I I MAKE SURE CLEAR ON THE ANSWER, BUT YOU'RE STILL SUBJECT TO, TO REGS AND, AND CODE AS, AS FAR AS PARKING IN THE STREET AND PARKING IN THE GRASS AND JUMPING OFF A BALCONIES AT TWO IN THE MORNING.
I MEAN, YOU'RE STILL, THERE'S STILL CONSEQUENCES.
IT'S JUST, YEAH, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER THANK YOU RESIDENT.
I WANNA, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT DAN, I'M GETTING FROM THE TOWN ATTORNEY.
SO MAYBE THIS IS NOT THE QUESTION MR. ALFRED WAS ASKING, BUT THIS IS WHAT I'M HEARING.
IF YOU HAVE A SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMIT, YOU ARE OWNER OCCUPYING YOUR UNIT, DO THESE SHORT TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS APPLY TO YOU WHILE YOU'RE THERE? WHILE YOU'RE THERE NOT AND NOT RENTAL.
AND NOT RENTING
YOU'RE OCCUPYING IT AS THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY.
SO I THINK WE WILL, UM, OPEN IT UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT NOW.
AND PLEASE REMEMBER, UH, DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK AND IF YOU HAVE ANY ITEMS THAT YOU WANNA PRESENT TO COUNCIL, PLEASE GIVE THEM TO THE CLERK AFTER YOU'RE DONE SPEAKING.
UH, THE QUORUM IS VERY IMPORTANT, AND PLEASE, LET'S NOT CLAP AND CHEER AND
[00:55:01]
CHEER FOR, FOR, FOR THOSE THAT YOU SUPPORT BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE SIGNED UP TODAY.UM, JUST TO REITERATE WHAT EVERYBODY IS SAYING HERE, I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE EFFECTS THIS WILL HAVE ON BUSINESS.
I HAVE TWO ICE CREAM SHOPS HERE.
BETWEEN MY THREE STORES, I EMPLOY ABOUT 65 KIDS.
COACH AT THE HIGH SCHOOL HAVE ANOTHER GROUP OF KIDS THAT I COACH, AND THEY'RE ALL IN JOBS.
I THINK THIS WILL TAKE A SIGNIFICANT CHUNK OUT OF THE BUSINESS THAT WE HAVE ON THE ISLAND.
I'M VERY CONCERNED WITH THE YOUTH THAT'S COMING UP HERE, WHICH IS MY PRIMARY FOCUS AS A COACH AND AN EMPLOYER, UH, TO THE EFFECTS THAT'LL HAVE ON THEM AND THE, UH, LIMIT OF SHORT TERM RENTALS WILL HAVE ON OUR BUSINESS.
I ASKED VERY SINCERELY TO CONSIDER THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.
MY FAMILY'S LIVED HERE FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
MY SON WAS BORN IN THE SAME ROOM THAT I WAS BORN IN.
I PLANNED TO HAVE THEM HAVE THEIR CHILDREN IN THE SAME HOSPITAL THAT I WAS BORN IN, THAT THEY WERE BORN IN.
AND TO CONTINUE, WE LOVE HILTON HEAD.
I'M VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT THIS WILL HAVE FOR MY BUSINESS, MY FAMILY, AND ALL THE OTHER BUSINESSES ON THE ISLAND.
LET ALSO, LET'S, UH, STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS TOO, PLEASE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, STEVE BIRDWELL.
I'M THE PRESIDENT OF SEA POND RESORT, 32 GREENWOOD DRIVE.
YOU HAVE A HUGE DECISION TO MAKE TODAY.
AS YOU KNOW, OUR ISLAND ECONOMY IS AT STAKE HERE, SO THERE'S A LOT, LOT AT STAKE AND A HUGE DECISION YOU'VE HEARD FROM THOUSANDS OF LOCAL RESIDENTS, PROPERTY OWNERS, AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
ONE THING WE ALL AGREE ON IS ENFORCEMENT OF THE CURRENT REGULATIONS.
THESE REGULATIONS HAVE SERVED THE COMMUNITY WELL FOR THREE YEARS, BUT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN FULLY ENFORCED.
AND AS YOU KNOW, THERE'S MANY REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE, UNDER THE, UH, CURRENT REGULATIONS INCLUDING PARKING, REGULATIONS, TRASH REQUIREMENTS, NOISE REGULATIONS, AND LIFE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.
SO LET'S ENFORCE THESE REGULATIONS THAT ARE ALREADY ON THE BOOKS.
A COUPLE OF MATTERS TO KEEP IN MIND.
WE DO NOT HAVE A WIDESPREAD ISLAND WIDE PROBLEM WITH SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
THE SECURITY TEAMS AT SEA PINES, COMMON DUNES AND SHIPYARD HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB AT ENFORCING THE RULES IN EACH OF THOSE COMMUNITIES.
SO THE COMMUNITY, THE ISSUES ARE NOT WIDESPREAD AND THE COUNT, THE TOWN KNOWS WHERE OUR HOTSPOTS ARE, SO LET'S CONCENTRATE ON THE ENFORCEMENT IN THOSE AREAS AND ISLAND WIDE.
ALSO, KEEP IN MIND, THIS YEAR HAS NOT BEEN A BANNER YEAR.
RETAIL SPENDING IS OFF, AND IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGING YEAR FOR MOST OF OUR RESTAURANTS.
SO THE TIMING IS NOT GOOD TO IMPLEMENT NEW RESTRICTIONS ON OUR VISITORS FOR PROPERTY OWNERS.
REGARDING SOME OF THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS, OCCUPANCY LIMITS, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, IS CHALLENGING.
THE TWO PLUS TWO MODEL WORKS FOR SOME OF THE VILLAS AND CONDOMINIUMS, BUT THE TWO, TWO PLUS TWO MODEL DOES NOT WORK FOR HOMES THAT ARE FOUR BEDROOMS OR LARGER.
IT DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE LIVING SPACES THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED IN THESE HOMES.
AND, UH, WE ASK THAT, UH, ADDITIONAL OCCUPANCY CONSIDERATIONS BE GIVEN TO THE LARGER HOMES, INCREASE IN PERMIT FEES.
THEY SHOULD BE REASONABLE AND SUPPORTED BY THE COST THE TOWN NEEDS TO COVER.
SOME OF THE PROPOSED FEE INCREASES HAVE NOT BEEN REASONABLE, AND THEY APPEAR TO BE PUNITIVE TO PROPERTY OWNERS.
THE FIRE ALARM SYSTEM THAT, UH, THE CHIEF, UH, DESCRIBED EARLIER, UM, IS, UH, A WIRELESS RESIDENTIAL SYSTEM THAT BE MONITORED BY APPROVED, UH, COMPANIES.
WE THINK THAT'S VERY REASONABLE AND ACCEPTABLE, BUT MY MAIN MESSAGE IS LET'S SUPPORT AND ENFORCE THE CURRENT REGULATIONS HOLD OUR VISITORS AND PROPERTY OWNERS ACCOUNTABLE TO THESE RULES.
MY NAME IS ROB REEL AND I'VE BEEN AN ISLAND RESIDENT FOR 50 YEARS.
I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE ALL THE LEADERSHIP AND SACRIFICES.
OUR TOWN COUNCIL, MAYOR AND TOWN MANAGER HAVE EXTENDED TO ALL OF US A VERY, VERY OFTENTIMES THANKLESS, THANKLESS JOB.
BUT THESE STR MANDATES ARE A THREAT TO OUR ISLAND ECONOMY, AS WELL AS OUR IMAGE ALL OVER THE WORLD.
THESE SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE ACTUALLY REAL PEOPLE, OWNERS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE WORKED HARD TO
[01:00:01]
PURCHASE A SECOND HOME IN THIS RESORT COMMUNITY, WHICH MANY HAVE CALLED THEIR HAPPY PLACE, THE MESSAGE THEY'RE HEARING IS VERY CLEAR.OUR TOWN WANTS TO REDUCE VISITORS AND HURT BUSINESS.
THESE FOLKS ALREADY PAID TWO AND A HALF TIMES THE TAXES.
WE AS RESIDENTS PAY PLUS OUR BURDEN WITH ESCALATING INSURANCE AND OTHER COSTS.
SO REDUCING THEIR RENTAL INCOME IS VERY HURTFUL.
THIS ALL COULD LEAD THEM TO QUESTION KEEPING THEIR HOMES AS WELL AS AFFECT FUTURE BUYERS AND HURT OUR REPUTATION AS A WELCOMING COMMUNITY.
EVERYWHERE ON THE ISLAND SHOULDN'T BE TREATED THE SAME.
SEA PINES, PERMANENT DUNES, POOR ROYAL SHIPYARD, OTHERS HAVE POAS.
UH, A RB RESTRICTIONS, COVENANTS, SECURITY LONG AND PLACE TO PREVENT RENTAL PROBLEMS AND OVERBUILDING.
THE AREAS THE TOWN SHOULD ADDRESS ARE FOLLY FIELDS, SINGLETON, BRADLEY BEACH AND FOREST BEACH, THE AREAS THAT HAVE SMALLER LIGHTS, SMALLER, LOTS, TIGHTER SETBACKS, AND HIGH DENSITIES.
I GOT A CALL LAST WEEK FROM ONE OF MY INFORMED CLIENTS, SO ANGRY THAT OUR TOWN IS CLOSE TO IMPLEMENTING THESE POORLY THOUGHT OUT RESTRICTIONS AND TOLD ME THE LIST ONE OF HIS OCEAN PROPERTIES.
EVEN IF THE STR AGENDA ISN'T IMPLEMENTED, HE JUST DOESN'T TRUST OUR TOWN GOING FORWARD ANYMORE.
TALK TO THE BUSINESSES, RENTAL COMPANIES AND FOOD AND BEVERAGE OPERATIONS, AND THEY WILL TELL YOU THEY ARE DOWN 10 TO 12% THIS YEAR.
NOW THIS THREAT TO REDUCE GUESTS EVEN MORE.
MANY ON TOWN COUNCIL ARE LISTENING TO THE FEW AND IGNORING THE MAJORITY WHO WORK SO HARD TO SERVE ALL OF US EVERY DAY IN OUR ISLAND COMMUNITY.
LOOK AT THE OVERRIDING NUMBERS.
WHO PACKED TOWN HALL LIKE TODAY, WHO DESPERATELY WANT YOU TO HEAR THEM? YES, THE NON-PRIVATE NEIGHBORHOODS NEED THE JURISDICTION AND BETTER ENFORCEMENT THE TOWN CAN PROVIDE, BUT DON'T PENALIZE THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE HAD SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE FOR DECADES AND ARE NOT THE PROBLEM.
PLEASE DON'T PUSH THROUGH POOR DECISIONS TO MEET A NOVEMBER DEADLINE THAT WILL HAVE SERIOUS NEGATIVE REPERCUSSIONS FOR YEARS TO COME.
THANK YOU, MR. RAEL, HEATHER, RALPH, MICHAEL VILLE.
UH, MY NAME IS MICHAEL MULVIHILL.
I AM THE OWNER ALONG WITH MY WIFE OF, UH, 12 LAUGHING GULL AND SEA PINES.
WE'VE BEEN COMING TO HILTON HEAD AS A FAMILY SINCE THE EARLY EIGHTIES, UM, AND WE'VE BEEN, UH, PART-TIME RESIDENTS AND HOMEOWNERS, UH, SINCE 2008.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR TIME AND SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
I HAVE A TENDENCY TO LOOK AT BOTH SIDES OF A BILL TO SEE THE PROS AND CONS.
I ACTUALLY SEE NOTHING GOOD FROM THE ISLAND OF HILTON HEAD ON THE OCUS OCCUPANCY PROPOSAL.
THERE IS NOTHING GOOD FOR WHAT HILTON HEAD HAS STOOD FOR FOR YEARS ABOUT BEING A TOURIST COMMUNITY, A TOURIST ECONOMY, AND WE ALREADY HAVE A BUNCH OF RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MENTIONED TO, UM, BE ENFORCED IN THESE PRIVATE COMMUNITIES.
UM, THE ONLY THING IN THIS BILL IS TO LIMIT WHAT HI, UH, UH, HILTON HEAD AS BEING A TOURIST DESTINATION.
UM, THE BREAD AND BUTTER OF THE, UH, HOME RENTAL COMMUNITY IS FAMILIES, GENERATIONAL FAMILIES, SIBLINGS WITH CHILDREN, GRANDPARENTS, SIBLINGS, CHILDREN, AND FRIENDS WITH THIS BILL.
THE OCCUPANCY BILL WILL BE DEVASTATING TO THAT, UM, WHICH WOULD BE TERRIBLE FOR THE ISLAND.
AS MANY PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE ECONOMY AND I, SOMEBODY ADMITTED THERE HASN'T BEEN A GREAT STUDY DONE ON WHAT THE EFFECTS OF THIS OCCUPANCY WOULD BE BUT 500 TO A THOUSAND YEARS OF WESTERN ECONOMIC THEORY AND CAPITALISM WILL TELL YOU WHAT IT WILL BE.
UM, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE OWNERS, INVESTORS, EVERYDAY JOB HOLDERS, UM, YOU'LL SEE A DEC DECLINE IN ECONOMY, DECLINE IN REVENUE, DEC DECLINE IN TOURISM, DEC DECLINE IN JOBS, DECLINING IN BUSINESS, DECLINING IN INVESTMENT WITH THE OCCUPANCY WORLD.
UM, HOW IS THAT GOOD FOR HILTON HEAD? I DON'T KNOW.
THAT'S TERRIBLE FOR HILTON HEAD.
UM, WE HAVE AREAS OF HILTON HEAD THAT HAVE THEIR OWN RULES ABOUT NO SHORT TERM RENTALS.
THAT'S GREAT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WANNA LIVE THERE.
I ACTUALLY WILL BE A PERMANENT RESIDENT ONE DAY, AND I ENJOY HAVING PEOPLE AROUND ME THAT, THAT'S ME THOUGH.
OKAY, IF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT, YOU CAN GO LIVE IN OTHER PLACES LIKE, UH, PORT ROYAL OR INDIGO RUN, OR SEVERAL OTHER PLACES, OR EVEN DUSKY.
I WISH SOMEONE HAD A BUTTON ABOUT THE HUMAN COST TO THE EVERYDAY HARDWORKING PEOPLE ON THIS ISLAND WHO BUST OUR TABLES, WHO CLEAN OUR GRASS, WHO CLEAN OUR TOILETS, WHO CLEAN OUR HOUSE, WHO ARE PAYING THEIR BILLS, PAYING INTO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY.
THAT'S WHAT I'M REALLY WORRIED ABOUT.
I'LL BE OKAY, BUT THOSE PEOPLE WON'T BE.
UM, THERE'S A BUNCH OF BENEFITS TO BEING A PART-TIME OWNER OR A PERMANENT OWNER.
WE GET ALL THE AMENITIES OF URBAN LIFE
[01:05:01]
ONCE WE GET OUTSIDE OUR IDYLLIC BARRIER.WE HAVE RESTAURANTS, ARTS, ALL OF THAT WILL BE GONE IF WE DECREASE TOURISM.
AGAIN, THERE'S NOTHING GOOD ABOUT THIS BILL FOR HILTON HEAD ISLAND, UNLESS YOU WANT TO CHANGE WHAT HILTON HEAD ISLAND HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT AS BEING A TOURIST ECONOMY.
UM, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING OF DUSKY, GO TAKE A LOOK AT DUSKY IF YOU TRY AND SURVIVE AS A PERMANENT HOME WITHOUT A LOT OF TOURISM ORDERED UP, BUILDINGS AND ALL THINGS OF THAT NATURE TO THOSE WHO WANT.
THIS BILL REMINDS ME OF SOMEONE WHO BUYS A HOUSE ON A GOLF COURSE AND THEN COMPLAINS ABOUT GOLF BALLS COMING IN THEIR YARD.
WE'LL THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE, UH, CHRISTIAN POWERS.
UM, I NOTICED PATSY BRYSON WOULD LIKE TO ENFORCE 580 HOMES BEING UPFITTED FOR THE FIRE SMOKE DE DETECTOR, UH, IN THE NEXT 19 MONTHS.
THAT'S A HOME EVERY DAY, 30 HOMES A MONTH WITH NO DAYS OFF, NO WEEKENDS, NO HOLIDAYS, NO NOTHING.
UM, PARKING, UM, I'LL, I'LL GO BACK TO THE POINT.
THERE ARE A LOT OF OWNERS WHO KEEP CARS HERE.
UM, SO IF YOU'RE GONNA COUNT THAT CAR AS AN ACTUAL CAR, THAT MEANS YOU'RE DOWN TO FIVE CARS.
UM, IF YOU'VE GOT A FIVE CAR GARAGE, YOU KEEP ONE CAR THERE, NOW YOU'RE DOWN TO FIVE CARS IN THE PARKING LOT OR IN THE DRIVEWAY.
CHRISTIAN POWER, THANK YOU, FIRST OF ALL FOR YOU GUYS ALL BEING HERE.
UM, I'M A 52 YEAR ISLAND RESIDENT.
I AM THAT AGE, BUT THAT'S HOW LONG I'VE LIVED HERE SINCE 1972.
UM, WE'VE RAISED SIX CHILDREN HERE.
I OWN A REAL ESTATE COMPANY AND I ALSO OWN WE LOVE HILTON HEAD ISLAND, UH, THE FACEBOOK GROUP.
UM, IN OUR CONVERSATION, MANY OF YOU MET WITH US PERSONALLY, OR AT LEAST SPOKE TO US ON THE PHONE, I THINK FIVE OF THE SEVEN, UH, SITTING ON THE COUNCIL HERE AND IN THE CONVERSATION, IT APPEARS THAT THE OVERWHELMING CONSENSUS IS THAT THE BIGGEST ISSUE ON THE TABLE IS ENFORCEMENT OF THE CURRENT CODES THAT ARE ALREADY ON THE BOOKS SINCE 2023.
IF HILTON HEAD ISLAND HAS AN ENFORCEMENT ISSUE AND NOT ONE OF OVERCROWDING, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, NOT FUNDAMENTALLY BACKED WITH REAL DATA AND STATISTICS, THEN THE ONLY RESPONSIBLE SOLUTION TO WHERE WE CURRENTLY FIND OURSELVES IS TO TAKE THIS UPCOMING RENTAL SEASON, WHICH IS PRECEDED BY TWO YEARS OF DECLINE, VACATION OR TRAFFIC, AND ORDER ANY VIABLE ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDIES REQUIRED TO MAKE A TRUE INFORMED DE UH, DETERMINATION ON WHAT THE TOWN OF HILTON ISLAND REALLY NEEDS, IF ANYTHING AT ALL FROM THE BEGINNING, THESE PROPOSED ORDINANCE CHANGES WERE OVERWHELMINGLY UNREALISTIC AND EXTREMELY PUNITIVE IN INTENT, IMPOSING HEAVY CHANGES ON NON-RESIDENT PROPERTY OWNERS WHO RENT THEIR PROPERTIES TO VACATIONERS, AS WELL AS TO THE VACATIONERS WHO VISIT ANNUALLY.
BY LIMITING THE NUMBER OF ANNUAL VISITORS, WE DO NOT IMPROVE OUR ENFORCEMENT, BUT RATHER SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE THE ECONOMIC FLOW OF MONEY THAT COMES TO OUR ISLAND.
IT MAKES NO SENSE TO IMPOSE HEAVY HANDED, HIGHLY RESTRICTIVE IMP PUNITIVE ORDINANCE CHANGES WHEN YOU HAVEN'T EVEN TAKEN THE ACTION OF FIRST FINDING OUT WHAT IT IS YOU NEED.
AND THE ONLY WAY WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THAT IS TO PERFORM EVERY POSSIBLE STUDY TO DETERMINE THE REAL POTENTIALLY DAMAGING ECONOMIC EFFECTS.
I'M REQUESTING THAT EVERY MEMBER OF TOWN COUNCIL VOTE NO ACROSS THE BOARD ON ANY ORDINANCE CHANGES IN REGARDS TO BOTH LIMITING OCCUPANCY AND INCREASING PERMITTING FEES.
THE TOWN OF HILTON AT ISLAND HAS A DUTY TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON HERE TO SHOW US DEFINITIVELY THAT ANY CHANGES TO THE CURRENT ORDINANCES ARE TRULY NECESSARY AND ECONOMICALLY SOUND.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY, AND THANK YOU FOR THE CONVERSATIONS THAT'S HAPPENED SO FAR.
I'M BETH ANN DICKEY, 40 ANCHORAGE POINT HERE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
I'M HERE TO EXPRESS MY STRONG OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED TWO PLUS TWO OCCUPANCY RULE FOR SHORT TERM RENTALS.
BEFORE SHARING MY BROADER CONCERNS, UH, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS, UM, FOR YOU AND HOPES THAT THEY'LL HIGHLIGHT HOW UNWORKABLE AND UNFAIR THESE RULES COULD BE.
SO FIRST, UNDER THE PROPOSED RULE, COULD TWO FAMILIES WITH TWO KIDS EACH SHARE A TWO BEDROOM, TWO BATH, SAY, 1400 SQUARE FOOT CONDO IN QUEENS GRANT FOR A VACATION UNDER THAT RULE? NO.
ARE YOU ALL FAMILIAR WITH THE SEASIDE VILLAS OR BREAKERS VILLAS, THEIR ONE BEDROOM CONDOS ON SOUTH FOREST BEACH, UM, THEY HAVE A QUEEN SIZED BED, TWO BUNK BEDS BUILT INTO THE WALLS, AND OFTEN A PULLOUT COUCH.
COULD A FAMILY, A YOUNG FAMILY WITH THREE YOUNG KIDS, SHARE ONE OF THOSE FOR A WEEK AT THE BEACH? LAST WEEK WHEN WE WERE HERE, IT WAS PUT THAT THE TWO PLUS TWO MIGHT
[01:10:01]
EVEN BE CONSIDERED 24 HOURS A DAY.AND THEN LOOKING IN THAT PROPO PROPOSAL, COULD TWO COUPLES WHO GET THEIR OWN CONDO BRING THEIR FAMILY DOWN HERE? COULD THEY SHARE A MEAL TOGETHER? THE ANSWER TO ALL THESE QUESTIONS IS NO.
THESE PROPOSED RESTRICTIONS ARE ARBITRARY AND CAPRICIOUS.
THEY INTERFERE WITH THE PRIVATE LIVES OF RENTERS AND PUNISH FAMILIES, THE VERY PEOPLE WHO HAVE PUT HILTON HEAD ISLAND AS THE AMER AMERICA'S FAVORITE FAMILY DESTINATION FOR DECADES.
LAST WEEK, TOWN MANAGER MARK ORLANDO, STATED HE DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH STAFF TO ENFORCE THE CURRENT SHORT TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS.
IF THAT'S THE CASE, HOW WILL THE TOWN POSSIBLY BEAM COUNT THE NUMBER OF HEADS SLEEPING IN CONDOS ACROSS THE ISLAND? THIS PLAN IS NOT ONLY UNENFORCEABLE, IT'S UNNECESSARY INVASION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS.
IF IT'S RULE PASSES, IT WILL INVITE LAWSUITS FROM PROPERTY OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT COMPANIES ACROSS THE ISLAND.
AND WORSE, IT WILL TARNISH HILTON HEAD'S REPUTATION AS A WELCOMING, FAMILY FRIENDLY COMMUNITY, ONE THAT GENERATIONS HAVE LOVED AND RETURNED TO YEAR AFTER YEAR.
I URGE THE COUNCIL TO RECONSIDER THIS PROPOSAL.
IT OVERREACHES OVER REGULATES AND UNDERMINES THE VERY ESSENCE OF WHAT MAKES HILTON HEAD ISLAND SPECIAL.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR PERRY, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND FELLOW RESIDENTS OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
I THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME AND FOR ALL YOUR TIME AND EFFORT THAT YOU'VE PUT INTO THIS.
I'VE COME IN FOR THE DAY BECAUSE OF THE HIGHLY IMPORTANT, UH, NATURE OF THIS MATTER, AND I REPRESENT, UH, LONGTIME, MULTI-GENERATIONAL AND MULTI-FAMILY MEMBERS THAT ARE PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN SEA PINES.
OUR HOMES ARE ALSO SHORT TERM RENTALS THAT ALLOW FOR OTHER FAMILY LIKE OURS TO ENJOY MULTI-FAMILY, MULTIPLE GENERATIONAL VACATION EXPERIENCES AND LIVING SPACE THAT WE HAVE SO BEEN BLESSED TO EXPERIENCE FOR OUR FAMILY OVER 30 YEARS AS SHORT TERM RENTALS.
OUR HOMES ARE PROFESSIONALLY MANAGED BY LOCAL COMPANIES, RUN BY LONGTIME RESIDENTS WHO EMPLOY MANY OTHER LOCAL RESIDENTS, ENSURING COMPLIANCE WITH ALL LAWS AND ORDINANCE, WHILE SUPPORTING BOTH OUR GUESTS AND OUR NEIGHBORS.
TO MY KNOWLEDGE AND OVER OUR 20 YEARS OF SHORT TERM RENTAL OWNERSHIP, WE'VE NEVER RECEIVED A VIOLATION FROM THE TOWN, AND ANY CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED BY NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY AND PROFESSIONALLY BY OUR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY.
WE CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY, ITS CHARACTER, ITS SAFETY, AND ITS FUTURE.
HILTON HAS A PLACE WE LOVE, NOT JUST TO VISIT, BUT TO INVEST OF AND BE PART OF.
I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE LED TO THESE PROPOSED ORDINANCE CHANGES, CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY, NEIGHBORHOOD INTEGRITY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE.
THESE ARE VALID AND DESERVE, THOUGHTFUL, EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS BY RESPECTFULLY AND VERY STRONGLY OPPOSE THE PROPOSED OCCUPANCY AND PARKING LIMITS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT BASED ON DATA AND THEY RISK DOING MORE HO HARM THAN GOOD.
THE PROPOSED OCCUPANCY CAP TWO BEDROOMS PLUS TWO IGNORES PROPERTY SIZE, LAYOUT, SAFETY INFRASTRUCTURE.
A 5,000 SQUARE FOOT HOME IS TREATED THE SAME AS A MUCH SMALLER ONE.
THIS PENALIZES MULTI-FAMILY AND MULTIPLE MULTI-GENERATIONAL TRAVELERS WHO MAKE UP, BY MY UNDERSTANDING, 35% OF HILTON HEADS TOURISM BOOKINGS.
OTHER RESORT COMMUNITIES USE THE OTHER TYPE OF MEASUREMENTS AND INFRASTRUCTURE BAIT FORMULAS TO SET RATIONAL LIMITS.
HILTON HEAD SHOULD LOOK INTO AND FOLLOW THESE PROVEN DATA-DRIVEN MODELS.
FROM A SAFETY AND GENERATION GENERAL WELFARE PERSPECTIVE, THIS APPROACH IS UNREASONABLE.
FAILS TO CONSIDER ACTUAL FIRE CODE STANDARDS EVACUATION CAPACITY OR PRESENCE OF SAFETY FEATURES LIKE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS, MULTIPLE EXCERPTS, AND MODERN CONSTRUCTION.
A BLANKET RULE BASED SOLELY ON BEDROOM COUNT IS ARBITRARY AND DOES NOT REFLECT THE REAL WORLD SAFETY PROFILE OF LARGER WELL-EQUIPPED HOMES.
IF IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN, THEN THE ORDINANCE SHOULD BE TIED TO MEASURABLE SAFETY CRITERIA AND NOT ASSUMPTIONS.
LET'S BE CLEAR, THE HILTON HEAD ACADEMY IS POWERED BY TOURISM.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IN 2025 V VISITOR SPENDING REACHED NEARLY $3 BILLION AND 40% OF ALL ACCOMMODATION REVENUES TOTALED NEARLY A BILLION DOLLARS.
SHORT TERM RENTALS GENERATE $50 MILLION IN ANNUAL ACCOMMODATIONS TAX.
WE MUST LOOK TOWARDS ENFORCING ENFORCEMENT.
THIS IS WHERE THE CHALLENGE MUST BE FO FOCUSED.
IF AN ENDORSE, IF AN ORDINANCE IS ADOPTED, THIS TESTIMONY MUST BE PART OF THE OFFICIAL RECORD TO SHOW THAT PROPOSED LIMITS ARE UNREASONABLE AND ARBITRARY.
THEY LACK A RATIONAL, IRRATIONAL BASIS AND ARE NOT SUPPORTED BY IMPERICAL EVIDENCE AND FAIL TO MEET THE STANDARD PROPORTIONALITY REQUIRED UNDER SOUTH CAROLINA LAW.
THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT UNINTENDED T CONSEQUENCES, IT'S ABOUT THE ABSENCE OF JUSTIFICATION.
THERE ARE ALTERNATIVE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS THAT WOULD BETTER SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
I WANNA BE CLEAR, I SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT, SIR, I SUPPORT SAFETY.
[01:15:01]
HELLO, MY NAME IS LISA COTTER, MY FAMILY, AND I OWN THE PROPERTY AT TUA ABALONE LANE.TODAY I WANT TO SHARE OUR STORY.
WE BROUGHT THE CORNER LOT AT TWO ABALONE LANE IN BRADLEY CIRCLE IN 2014.
AT THE TIME, WE HAD THREE YOUNG CHILDREN THAT SAME YEAR.
OUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR PURCHASED THEIR PROPERTY AS WELL AS THE TWO LOTS BEHIND US.
THEY FREQUENTLY EXPRESSED INTEREST IN BUYING OUR LOT, BUT WE WERE NEVER INTERESTED IN SELLING.
IN 2022, WE DECIDED TO START THE DESIGN PROCESS.
OUR DREAM WAS TO BUILD A FAMILY HOME WHERE WE COULD GATHER FOR HOLIDAYS AND ONE DAY MOVE TO HILTON HEAD FULL TIME.
IN OCTOBER, 2022, WE CONTACTED THE TOWN TO CONFIRM THE SETBACKS BASED ON THE TOWN'S GUIDANCE.
WE DESIGNED OUR HOME ON MAY 29TH, 2023.
OUR ARCHITECT AND I MET ON SITE TO REVIEW OUR PLANS AND UNINVITED.
OUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR DECIDED TO COME OUT AND LOOK AT OUR PLANS.
SHE CLAIMED ALL SETBACKS WERE WRONG ON, UM, WITHIN DAYS, A SOFT HOLD WAS PLACED ON OUR PROPERTY.
THIS SOFT HOLD WAS STATING THAT PLEASE NOTIFY MISSY LUDIC OF ANY BILLS PROPOSED ON THIS PROPERTY.
WE WERE FINALLY TOLD THAT THE ORIGINAL SETBACK INFORMATION THE TOWN PROVIDED WAS WRONG.
WE HAD TO COMPLETELY RED REDESIGN OUR HOME, COSTING US THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND MONTHS OF DELAYS.
SHORTLY AFTER THAT, WE ALSO LEARNED THAT THE TOWN COUNCIL WAS TRYING TO QUICKLY AND QUIETLY PUSH THROUGH ZONING LAWS AND LMO CHANGES.
THESE PROPOSED CHANGES WERE GREATLY LIMIT THE SIZE OF A HOUSE BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE PROPERTY.
IF THESE CHANGES WERE IMPLEMENTED ON OUR LOT, WE COULD ONLY BUILD UP TO A 1500 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE.
MEANWHILE, OUR NEIGHBOR AND EVERYONE AROUND HOUSE HAD RAIN HOUSES RANGING FROM THREE TO 7,000 SQUARE FEET.
IF THIS ART PASSED, OUR PROPERTY WAS GOING TO BECOME UNBUILDABLE AND VIRTUALLY UNSELLABLE.
WE SUBMITTED OUR DESIGN PLANS FOR PERMITTING QUICKLY IN ANTICIPATION OF THE POTENTIAL CHANGES TO THE LMO.
FORTUNATELY, THE TOWN MADE THE WISE DECISION NOT TO PASS THE, TO, TO PAUSE THE PROCESS AND HALT THE RUSHED EFFORTS TO PUSH THE REVISIONS THROUGH.
SO WE WENT ON WITH OUR BUILD AND AFTER MANY OBSTACLES, FINALLY, WE RECEIVED OUR CO THIS SUMMER, SINCE OUR CHILDREN ARE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL IN BLUFFTON AND WILL BE BE GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL IN THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS, WE HAVE DECIDED TO USE THIS AS A SHORT-TERM RENTAL UNTIL WE CAN MOVE IN FULL-TIME.
SOMEONE APPEARS TO BE PUSHING FOR IMPLEMENTATIONS OF SHORT-TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS.
I'M SHARING THIS TIMELINE WITH YOU BECAUSE MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR WHO I'VE BEEN REFERRING TO IS TAMARA REBECCA.
SHE'S THE WARD FOR TOWN COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE.
IT IS CLEAR THAT SHE'S OPPOSES SHORT TERM RENTAL RENTALS, ESPECIALLY HAVING ONE RIGHT NEXT TO HER.
I URGE THE TOWN COUNCIL TO STEP BACK AND ENSURE THESE DECISIONS ARE MADE FAIRLY WITH TRANSPARENCY, PUBLIC INPUT, SOUND DATA, AND NOT PERSONAL INTEREST.
I'M WITH VACATION HOMES OF HILTON HEAD.
WE MANAGE AROUND 65 SHORT TERM RENTALS, PRIMARILY MID ISLAND.
I'VE ALSO LIVED HERE FOR 15 YEARS.
MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN HERE ALMOST 30 YEARS WITH HIS FAMILY.
UH, WE'RE DEEPLY INVESTED AND WE LOVE OUR ISLAND.
AND, UM, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR TIME.
I ALSO WANNA THANK YOU FOR WHAT I'M HEARING TODAY.
UH, THERE'S BEEN MORE MOVEMENT THAN EXPECTED.
I JUST WANNA START OFF BY SAYING I WOULD LIKE YOU GUYS TO TAKE THE OCCUPANCY OFF OF THE TABLE.
UM, I AGREE WITH WHAT EVERYONE BACK HERE HAS BEEN SAYING, SO I DON'T WANNA TAKE UP EVERY, ALL THE TIME, BUT I WANTED TO ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON WHY THE OCCUPANCY LIMITATION DOESN'T MAKE SENSE AT THIS TIME.
WE HAVE PROPERTIES THAT SLEEP 20, IT'S WONDERFUL IN THE SUMMER.
FAMILIES GET TOGETHER THREE GENERATIONS, NO PROBLEMS AT ALL.
I HAVE EIGHT GOLFERS THAT COME IN OCTOBER, AND THAT'S WHEN THE, THE NOISE IS LOUD.
NO OFFENSE TO THE GOLFERS, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO USE THIS AS AN EXAMPLE, THAT IT'S, THE ISSUES DON'T RELY SOLELY ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE.
THAT'S WHY I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE SOME TYPE OF IMPROVEMENT IN THE ENFORCEMENT AROUND SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
I HAVE UNFORTUNATELY, HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE, UM, THIS SUMMER WITH A FEW OF MY PROPERTIES WITH THE ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT, AND I THINK WE'RE FINALLY GETTING SOMEWHERE.
I'M ACTUALLY REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS AND I THINK THAT IF THE ENFORCEMENT DIVISION HAD MORE SUPPORT AND MORE RESOURCES AND, UH, A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS AT HAND, THE PROBLEMS, I'M USING QUOTATION MARKS HERE BECAUSE THERE ARE NOT REALLY A LOT OF PROBLEMS WOULD BE SOLVED.
SO AGAIN, MY ASK ON BEHALF OF MYSELF, MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS WHO ARE LOCAL
[01:20:01]
BUSINESS OWNERS, AND MY SHORT TERM RENTAL OWNERS IS TO PLEASE DO NOT PASS THIS, REMOVE THE OCCUPANCY LIMITS.LET'S WORK ON ENFORCING THE ORDINANCE AS IT IS RIGHT NOW.
I THINK YOU GUYS WILL SEE SOME CHANGE.
I ALSO JUST WANTED TO SAY IN THE LAST 30 SECONDS, BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA TAKE UP THE WHOLE TIME.
WE AS SHORT TERM RENTAL COMPANIES, WE WANNA WORK WITH YOU.
WE WANT GOOD RENTERS IN OUR HOUSES.
I NEED YOUR HELP WITH ENFORCEMENT TO GET THESE BAD APPLES OUT OF THE HOMES.
WE WANT PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA TREAT OUR ISLAND LIKE WE WOULD TREAT THEM.
I'M HAPPY TO HELP WITH THE FIRE SAFETY.
I'M HAPPY TO HELP WITH PARKING.
UH, BUT THE OCCUPANCY, THAT'S NOT THE PROBLEM RIGHT NOW.
I AM A FULL-TIME RESIDENT AS WELL AS I MOVED HERE, RETIRED HERE, AND BOUGHT MY STR TO HELP ME WITH MY PENSION TO HELP ME AFFORD LIVING HERE.
UM, I OWN IN THE SAME COMMUNITY I LIVE, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE THE QUEEN'S GRANT COMMUNITY.
AND MANY OF MY NEIGHBORS DID THE SAME THING I DID.
WE BOUGHT A SECOND UNIT TO HELP SUPPLEMENT OUR PENSION SO WE COULD AFFORD TO LIVE HERE.
WE HAVE NOISE MONITORS, SMOKE ALARMS, THAT ALL LET US KNOW IF ANYTHING'S GOING ON.
WE, I'M ON THREE BOARDS IN QUEENS GRANT TO ACTIVELY HELP.
BESIDES VOLUNTEERING A LOT OF OTHER THINGS HERE, WE ARE NOT YOUR PROBLEM.
OUR PROBLEM IS CODE ENFORCEMENT, AND IT'S NOT JUST WE KEEP MAKING IT THE SHORT TERM RENTALS.
BY THE 23 AND THE 24 ANNUAL REPORTS YOU DO CODE ENFORCEMENT BEACH.
PECON BEACH PATROL IN 23 HAD 1192 AND 24 HAD 21 7 12, UM, EVENTS.
THE EVENTS WENT FROM 6,670 TO 11,766 OF ALCOHOL ON THE BEACHES.
CODE ENFORCEMENT HERE TO USE STR TO FIX A CODE ENFORCEMENT PROBLEM ON HILTON HEAD IS A BIG DISSERVICE, NOT JUST TO THE PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO OWN, BUT TO THE BUSINESSES HERE AS WELL.
WE HAVE HAD LAST YEAR BY YOUR OWN REPORTS, A 3% REDUCTION IN VILLAS AND A 1% IN BEACH IN UM, HOTELS.
AND THIS YEAR, I CAN TELL YOU IT'S A 10% REDUCTION AND OCCUPANCY.
YOUR PROBLEM IS CODE ENFORCEMENT.
YOUR PROBLEM IS FUTURE LANDMARK MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE.
AND PLEASE ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.
DON'T MAKE OTHER THINGS YOUR PROBLEM.
WELL, THE PAST FOUR WEEKS HAVE BEEN QUITE A SPECTACLE, A CLEAR SIGN THAT A TEMPORARY PAUSE WAS THE RIGHT COURSE OF ACTION ALL ALONG A SIX MONTH PAUSE, NOT A BAN ON SHORT TERM RENTALS.
TIMESHARES AND NEW SUBDIVISIONS WOULD'VE GIVEN THE TOWN TIME TO GET THIS RIGHT.
INSTEAD, WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS CONFUSION, FRUSTRATION, AND GROWING DIVISION IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AS SOON AS I LAUNCHED THE PETITION, COUNCILMAN BROWN ESCALATED THE CONVERSATION WITH HIS INFLAMMATORY PIECE CALLED AMERICA'S FAVORITE ISLAND CLOSED.
THE REAL ESTATE LOBBY FOLLOWED.
THEY WARNED THAT A PAUSE WOULD HURT TOURISM, IT WOULD KILL JOBS, AND IT WOULD COST THE ISLAND MILLIONS IN REVENUE.
THE COUNT TOWN COUNCIL REACTED.
THE MAYOR OPPOSED THE IDEA OUTRIGHT.
ONE COUNCIL MEMBER EXPRESSED SUPPORT, ANOTHER WAS UNDECIDED, AND THE REST AVOIDED TAKING AN OFFICIAL POSITION SINCE NO OFFICIAL VOTE WAS EVER TAKEN.
MISINFORMATION SPREAD QUICKLY.
FOR EXAMPLE, MANY WERE ALARMED BY THE IDEA OF A TWO WEEK MINIMUM STAY.
SOMETHING I ASSUMED CAME FROM THE REAL ESTATE LOBBY, BUT IN FACT, IT WAS INTRODUCED BY MY OWN WARD FOR REPRESENTATIVE MRS. BECKER.
MOST VISITORS, I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY, STAY ONE WEEK, TYPICALLY SATURDAY TO SATURDAY, A TWO WEEK MINIMUM WAS NOT EVEN PRACTICAL, AND IT DOESN'T SOLVE THE UNDERLYING ISSUES.
EVEN MORE CONCERNING WAS HER PROPOSAL TO REGULATE WHAT TOURISTS CAN WATCH ON THEIR FLAT SCREEN TVS
[01:25:01]
IDEAS NEVER MADE IT INTO THE FINAL REPORT AND WHAT'S BEFORE YOU TODAY, BUT THEY UNDERSCORE AN IMPORTANT POINT.CRAFTING GOOD POLICY TAKES TIME, AND WE HAVEN'T GIVEN OURSELVES THAT TIME.
INSTEAD, WE'RE RUSHING WITH RESPECT TO THE STAFF WHO HAVE WORKED HARD ON THIS.
THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS FEEL HASTY AND INCOMPLETE.
AT LAST WEEK'S MEETING, WE SAW RESIDENTS PITTED AGAINST RESIDENTS.
I I THOUGHT IT WAS PRETTY UGLY, BUT HERE'S THE BOTTOM LINE.
I DON'T BELIEVE THE TOWN IS EQUIPPED TO ENFORCE THE NEW RULES.
WE'VE RECEIVED NO ANALYSIS OF ENFORCEMENT COSTS.
WE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MANY SHORT-TERM RENTALS ARE OPERATING OUTSIDE OF THE LAW.
THAT'S WHY I URGE YOU TO REJECT THE CURRENT PROPOSAL WITH ONE EXCEPTION.
ADOPT THE NEW FIRE SAFETY RULES IMMEDIATELY.
AND THEN LET'S PAUSE, REGROUP, AND COMMIT TO A PROCESS THAT INCLUDES RESIDENTS AND REALTORS, REFLECTS DATA AND PRODUCES COMMON SENSE REGULATIONS.
I'M A 35 YEAR ISLAND RESIDENT.
UM, I'M GONNA TRY REALLY HARD NOT TO SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD, BUT AS I'VE STATED MANY TIMES, I BELIEVE THAT THE PROBLEM IN FRONT OF US CAN BE SOLVED THROUGH THE ENFORCEMENT OF WHAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE.
I'M VERY ENCOURAGED BY THE CONVERSATION THAT HAS BEEN TAKING PLACE TODAY AMONGST THE COUNCIL, AND I'VE BEEN VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE ACCOMMODATIONS, FOR THE CONVERSATIONS THAT THE SEPARATE COUNCIL PEOPLE HAD TAKEN WITH, UM, PEOPLE IN THE INDUSTRY, IN THE ISLAND AND ISLAND RESIDENTS.
I DO AGREE THAT THIS IS BEING RUSHED, WHICH IS HARD TO SAY CONSIDERING SOME OF US HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS CONVERSATION FOR FOUR YEARS.
SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A RUSH TO GET TO THIS PIECE.
BUT THE REAL PROBLEM LIES WITHIN THE ENFORCEMENT OF WHAT'S AVAILABLE.
TAKING THE TIME TO REWRITE THE LMO AND GET THOSE LIMITATIONS AND OCCUPANCIES IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS SPECIFIC TO WHERE AREAS CAN BE WORKED ON AND NOT LOOK TO PUNISH THOSE THAT HAVE BUILT THEIR HOMES AND MADE THEM VIABLE BUSINESSES, VIABLE ACCOMMODATIONS BASED ON THE RULES AND THE REGULATIONS AND THE BUILDING PERMITS THAT WERE IN PLACE AT THE TIME THAT THEY BUILT THEM.
UM, MY LAST POINT IS, AS FAR AS WHATEVER IS DECIDED HERE TODAY, I DO URGE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS TO BE CONSIDERED TIMELY AS A SHORT TERM RENTAL OWNER.
I HAVE CURRENTLY JUST FOR 2026, I HAVE 500 RESERVATIONS ALREADY MADE THAT ARRIVE AFTER MAY 1ST.
UM, ANOTHER 300 OR SO THAT ARE PROBABLY BEFORE.
SO IF WHEN YOU TAKE THAT JUST FOR ONE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY ON THE ISLAND, THAT IS A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE FORCED TO HAVE TO CALL AND SAY, I'M SO SORRY, BUT YOUR CHILDREN AND YOUR GRANDCHILDREN CAN NO LONGER COME ON THIS VACATION WITH YOU.
PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WELL.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND FELLOW RESIDENTS.
MY NAME IS DREW BROWN, THE CO-FOUNDER AND PROPERTY MANAGER IN CHARGE OF ISLAND TIME, HILTON HEAD.
LONG BEFORE THAT, 25 YEARS AGO, IN FACT, I WAS A VISITOR.
ONE OF THOSE FAMILIES WHO CAME FOR A WEEK, FELL IN LOVE AND NEVER REALLY LEFT.
THE MAJORITY OF US STARTED AS VISITORS WHO DISCOVERED SOMETHING TIMELESS HERE.
THE PIECE OF THE PINES, THE RHYTHM OF THE TIDES, AND THE UNSPOKEN FEELING OF BELONGING THAT HILTON HEAD CAN ONLY GIVE.
THAT'S THE HEART OF, OF HILTON HEAD ISLANDS COMMUNITY AND ITS IDENTITY.
HILTON HEAD IS AND ALWAYS BEEN A RESORT COMMUNITY.
OUR VISITORS DON'T JUST VACATION HERE, THEY BECOME PART OF OUR STORY.
MANY GO ON TO BUY HOMES, START BUSINESSES, RAISE FAMILIES HERE AND SERVE THEIR NEIGHBORS.
TONIGHT, AS YOU CONSIDER FURTHER SHORT-TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS, I ASK, WE REMEMBER THIS, OUR RESORT HERITAGE IS NOT A WEAKNESS TO REGULATE AWAY.
IT'S THE FOUNDATION THAT WE BUILT.
THE ECONOMIC REALITY IS AT ISLAND TIME, WE MANAGE 155 PROPERTIES REPRESENTING MORE THAN 2,600 BOOKINGS THIS YEAR.
THOSE RESERVATIONS ALONE GENERATED OVER 846,000 IN STATE SALES TAX, 338,000 IN STATE ACCOMMODATIONS TAX, AND 500,507,000 IN LOCAL MUNICIPAL REVENUE.
THAT'S A TOTAL OF 1.7 IMPACT FLOWING DIRECTLY INTO THE PUBLIC.
THAT REVENUE FUNDS THE VERY THINGS WE ALL RELY ON.
BEACH TREE NOURISHMENT, SAFETY SERVICES, PARKS, PATHWAYS, ROADS, SCHOOLS, AND TOWN IMPROVEMENTS THAT PRESERVE OUR QUALITY OF LIFE BEHIND EVERY BOOKING.
OUR LOCAL JOBS, HOUSEKEEPERS, LANDSCAPERS, MAINTENANCE TECHNICIANS AND HOSPITALITY PROFESSIONALS, PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE, RAISE FAMILIES HERE AND KEEP THIS ISLAND BEAUTIFUL.
[01:30:01]
BEHIND EVERY GRASS GUEST IS A BREATH OF LIFE INTO OUR LOCAL BUSINESS YEAR ROUND, MAKING OFFERINGS LIKE ARTS, SPAS, HERITAGE SITES, AND OUR IMMENSE RESTAURANT AND COLONY EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE.WHEN SHORT-TERM RENTALS SUCCEED, THE COMMUNITY SUCCEEDS.
HILTON HEAD ALREADY HAS A STRONG REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, PERMITS, TAXES, HOTLINE, REAL PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS.
ADDING MORE LAYERS WON'T MAKE HILTON HEAD BETTER.
IT JUST MAKES IT LESS ACCESSIBLE AND LESS BALANCED.
OVERREGULATION RISK, PUSHING GOOD OWNERS OUT, SHRINKING LOCAL REVENUE AND HARMING THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT DEPEND ON A HEALTHY TO TOURISM ECOSYSTEM.
WHAT WE NEED IS A SMART ENFORCEMENT DATA-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE TOWN RESIDENTS.
RESPONSIBLE PROPERTY MANAGERS SHARE THE SAME GOAL FOR SAVING, PRESERVING HILTON HEADS INTEGRITY.
WHEN THINK ABOUT HILTON HEAD'S FUTURE, I THINK ABOUT BALANCE, PROTECTING NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER WHILE KEEPING THE WOR WELCOME MATT OUT.
FOR THE FAMILIES WHO ONE DAY MAY CALL THIS ISLAND HOME OUR SUCCESS.
SUCCESS IS A RESORT, NOT THE PROBLEM.
IT'S THE REASON WE HAVE THE RESOURCES, BEAUTY AND COMMUNITY WE CHERISH TODAY.
HILTON HEAD PROVES THAT A RESORT CAN ALSO BE A HOMETOWN.
THANK YOU CHESTER WILLIAMS. GOOD AFTERNOON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
I'M CHESTER WILLIAMS. I'M A LOCAL ATTORNEY.
MY OFFICE IS IN EXECUTIVE PARK ROAD.
UH, BUT I'M NOT HERE REPRESENTING ANY CLIENTS.
I I, I'VE LIVED HERE NOT AS LONG AS SOME OF THE FOLKS HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN WITH FOR 40 YEARS.
AND FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS, I'VE BEEN AN AVID OBSERVER OF AND PARTICIPANT IN THINGS GOING ON AT TOWN HALL.
AND THIS IS, I THINK AT LEAST THE THIRD TIME THAT I REMEMBER WHERE THE TOWN HAS GONE THROUGH THE THROES OF TRYING TO DEAL WITH SHORT TERM RENTALS.
EVERY 10 TO 12 YEARS OR SO, IT COMES UP.
I MEAN, THIS ROUND IS MUCH MORE QUICKER CONSIDERING WHAT WAS ADOPTED ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO.
UM, AND SO IT IT'S NOT AN UNCOMMON OCCURRENCE.
UM, AND, AND I DON'T HAVE A SHORT TERM RENTAL.
I MEAN, I DON'T, I DON'T MANAGE ANY SHORT TERM RENTAL, SO I DON'T HAVE A PERSONAL DOG IN THIS FIGHT, BUT THE THING THAT I WANT TO IMPART TO YOU IS IT'S NEVER A GOOD THING TO ADOPT ORDINANCES OR REGULATIONS THAT YOU REALLY CAN'T ENFORCE.
UH, SO KEEP THAT IN MIND AS YOU GO FORWARD WITH THIS.
DEVIN, I MIGHT BE SAYING THAT WRONG.
AND, UH, PRESERVE IT IN A GO RUN.
UM, THANK YOU MAYOR TOWN COUNCIL PEOPLE AND MR. ORLANDO AND TOWN STAFF.
UM, I DON'T WANNA SAY THINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SAID, SO I WILL WIND UP WITH BULLET POINTS.
SO I HOPE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND IT'S LESS OF A PARAGRAPH.
UM, JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T, YOU MAKE THE RULES, DOESN'T GUARANTEE COMPLIANCE.
THANK YOU FOR HEARING ALL THE ENFORCEMENT.
I WOULD HOPE THAT WOULD BE A POINT THAT WE COULD BUILD COMMON GROUND OF WHAT HAS BECOME A VERY DIVISIVE ISSUE.
UM, I ALSO WANNA MENTION THAT, UH, AT THE OTHER MEETINGS YOU'VE HAD, YOU'VE HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY THIS TOUCHES ON SO MANY THINGS.
UM, PEOPLE HAVE SAID, WELL, I HAVEN'T HEARD THIS SPOT UP.
I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT BROUGHT UP.
BECAUSE IT DOES TOUCH THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE WHAT YOU'VE BEEN CONSIDERING.
AND I'M SO APPRECIATIVE OF THE PIVOT.
UM, IT IS, MY HEAD'S BEEN EXPLORING, TRYING TO FORMULATE A COHESIVE PLEA, AND NOW TO ADJUST IT TO THE NEW ADJUSTMENTS THAT I'M SO PLEASED TO HEAR.
WHITTLING IT DOWN IS BETTER, BUT IT IS REASONABLE CON TO BE CONCERNED THAT MUCH MORE IS COMING.
THE CURRENT OWNERS, CURRENT POTENTIAL BUYERS, CURRENT PE CURRENT PEOPLE THAT WANNA LIVE HERE AND MAKE THIS THEIR FULL-TIME HOME, THE WORDS THAT HAVE BEEN SPOKEN FROM LEADERSHIP SHOULD, ARE, HAVE A VALID POINT OF BEING CONCERNED, OF HAVING EVERYBODY CONCERNED OF WHAT'S COMING NEXT.
I'M THANKFUL FOR THE, UM, RESTRAINT SHOWN TODAY.
AND, AND AGAIN, THE, THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY FOR ENFORCEMENT IS HUGE.
THERE ARE SEVERAL CONCENTRIC LAYERS OF RESPONSIBILITY THAT HAVE NOT BEEN FULLY TEASED OUT.
FIGURING OUT IF EACH OF THESE ARE INDIVIDUAL ISSUES IS A HUGE DEAL THAT I DON'T THINK HAS BEEN, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYBODY CONSIDER IT.
THERE ARE MANY OPTIONS BEFORE SOMETHING RISES TO THE LEVEL OF TOWN COUNCIL CONCERN AND THE ISLAND WIDE CONCERN.
YOU DON'T TAKE YOUR COURT CASE STRAIGHT TO THE SUPREME COURT.
THE, UM, THE SHORT TERM RENTER BEARS A RESPONSIBILITY.
THE PROPERTY OWNER BEARS A RESPONSIBILITY, THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY.
AND YOU'VE HEARD SO MANY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES THAT WANT TO COOPERATE.
THE POA HAS SOME RESPONSIBILITIES IF THERE IS A PA OR IS IT THE ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ISLAND AS A WHOLE? MAKING THE PUNISHMENT
[01:35:01]
FITS A CRIME? SERVE ME WELL WHEN RAISING FOUR WILD BOYS.AND I THINK IT'S APPLICABLE IN HUMAN SITUATIONS.
UM,
PEOPLE SACRIFICE SOME OF THEIR PROPERTY RIGHTS.
SOME PEOPLE DON'T REALLY LIKE LIVING BEHIND THE GATES, BUT THEY'RE WILLING TO LIVE BEHIND THE GATES TO SECURE THE PROTECTION.
WHETHER THEY DON'T WANT PINK HOUSES NEXT DOOR OR WHETHER THEY DON'T WANT 20 MILLION THINGS IN THE YARDS OR WHATEVER.
BUT, BUT RECOGNIZING THAT PEOPLE DID SACRIFICE THOSE RIGHTS, UM, I REALLY HOPE THAT WE CAN WORK ON UNITY AND HOW WE'RE PRESENTING THINGS BECAUSE WE ALL GET TO LIVE HERE, WE CAN.
THE BEAUTY OF HILTON HEAD IS THE UNIQUENESS FROM THE HOUSES BEING BUILT TO FIT THE LOTS, TO FIT THE TREES AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
WE HAVE SO MUCH CREATIVITY, UNIQUENESS, AND WONDERFULNESS HERE.
I HOPE WITH OUR TRUE LEADERSHIP CAN BUILD CONSENSUS, NOT DIVISION.
SO I, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA ASK AGAIN TO, TO REALLY HOLD YOUR APPLAUSE, UM, SO WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS.
SO KIM, CONTINUE, UNLESS THAT WAS THE LAST ONE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR LETTING US SPEAK TODAY.
UH, MY NAME'S JOE GILL AND I AM A HALFTIME RESIDENT.
HAD LIVED IN THE SEA PINES, I PURCHASED MY HOME IN 2001 AFTER SPENDING 18 MONTHS RENOVATING IT, WHICH WAS FIVE MONTHS LONGER THAN TOOK TO BUILD THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING.
UH, I INTENDED TO LIVE HERE PART-TIME AND RENT IT OUT DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS.
MY OWNERSHIP PERIOD PRETTY MUCH HAS COINCIDED WITH THE INCREASED FOCUS ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
WHAT HAS CAUSED ME TO BE HERE TODAY IS TO HAVE A VOICE FOR THE PROPERTY OWNERS WHO, ALTHOUGH WE PAY SIGNIFICANTLY MORE IN PROPERTY TAXES THAN FULL-TIME RESIDENTS, GET NO REPRESENTATION.
I FEEL LIKE WE'RE TREATED AS AN INCONVENIENCE AND TOLERATED ONLY BECAUSE WE'RE A REVENUE SOURCE.
WHEN NEW SHORT TERM RENTALS WERE INSTITUTED IN 2023, IT LOOKED LIKE A CASE COULD BE MADE FOR SOME OF THE RULES.
BUT APPLYING ADDITIONAL RULES TO THE 7,100 RENTAL PROPERTIES WHEN THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE ISOLATED TO ONLY A FEW AREAS AND A FEW PROPERTIES FEELS LIKE A GROSS OVERREACH.
ACCORDING TO THE DATA TRACKED, ONLY 240 PROPERTIES RECEIVED THE COMPLAINT SINCE THE CURRENT RULES WERE IMPLEMENTED AND 42 PROPERTIES HAVE MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS, WHY ARE WE PENALIZING MORE THAN SIX TO 800 PROPERTIES HAVE HAD NO ISSUES.
IT'S CLEAR THAT THE PROPERTIES IN THE GATED COMMUNITIES WITH THEIR OWN HOAS ARE NOT THE PROBLEM YET WE'RE ALL THROWN IN THE SAME BUCKET.
WHY NOT TAKE AWAY THE RENTAL LICENSES OF THE OFFENDING PROPERTIES? ALSO WISER.
NO STUDY TO DETERMINE THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF THE INITIAL RULES.
LASTLY, THE INCREASE IN FEES IS NOT WARRANTED BASED ON THE ASSOCIATED EXPENSE.
WITH THIS PROBLEM, ACCORDING TO THE CALCULATIONS, THE SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMIT FEES GENERATED 1.8 MILLION ANNUALLY, AND THE BUSINESS LICENSING FEE GENERATES AN ADDITIONAL 1.2 MILLION BASED ON A RECOMMENDED INCREASE IN PERMIT FEES.
AN ADDITIONAL 2.1 MILLION ANNUALLY WILL BE PROJECTED WITH MORE THAN 5 MILLION ANNUALLY TO MANAGE AN ENFORCEMENT.
IT'S HAD 242 PROPERTIES WITH ISSUES.
WHERE'S ALL THE MONEY GONNA GO? IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN MENTIONED THAT THESE RULES ARE HERE TO ALSO EN ENHANCE SAFETY.
IF THAT'S TRUE, WHY DO THE SAFETY RULES ONLY APPLY TO SHORT-TERM RESIDENTS? AND, AND NOT EVERYONE.
YOU DON'T WANNA PROTECT THE OTHER RESIDENTS WHO LIVE HERE FULL-TIME.
THEY DON'T NEED PROPERTY WITH, UM, FIRE ALARMS. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
UM, I LIVE IN SEA PINES, WORKING IN SEA PINES, PLAY ON HILTON HEAD.
UM, WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
ALSO, THANK WHOEVER'S IN CHARGE OF THE AIR CONDITIONING IN HERE FOR MAKING IT A LITTLE WARMER THAN THE LAST COUPLE MEETINGS.
UH, HERE'S, HERE'S SOME DATA THAT, THAT HASN'T BEEN DISCUSSED.
UM, THE PROPOSED OCCUPANCY STANDARD, THE TWO BY TWO, UM, OUTTA THE 7100 7200 LICENSE PERMITTED SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPERTIES.
2000 WOULD BE HIT WITH, UM, REDUCTION OCCUPANCY.
IT'S ROUGHLY A 9.3% REDUCTION IN THE TOTAL CAPACITY OF ALL THE SHORT-TERM RENTALS ON THE ISLAND.
UM, ANNUALLY, WE HAVE ABOUT A MILLION VISITORS COME THROUGH SHORT-TERM RENTALS JUST FROM, FROM LODGING REVENUE BASED ON TAX REVENUE AND OTHER DATA I'VE LOOKED AT, THEY GENERATE 370 MILLION IN REVENUE.
UM, THOSE VISITORS ARE OBVIOUSLY ALSO CREATE TREMENDOUS ECONOMIC ACTIVITY ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT THEY'RE SPENDING FOR THEIR LODGING.
UM, I, I'VE, I'M NOT AN ECONOMIST, BUT I'M A DATA GUY AND I'VE LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS.
EVEN A 4% REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF SHORT TERM VISITORS DUE TO THE ORDINANCE CHANGE WOULD, UM, CAUSE ABOUT $150 MILLION A YEAR ECONOMIC LOSS TO HILTON HEAD, 2000
[01:40:01]
JOBS.IF WE GO TO 10%, IT'S ALMOST $400 MILLION.
SO, UM, JUST ON THAT ALONE, I MEAN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY NEEDS A GOOD STUDY, RIGHT? IF WE'RE GONNA DO OCCUPANCY CAPS AND THEN HOW DO WE ENFORCE IT? 'CAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHAT, WHAT EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT HERE.
I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PARTS OF THE ISLAND, SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE REALLY GOOD.
DON'T HAVE, HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF IMPACT.
SOME PLACES THAT'S NOT THE CASE PERHAPS.
UM, BUT HOW DO WE DO BETTER AT ENFORCEMENT? I THINK THAT'S AN OPERATIONAL ISSUE.
I DON'T, I MEAN, I THINK, UM, MAYBE TOWN COUNCIL JUST NEEDS TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO SAY WE'VE GOTTA DO BETTER OR SOMETHING, RIGHT? FIGURE OUT WHAT IT'S GONNA COST TO, UM, TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE THAN GO OUT AT TWO, THREE MORNING, TWO OR TWO OR THREE IN THE MORNING AT NIGHT WHEN PEOPLE ARE PARTYING, MAKING A RUCKUS, RIGHT? THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE THE DISRUPTIONS THAT I THINK RESIDENTS AND PROBABLY OTHER SHORT TERM RENTERS, UM, WANNA WANT TO ELIMINATE.
I I MEAN, WHETHER YOU'RE, YOU'RE LIVING HERE FULL TIME OR YOU'RE, YOU'RE JUST VACATIONING OR A SECOND HOME, IF SOMEONE'S OUT PARTYING AT TWO IN THE MORNING, THAT'S A PROBLEM.
WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
UM, BUT CHOPPING OFF THE CAPACITY OF, OF 2000 SHORT TERM RENTALS ISN'T THE ANSWER TO THAT SOLUTION.
HELLO, MY NAME IS TERRY SUNLINK.
I'VE, UH, GREW UP ON HILTON HEAD.
THIS HAS BEEN MY HOME FOR OVER 45 YEARS.
UH, THIS IS, UH, THIS IS REALLY DIFFICULT.
I'M NOT THE PERSON THAT LIKES TO TALK IN FRONT OF PEOPLE TO BEGIN WITH, SO FOR ME TO BE HERE, IT'S REALLY STRANGE.
UM, I WANTED TO STICK TO WHERE WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT ENFORCEMENT.
THANK YOU FOR TALKING LAST WEEK ABOUT, AND MR. BROMAGE, THANK YOU FOR TALKING ABOUT LAST WEEK AND THE ISSUES WE'RE HAVING.
WE KEPT SAYING THERE'S 7,000 PROPERTIES AND 241 COMPLAINTS LAST YEAR.
OKAY, I WANNA PUT THAT IN A LITTLE BETTER PERSPECTIVE FOR YOU.
I TOOK THE NUMBERS AND I CRUNCHED IT DOWN TO THE BARE MINIMUMS. LET'S ASSUME EVERY ONE OF THOSE PROPERTIES ONLY TURNS OVER 15 TIMES FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.
OKAY? IF, IF I'M ONLY TURNING IT 15 TIMES OVER IN AN ENTIRE YEAR, I'M GETTING FIRED.
BUT IF I TAKE THOSE NUMBERS AND THEN I TAKE THE 15 TIMES THAT THOSE THINGS TURN OVER, WHAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY LOOK AT IS ROUGHLY A HUNDRED THOUSAND TURNS FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR THE HILTON HEAD FOR THOSE PROPERTIES.
NOW, TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION EVERY ONE OF THOSE TURNS ON AVERAGE IS FIVE PEOPLE.
THAT'S HALF A MILLION PEOPLE THAT CAME TO HILTON HEAD.
AND THESE ARE BARE MINIMUMS. I MEAN, THE REALISTIC NUMBERS ARE MUCH MORE SO.
FIGURE 500,000 PEOPLE CAME TO HILTON AND THERE WAS 241 ISSUES.
NOW, I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THAT'S EVEN SKEWED.
I IMMEDIATELY DOVE INTO ALL OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAD, YOU KNOW, SHOWING THOSE 241 I PULLED ANYWHERE I COULD FIND THAT IT WAS ONE OF MY PROPERTIES.
HERE'S THE FUNNY PART, I HAD ONE, AND THAT WAS BECAUSE A HOMEOWNER APPLIED FOR THEIR PERMIT, RECEIVED THEIR PERMIT, AND THEN DID THEIR REMODEL ON THEIR PROPERTY, THE REASON THERE WAS A PROBLEM, AND THAT THEY GOT CITED BY SEA PINES PLANTATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UH, BEING A PART OF, UH, TAKING CARE OF THE THINGS ON THE ISLAND AS WELL.
UM, THAT ONE PROBLEM WAS BECAUSE OF THE CONTRACTORS PARKING OUT FRONT.
SO MY QUESTION IS, IS WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT HOW THERE'S SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH ENFORCEMENT.
I DON'T THINK IT'S A PROBLEM WITH ENFORCEMENT AS MUCH AS YOU KNOW, YOU DO NEED MORE HELP.
YOU DEFINITELY NEED MORE HELP FOR THE RULES THAT ARE ALREADY ON THE BOOKS FOR THE MOST PART.
I'VE ALWAYS JOKINGLY SAID IT'S THE THE 5% THAT RUIN IT FOR THE 95% OF THE PEOPLE THAT COME TO HILTON HEAD.
AND I TRULY BELIEVE THAT YOU RUN THIS BUSINESS LONG ENOUGH AND YOU WILL DEFINITELY LEARN THAT THAT IS THE ISSUE THAT YOU RUN INTO.
MOST PEOPLE COMING TO THE ISLAND ARE GOOD FOLKS, AND I'D LIKE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
IN CONCLUSION, THE, UH, THE, THE, THE RESTRICTION ON PEOPLE THAT CAN STAY.
THERE'S THE THING CALLED THE LA FAMILIA LAW.
IT LITERALLY IS SO THAT FAMILIES CAN SLEEP IN THE SAME ROOM TOGETHER.
THERE'S A REASON THAT LAW IS ON THE BOOKS.
HELLO, UH, MY NAME IS, UH, RICHARD ROSS, AND I'M A LONG TERM FULL-TIME RESIDENT IN FALL FIELD, WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO OWN SOME SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.
[01:45:01]
TO HAVE A PERSONAL OPINION ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS, AND I FEEL, UH, THEY'RE NOT LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY THEY'RE ELECTED TO REPRESENT.THE TOWN CONTINUALLY REFERENCES THE OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF RESIDENTS THAT WANT MORE RESTRICTIONS ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
I JUST DON'T SEE WHERE ALL THESE, UH, WHERE ALL THESE RESIDENTS ARE THAT WANT MORE REGULATION.
UM, LOOK AT OUR MEETING LAST WEEK WE HAD 54 PEOPLE SPEAK AND MAYBE THREE SUPPORTED MORE SHORT-TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS.
MOST OF THE RESIDENTS YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY AND LAST WEEK AREN'T BIG GREEDY CORPORATIONS.
THERE ARE RESIDENTS ON THE ISLAND THAT OWN SMALL BUSINESSES.
EMPLOYEE WORKERS WHO RUN OUR RESTAURANTS, HAVE JOBS HERE THAT DEPEND ON TOURISM OR ARE JUST RESIDENTS THAT DON'T WANT THEIR PROPERTY VALUES TO GO DOWN OR OTHER TAXES TO GO UP.
WHAT I DON'T SEE ANYWHERE IN THE CROWD OR THE MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS YOU CLAIM WANT CHANGES AND MORE REGULATIONS.
IN FACT, NOBODY THAT'S SPOKEN BEFORE ME, UH, WANTED CHANGES IN THESE REGULATIONS.
I SAW A POST ON FACEBOOK LAST WEEK'S AFTER LAST WEEK'S PUBLIC MEETING.
ONE POST HAD OVER 300 COMMENTS.
THESE COMMENTS WERE FROM LOCAL RESIDENTS.
THE COMMENTS WERE VIRTUALLY ALL IN FAVOR OF LETTING THE CURRENT ORDINANCE WORK AS THEY'RE WRITTEN COMMON SENSE IN THE TOWN'S OWN DATA POINT TO LEAVING THE CURRENT CURRENT SHORT-TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE IN PLACE.
ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE RECENTLY AND HAS MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
AND I APPLAUD THE TOWN'S OFFICIALS FOR CONCENTRATING ON ENFORCEMENT, WHICH TOWN DATA SHOWS IS WORKING.
I THINK THE COMMUNITY HAS SPOKEN ON THIS ISSUE AND THE OVERWHELMING MESSAGE IS TO CONCENTRATE ON ENFORCEMENT, NOT MORE UNNECESSARY RULES AND RESTRICTIONS THAT MAY WRECK OUR ECONOMY IN OUR LARGEST INDUSTRY, WHICH IS TOURISM.
MY NAME IS TRICIA LYNCH, UH, RESIDENT OF PALMETTO HALL PLANTATION.
MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE BEEN ISLAND RESIDENTS, UH, FULL-TIME FOR 30 YEARS.
I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN WITH, UH, GRATITUDE FOR EACH OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND THE STAFF FOR ALL OF THEIR HARD WORK AND ATTEMPT TO BALANCE OUR RESORT COMMUNITY WITH OUR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF OWNERS THAT MOVE HERE, UM, FULL-TIME AND THEY USE A SHORT-TERM RENTAL AS THEIR STEPPING STONE FOR GETTING HERE.
UM, WHAT THEY BRING TO US ONCE THEY MOVE HERE FULL-TIME IS THEIR TIME, THEIR WISDOM, THEIR TALENTS, THEIR VOLUNTEERISM, AND THEIR PHILANTHROPY.
WE NEED THESE PEOPLE TO KEEP COMING HERE, BUT THEY USE A SHORT TERM RENTAL AS FOR STEPPING STONE FOR GETTING HERE.
THEY'RE NOT USING IT TO GET RICH, THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO GET THEIR FOOT IN THE DOOR SO THEY CAN BE HERE.
SO IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS PURELY ON THE PROPOSED ADDITIONAL FEES ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CURRENT $250 PER PROPERTY.
PRIOR TO THE LAST MEETING, THE PROPOSED FEE STRUCTURE WAS AN INCREASE OF $750 AND $2,500, WHICH WAS A TOTAL REVENUE INCREASE OF ALMOST $5.1 MILLION ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT IS ALREADY BEING COLLECTED.
WITH NO EXPLANATION OF WHY THE QUESTION WAS ASKED AS THIS COST BASED OR REVENUE BASED, AND THAT QUESTION COULD NOT BE ANSWERED DURING THE MEETING, COUNCILMAN DESIMONE MADE A MOTION TO AMEND THE FEES FOR PROPERTY DOWN TO $501,000, WHICH WOULD HAVE ONLY RESULTED IN A TOTAL INCREASE OF $2.2 MILLION.
THE MOTION WAS APPROVED AND IT WAS MADE VERY CASUALLY, BUT RESULTED IN $2.9 MILLION FROM WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED TO WHAT WAS JUST CASUALLY THROWN OUT THERE.
AGAIN, WHERE IS THAT $2.2 MILLION GOING? IS IT COST BASED OR REVENUE BASED? A LOGICAL APPROACH IS YES, WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT ENFORCEMENT OF CURRENT CODES IS NEEDED.
DO WE NEED TO PROVIDE MORE ADMINISTRATION FOR MR. ORLANDO'S OFFICE AND ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS? IF THAT IS THE CASE, A VERY SLIGHT INCREASE BASED ON EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED.
IF WE NEED 10 EMPLOYEES AT A COST OF WHATEVER THE NUMBER IS, INCREASE ONLY BASED ON THAT AMOUNT.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE TIMING OF ANY INCREASE THAT'S PUT IN PLACE, NOT BE PUT IN PLACE UNTIL THE, THE YEAR OF 2027 BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY MADE THEIR RESERVATIONS FOR 2026.
MANAGEMENT COMPANIES AND OWNERS HAVE SET THEIR FEES BASED EXACTLY ON WHAT THEIR FEES ARE.
NOW, IF WE START INCREASING THOSE FEES FOR 2026, WE CAN'T GO BACK TO THE GUEST AND SAY, OH, SORRY, YOU OWE ANOTHER $250, OR WHATEVER THE FEE IS TO OFFSET THOSE FEES FOR THE OWNERS.
I WOULD ASK THAT WE TAKE A MORE LOGICAL APPROACH, TAKE THE EMOTION OUT OF WHAT IS HAPPENING AND MAKE US A BETTER ISLAND.
I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE HILTON HILL ISLAND BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
UH, TOURISM IS HILTON HEAD'S LIFEBLOOD.
FAMILIES RETURN YEAR AFTER YEAR TO MAKE MEMORIES HERE OFTEN ACROSS GENERATIONS.
SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE A KEY PART OF THAT.
THEY LET FAMILIES STAY TOGETHER, CELEBRATE TOGETHER, AND SPEND MORE OF THEIR TIME AND MONEY RIGHT HERE ON THE ISLAND.
TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE PROPOSED TWO PLUS
[01:50:01]
TWO OCCUPANCY CAP MIGHT AFFECT THAT, I REACHED OUT TO SEVERAL OF THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES HERE ON THE ISLAND.THEY PROVIDED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT SAMPLE OF LOCAL PROPERTIES AND BOOKINGS, MORE THAN ENOUGH TO DRAW MEANINGFUL CONCLUSIONS ABOUT HOW THIS POLICY MAY PLAY OUT IN THE REAL WORLD.
HERE'S WHAT THE DATA SHOWS IN 2025, ABOUT A QUARTER OF LISTINGS HAVE OCCUPANCY LIMITS ABOVE THE PROPOSED CAP.
MOST OF THOSE ARE LARGER HOMES WITH FOUR OR MORE BEDROOMS. UH, AND DESPITE THAT, A SINGLE DIGIT PERCENTAGE OF OCCUPANCY, OR SORRY, OF BOOKINGS, WOULD'VE EXCEEDED THAT LIMIT, MEANING THE OVER OCCUPANCY IS RELATIVELY RARE.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A BROAD POLICY AIMED AT FIXING SOMETHING THAT BY THE NUMBERS DOESN'T REALLY HAPPEN OFTEN IMPLEMENTING IT WOULD CREATE A LOT OF EXTRA WORK FOR PROPERTY MANAGERS AND TOWN ENFORCEMENT WHILE CHANGING VERY LITTLE ABOUT VISITOR BEHAVIOR.
IT'S ALSO WORTH NOTING WHO THIS WOULD IMPACT.
MOST THESE LARGER HOMES MAKE UP LESS THAN A QUARTER OF THE SUPPLY, BUT GENERATE THE MAJORITY OF THE STATE ACCOMMODATIONS TAX REVENUE FOR FROM SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ATTRACT MULTI-GENERATIONAL FAMILIES AND HIGHER SPENDING GUESTS, THE KIND WHO FILL OUR RESTAURANTS, GOLF COURSES AND SHOPS.
UH, BY CAPPING HOW MANY GUESTS, UM, HOW MANY GUESTS, UH, SMALLER HOMES CAN HOST THE POLICY, COULD PUSH BUILDERS TO GO EVEN BIGGER TO MAINTAIN RENTAL REVENUE, WHICH IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT COUNCIL IS TRYING TO ACHIEVE.
IF EVERY BOOKING THAT EXCEEDED THE CAP WERE CANCELED IN 2025 BASED ON THE SAMPLE, UM, HILTON HAD CA LOSES UP TO A DOUBLE DIGIT PERCENTAGE OF STR RELATED STATE AT TAX REVENUE.
A REAL HIT TO THE FUNDS THAT SUPPORT THE VARIOUS SERVICES AND AMENITIES THAT WE RELY ON.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE DATA SHOWS THAT THIS CAP WOULD CREATE REAL ECONOMIC HARM WITHOUT MEANINGFULLY SOLVING THE ISSUE IT'S MEANT TO ADDRESS.
I'D URGE THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER DATA-DRIVEN ALTERNATIVES THAT WORK FOR BOTH THE COMMUNITY AND THE BUSINESS OWNERS SOLUTIONS THAT ADDRESS REAL CHALLENGES WHILE UNINTENTIONALLY HURTING THE FAMILIES, PROPERTY MANAGERS AND LOCAL BUSINESS THAT MAY HILTON HAVE WHAT IT IS.
GOOD AFTERNOON MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, MR. ORLANDO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE DIALOGUE THAT YOU'VE BEEN HAVING, NOT ONLY TODAY, BUT LEADING UP TO THIS.
I'M, UH, 36 YEAR RESIDENT HERE AND, UH, CURRENTLY PRESIDENT OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
LAST WEEK, HILTON HEAD ISLAND WAS NAMED AMERICA'S NUMBER ONE ISLAND FOR THE NINTH YEAR IN A ROW.
FAMILIES RETURNED GENERATION AFTER GENERATION, AND MANY OF US, MYSELF INCLUDED, WE ONCE VISITORS WHO FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS PLACE BEFORE DECIDING TO CALL IT HOME.
VISITORS ARE PART OF THE STORY THAT BUILT OUR COMMUNITY.
HILTON HEAD ISLAND IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER DESTINATION FROM THE START.
THIS ISLAND WAS ENVISIONED BY BRILLIANT PLANNERS AND FROM 1950S AND 1960S TO WHAT IT STILL IS TODAY, A RESORT COMMUNITY WHERE MA MATURE NEIGHBORHOODS, NATURE, CULTURE, AND HOSPITALITY COEXIST BY DESIGN.
BECAUSE OF THAT THOUGHTFUL PLANNING WE'RE SEEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND EVEN THE WORLD AS AN EX, AS AN EXAMPLE OF JUST HOW TO DO THAT, RIGHT? WE ALL KNOW THAT TOURISM FUELS THIS ISLAND LAST YEAR ALONE GENERATED MORE THAN $47 MILLION FROM THE TOWN FOR THE TOWN.
FUNDING ROADS, SUPPORTING NONPROFITS, STRENGTHENING PUBLIC SAFETY, REPLENISHING BEACHES, AND SUSTAINING THE AMENITIES.
RESIDENTS EN ENJOY EVERY DAY YEAR ROUND.
MANY WHO'VE COME TO THESE MEETINGS BOTH TO LISTEN AND TO SPEAK, UNDERSTAND WHAT'S AT STAKE.
THEY KNOW HOW THESE DECISIONS RIPPLE THROUGH REAL FAMILIES AND REAL LIVELIHOODS.
AND IT'S A REMINDER THAT BEHIND EVERY RENTAL ARE PEOPLE AND NOT POLICIES.
EACH OF YOU MAY REPRESENT A WARD, BUT THE DECISIONS YOU MAKE THIS AFTERNOON REPRESENTS AN ISLAND.
AND WE ASK THAT YOU PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND.
AND THE PEOPLE OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND HAVE SPOKEN CLEARLY AND PASSIONATELY HONOR THEM BY PROTECTING WHAT WORKS AND HONOR THEM BY PROTECTING AND PRESERVING THE BALANCE THAT HAS MADE THIS ISLAND THRIVE.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PERRY TOWN COUNCIL TOWN MANAGER ORLANDO AND TOWN MANAGEMENT FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AGAIN TODAY.
MY NAME IS KATE KLU AND I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND BEACH AND TENNIS RESORT.
OUR COMMUNITY WAS BUILT BACK IN 1981 IN THE FOLLY FIELD COMMUNITY PRIOR TO THE INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
[01:55:01]
WORDS TODAY WILL BE A LITTLE REDUNDANT FROM THE WORD SPOKEN.LAST WEEK, HILTON HEAD ISLAND BEACH AND TENNIS WAS BUILT WITH THE INTENTIONS OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
IT WAS DESIGNED IN A MANNER TO OFFER FAMILIES A WELL-DESERVED VACATION RIGHT ON THE OCEAN WITH ONSITE FOOD AND BEVERAGE OPERATIONS.
IT WAS ALSO DESIGNED TO BRING SMALL AND LARGE GROUPS TO THE ISLAND AND MEET IN OUR 12,000 SQUARE FOOT BALLROOM.
OUR COMMUNITY CONTAINS THREE HOMEOWNERS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS WITH 846 UNITS, ONE AND TWO BEDROOMS, AND THE ONE BEDROOMS HAVE CAPTAIN BUNKS.
WE ARE SELF-CONTAINED AND OPERATE A 24 7 SECURITY DEPARTMENT AND A FACILITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
OUR STAFF HANDLES THE NUISANCE COMPLAINTS, TRASH ISSUES, AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ISSUES MOST TIMES FASTER THAN THE TOWN COULD RESPOND.
OUR OWNERS PAY A MONTHLY REGIME FEE FOR THESE SERVICES.
OUR DEMOCRATIC VIC IS A BALANCE OF INVESTMENT PROPERTIES AND RESIDENTS HANDLING ISSUES ON OUR OWN.
WITH THE DIRECTION OF THE MANAGEMENT AND OUR BOARDS.
WE TOO HAVE TO BALANCE BETWEEN SHORT TERM RENTERS AND RESIDENTS WHO DID NOT PURCHASE AS AN INVESTMENT PROPERTY.
WE ARE A HYBRID PROPERTY, VERY UNIQUE TO THE ISLAND.
I WOULD ESTIMATE THE TOWN GENERATES A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY ON COMBINATIONS, TAXES FROM OUR PROPERTY, BETWEEN THE NUMEROUS RENTAL COMPANIES AND OWNERS RENTING ON THEIR OWN.
THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE BUSINESS LICENSE AND THE PERMIT FEES NOW REQUIRED.
HHB AND T OWNERS ARE ALREADY PAYING ENOUGH FEES TO FACILITATE THE DEMANDS IT MAY COST THE TOWN, HHB, AND T IS ZONED RESORT DEVELOPMENT.
JUST LIKE THE 143 UNIT TIMESHARE THAT IS BEING BUILT DOWN THE ROAD FROM US.
I WOULD ASK THE COUNCIL TO EXEMPT HILTON HEAD, ISLAND BEACH AND TENNIS RESORT AND OTHER PROPERTIES LIKE OURS FROM THESE SHORT-TERM RENTAL ORDINANCES.
JUST LIKE THE HOTELS AND TIMESHARES, IF YOU CAN EXEMPT THE HOTELS AND TIMESHARES, YOU CAN EXERT CERTAINLY EXEMPT OUR UNIQUE PROPERTY ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE AS WE HAVE DONE SINCE 1981.
I'M NOT FEELING SO HOT, BUT, UH, I'D LIKE TO START OFF BY SAYING THANK YOU TO THE PEOPLE I'VE SPOKEN TO INDIVIDUALLY.
UH, MS. BECKER IN PARTICULAR, SHE TOOK TWO AND A HALF HOURS OUT OF HER DAY THE OTHER DAY TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.
SHE LIVES IN, UH, IN MY, I LIVE IN WARD AND, UH, SHE HAS ADDRESSED ISSUES WITH US IN THE PAST AND ALWAYS BEEN VERY HELPFUL.
BUT THE TWO THINGS I WANTED TO MENTION THAT I MENTIONED TO TAMARA, SO I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO, I'M NOT TALKING OUTSIDE OF WHAT I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED TO TAMARA, IS I ADDRESS THE COUNCIL ABOUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT WHEN I WAS HERE LAST TIME.
SO I DON'T WANNA BRING THAT UP AGAIN.
AND PLENTY OF PEOPLE POINTED THAT OUT.
BUT WHAT I DID ASK TAMARA IS IF WE HAD A TIME MACHINE OR A CRYSTAL BALL AND WE COULD PROJECT WHAT THIS IMPACT WOULD BE IN THREE OR FIVE, FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE AS DEVASTATING AS SOME THINK IT MIGHT BE, AND I BELIEVE IT WILL BE, WOULD YOU STILL MAKE THAT VOTE TODAY? AND SHE SAID, NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT.
SHE SAID, AS A MATTER OF FACT, I DON'T SUPPORT IT AS IT IS ANYHOW.
BUT WITH THAT SAID, WE CAN'T GO BACKWARDS FROM THIS.
ONCE WE'RE IN THE IMPACTS MADE COULD BE DEVASTATING.
AND I THINK WE OWE THE TOWN, THE RESIDENTS, THE BUSINESSES MORE THAN THAT.
MY DAUGHTER, MY YOUNGEST OF THREE WENT TO SCHOOL HERE.
WE, SHE GREW UP HERE AND SHE WENT TO SCHOOL FOR HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT AT TCL AND SHE WORKS WITH US.
WE RUN A COMPANY THAT INITIALLY WAS CALLED SINCERELY SOUTH, EXCUSE ME, WAS JUST INITIALLY CALLED, UH, HILTON HEAD CONCIERGE SERVICES.
AND WHEN SHE WENT TO SCHOOL, SHE CAME BACK AND SAID, DAD, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT NAME.
SHE SAID, LET'S CHANGE IT TO SINCERELY SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO I'M SURE NO, THE THE DEFINITION OF SINCERELY, UH, EXCUSE ME, OF SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY IS AN AMERICAN ENGLISH WORD DESCRIBES THE CULTURAL AND STEREOTYPE OF THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES, OF SOUTHERN UNITED STATES WITH RESIDENTS PERCEIVED TO SHOW KINDNESS, WARMTH, AND WELCOMING OF VISITORS INTO THEIR HOMES.
WE ARE A SOUTHERN TOWN AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO BE SINCERELY SOUTHERN IN OUR HOSPITALITY.
DANIEL ANTHONY T-SHIRTS FOR ALL OF YOU.
I LIVE AT TWO TURTLE DOVE LANE, AND I'VE SPOKEN SEVERAL TIMES.
I WANT TO ADDRESS HOW WE ALLEVIATE THIS FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE.
I THINK EVERYBODY PRIOR TO ME HAS SPOKEN ON THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS THAT MUCH MORE RESEARCH SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN ON THIS BEFORE IT EVER CAME
[02:00:01]
BEFORE ANY OF THESE PEOPLE.I'VE SPENT MORE TIME IN THIS BUILDING THAN I CARE TO FOR THE PAST FOUR WEEKS, FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE MORATORIUM.
UM, I WORKED IN CORPORATE AMERICA AND WHEN WE HAD PROPOSALS THAT CAME UP, YOU HAD TO VET THEM BEFORE YOU BROUGHT THEM FORWARD.
THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY.
THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A LOOK AT WHO IT IMPACTS, WHAT IT, WHAT IT FIXES.
DOES IT ACTUALLY FIX THAT? UM, AND I THINK THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD SPEND SOME GOOD TIME COMING UP WITH A PROCESS LIKE THAT BEFORE WE START BRINGING THINGS LIKE THIS AND DRAGGING OUR DIRTY LAUNDRY IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE WORLD OF HILTON HEAD.
I HAVE FIVE CLIENTS WHO HAVE STOPPED THEIR SEARCHES FOR SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
THEY DON'T HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOU ALL AS A TOWN COUNCIL TO PROTECT THEIR PERSONAL PROPERTY RIGHTS SHOULD THEY CHOOSE TO, TO DECIDE TO INVEST IN OUR ISLAND.
UM, AND I ALSO THINK THAT SOMEONE WHO IS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN A SITUATION SHOULD RECUSE THEMSELF FROM VOTING AND FROM LEADING A COMMITTEE THAT IS LOOKING AT, UM, ACTIONS THAT WOULD AFFECT THE POOR WOMAN WHO SAID THAT SHE'S BEEN TRYING TO BUILD A HOUSE FOR HOWEVER MANY YEARS AND THAT SHE LIVES NEXT DOOR TO ONE OF YOU.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING, UH, THAT SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED ACROSS THE BOARD.
THAT IF YOU ARE PERSONALLY INVOLVED IN A SITUATION THAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT AS A TOWN COUNCIL MEMBER OR A MAYOR TO MAKE A DECISION THAT IS GOING TO ECONOMICALLY IMPACT AN ENTIRE ISLAND OF 40,000 PEOPLE, HAVE THE INTEGRITY TO RECUSE YOURSELF FROM BEING AN ACTIVE PART IN THAT.
AND I REALLY, REALLY URGE YOU ALL TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AND TRY TO COME UP WITH A VETTING PROCESS SO THAT WE DON'T SIT HERE FOR THIS MANY HOURS WITHOUT AN ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY AND WITHOUT ALL OF THE INFORMATION BEFORE US, THE MORATORIUM, THE ATTORNEY CAME UP AND FLAT OUT SAID YOU COULDN'T DO IT, BUT WE STILL HAD ALL OF THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT IT AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE AT THAT POINT.
CONSULT THE ATTORNEYS, DO THE ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDIES, RECRUIT, RECUSE YOURSELF IF YOU ARE, UH, ARE PERSONALLY INVESTED AND LET'S JUST TAKE THAT ACTION FORWARD.
HENRY CHRISS, GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. MAYOR.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, MR. ADMINISTRATOR.
I LIVE AT 100 HELMSMAN WAY HERE ON HILTON HEAD.
I'M A FULL-TIME HILTON HEAD ISLAND RESIDENT, LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER.
I'M A 20 PLUS YEAR VETERAN OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT MANAGEMENT.
I'M IN SERVICE, SO I'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC POLICY.
I WANNA START BY SAYING THANK YOU ALL FOR, UM, YOUR DESIRE TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY AND TO PRESERVE THE CHARACTER THAT MAKES HILTON HEAD SUCH A FABULOUS PLACE TO LIVE.
THAT INTENT IS, IS ADMIRABLE AND I SHARE THAT COMMITMENT.
UH, HOWEVER, IN THIS CASE, I MUST RESPECTFULLY BUT STRONGLY OPPOSE THE PROPOSED SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE.
EVEN WITH THE ADMIT, THE AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD TODAY, WHILE IT'S WELL INTENTIONED, ALL OF THEM ARE REALLY GOOD IDEAS.
THE, THE FIRE SAFETY, THE THE NEED FOR, FOR THE PARKING, THEY'RE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT ASPECTS.
UM, HOWEVER, IT, IT REALLY SEEMS LIKE IT'S A SOLUTION IN SEARCH OF A PROBLEM.
UH, AND IT MOVES US AWAY FROM ONE OF HILTON HEAD'S CORE VALUES THAT MAKES THIS PLACE REALLY SPECIAL.
LIMITED GOVERNMENT AND PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE, THE PROBLEMS, WHETHER THEY EXIST OR DON'T EXIST, WHETHER IT'S IN ENFORCEMENT, UM, OR WHAT IT IS.
I WOULD JUST SUGGEST THAT WE STUDY THAT AND FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT PROBLEM WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE BEFORE WE TRY TO IMPLEMENT LEGISLATION.
AND REGULATIONS, UH, TO SOLVE WHAT VERY WELL MAY NOT BE A PROBLEM.
HILT HAS ALWAYS VALUED THOUGHTFUL, MEASURED GOVERNANCE.
SO THE ANSWER HERE ISN'T MORE REGULATION.
BUT, BUT AGAIN, AS YOU'VE HEARD ALREADY, SMARTER ENFORCEMENT OF THE RULES THAT WE HAVE, IF THERE'S BAD ACTORS, LET'S HOLD THOSE FOLKS ACCOUNTABLE.
UM, WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE DANGER OF OVERREGULATION.
EVERY NEW RULE OR, OR FEE THAT'S IMPOSED ADDS LAYERS OF BUREAUCRACY, INCREASES COSTS, AND DISCOURAGES RESPONSIBLE PARTICIPATION IN OUR LOCAL ECONOMY.
HILTON HAS LONG THRIVED BECAUSE IT VALUES FREEDOM, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND LIMITED OVERSIGHT PRINCIPLES THAT HAVE MADE THIS ISLAND UNIQUE AND PROSPEROUS.
FINALLY, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IMPACTS THESE CHANGES MIGHT HAVE ON OUR ECONOMY, ON, ON THE MESSAGING TO OTHER FOLKS, FOLKS ON INVESTMENT ON THE LIVES OF THE, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE.
AND SO I WOULD URGE THE COUNCIL TO ENGAGE IN A, IN AN ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY, AND TO FURTHER STUDY AND REVIEW THE EXISTING ORDINANCE BEFORE WE MAKE MAJOR SWEEPING CHANGES TO THE LEGISLATION THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US.
SHORT TERM RENTAL SUPPORT, SMALL BUSINESS, GENERATE TAX REVENUE, AND PROVIDE SUPPLEMENTAL INCOMES FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
[02:05:01]
HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OF, OF PULLING TOGETHER DATA AND PROPOSING, UH, YOU KNOW, WAYS THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT THESE CHANGES THAT HAVE COME FORWARD.AND I KNOW THAT IF, IF THEY WERE GIVEN EVEN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT OUR, OUR EXTREMELY TALENTED STAFF, TOWN STAFF COULD COME UP WITH SOME SOLUTIONS THAT REALLY COULD SOLVE A PROBLEM WITHOUT, UH, HAVING THESE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
SO IN CLOSING, I ASK RESPECTFULLY THAT YOU VOTE AGAINST THIS ORDINANCE, UM, UNTIL WE CAN HAVE A, A FULL ANALYSIS.
I WANNA LET KEITH KNOW I REALLY DO WANT TO HEAR YOU, BUT I I GOTTA, I GOTTA TAKE A BREAK.
MAYOR PERRY, MEMBERS OF TOWN COUNCIL EXCEPT STEVE.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD.
I HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO CALL THIS ISLAND HOME SINCE 1990.
I OWN VAGABOND CRUISE, THE ISLAND'S LARGEST SIGHTSEEING AND EXCURSION CRUISE OPERATOR, UH, LOCATED IN SEA PONDS RESORT.
I'M TOWN OF MR. BIRDWELLS THERE.
UM, OVER THE YEARS AND THE DECADES THAT I'VE SPENT HERE, I'VE SEEN A LOT HAPPEN ON THIS ISLAND, AND I WILL TELL YOU NOT SINCE.
UH, FRANK CHAPMAN WAS ELECTED MAYOR IN 1993 ON A PLATFORM OF TURNING OVER THE WELCOME MAT.
THE WELCOME MAT HAS BEEN TURNED OVER.
HAS THE ISLAND FACED SUCH A SERIOUS THREAT TO OUR WAY OF LIFE AND OUR TOURISM BASED ECONOMY? THE VERY REASON VIRTUALLY ALL OF US HERE IN THIS ROOM, MAYBE EXCEPT FOR ALAN AND ALEX, UM, CALL HILTON HEAD HOME, IS BECAUSE OF OUR TOURISM ECONOMY AND OUR DEEP POOL OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
OUR ANNUAL VISITORS MAKE ALL THIS POSSIBLE.
OUR BEACH PARKS, OUR LEISURE TRAILS, RECREATION FACILITIES, PERFORMING ARTS VENUES, OUR BEST IN CLASS HOSPITAL, 26 GOLF COURSES, OVER 200 RESTAURANTS, DOCTORS, LAWYERS, FINANCIAL ADVISORS, HVAC COMPANIES, PLUMBERS, ELECTRICIANS.
ALL THIS FLOWS FROM THE PATRONAGE OF OUR VISITORS.
38,000 RESIDENTS CANNOT SUPPORT THIS ECONOMY.
WE NEED A VIBRANT TOURISM BASED ECONOMY TO HAVE THE ISLAND THAT WE ALL GET TO ENJOY EVERY DAY, ALL YEAR LONG.
THE TONE AND TENOR OF THIS PROCESS AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL PROJECTED AN ANTI-TERRORISM, ANTI SHORT-TERM RENTAL POSTURE THAT WAS PALPABLE DURING THE OPENING REMARKS OF LAST WEEK'S COMMITTEE MEETING.
IT CAST TR OWNERS AND THEIR GUESTS AS PEOPLE DETRACTING FROM THE ISLAND RATHER THAN ADDING TO IT.
IS THIS THE WAY WE WANT OUR ISLAND TO BE PERCEIVED? IS THIS WHAT WE WANT OUR VISITORS TO THINK? WHAT YOU SAY MATTERS AND SO DOES HOW YOU SAY IT.
FOR THAT REASON ALONE, I THINK YOU SHOULD VOTE NO ON ADVANCING THIS PROPOSED RULEMAKING.
THIS PROCESS STARTED WITH A PROPOSED MORATORIUM ON SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERMITS, AND NOW WITH THE REVISION OF THE EXISTING ORDINANCE, HAS BEEN SPRUNG UPON OUR COMMUNITY WITH VERY LITTLE WARNING ALMOST IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT.
WHAT IS THE HURRY HERE? WITH MEETINGS SCHEDULED WITH A BARE MINIMUM OF NOTICE BACK TO BACK TO SHORTEN THE TIMEFRAME FOR INPUT AND THOUGHTFUL DISCOURSE.
THIS PROCESS SMACKS A RAILROADING TRYING TO CRAM THIS THROUGH BEFORE THE COMMUNITY HAS HAD TIME TO PLAN AND ORGANIZE A COHERENT RESPONSE.
THIS IS A BAD LOOK FOR TALENT COUNCIL.
AND IT BRINGS INTO QUESTION THE INTENT AND THE INTEGRITY OF THE PROCESS.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
I AM A HILTON HEAD ISLAND RESIDENT.
TODAY IS A DAY THAT WILL LIVE IN INFAMY IN HILTON HEAD.
THE DAY THAT THIS COUNCIL CONSIDERS SHORT-TERM RENTAL AMENDMENTS BASED NOT ON RELIABLE DATA, BUT ON A MOTION, WE WERE PROMISED BY THIS COUNCIL THAT THESE DECISIONS WOULD BE BASED ON DATA.
DATA THAT HAS NOT BEEN PROVIDED IN FULL AND THAT YOU ALL HAVE ADMITTED WAS NOT PROPERLY COLLECTED.
YOU'VE ALSO PROMISED TO DO BETTER.
AND TODAY'S DISCUSSION, I THINK, IS A GOOD STEP FORWARD TO DOING BETTER.
YES, THE TOWN HAS PROVIDED SOME DATA, BUT THE DATA DOES NOT INDICATE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM.
IN FACT, IT TELLS A VERY DIFFERENT STORY.
LOOK AT THE TOWN'S OWN PROBLEM PROPERTIES.
LIST ONE OF THE FEW DATA SET SETS THAT YOU'VE SHARED.
I KNOW A HUNDRED PERCENT THAT MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS TIED TO THREE OF THE HOMES ON THAT LIST CAME FROM DISGRUNTLED NEIGHBORS.
PEOPLE I PERSONALLY WITNESSED HARASSING GUESTS WHO WERE SIMPLY TRYING TO ENJOY
[02:10:01]
OUR ISLAND THAT HAPPENED FROM THE MOMENT THEY CHECKED IN.AND THAT'S WHERE WE NEED BALANCE AND PERSPECTIVE.
THE DEEPER ISSUE, YOU DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND YOUR OWN DATA.
DATA CAN PAINT ANY PICTURE YOU WANT IF YOU'RE THE ONE HOLDING THE BRUSH.
BUT WHEN YOU ALLOW THE DATA ITSELF TO PAINT THE PICTURE, THAT'S WHEN TRUTH COMES INTO FOCUS.
TODAY, I AM PLEADING WITH THIS COUNCIL TO STEP BACK AND TAKE A BREATH AND DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR EVERYONE.
MAKE A DECISION BASED ON REAL DATA, NOT EMOTION.
ALLOW THE LMO REWRITE TO MOVE FORWARD AND LET'S FIRST ENFORCE WHAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE.
WE'VE HEARD THAT ENOUGH TODAY.
I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO PUT THIS ISSUE TO BED FOREVER.
I'M ASKING YOU TO DO THINGS IN THE RIGHT ORDER WITH INTEGRITY AND FORESIGHT.
THE DECISION YOU MAKE TODAY WILL DEFINE WHO YOU ARE AS LEADERS.
ARE YOU DRIVEN BY PERSONAL, EMOTIONAL EMOTION OR BY PRINCIPLE? CAN YOU EXERCISE EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TO PAUSE, TO THINK AND LEAD WITH REASON EVEN WHEN OTHERS DEMAND REACTION? THIS ISN'T ABOUT REALTORS VERSUS RESIDENTS.
EVERY EVERY PERSON IN THIS ROOM IS A NEIGHBOR WHO LOVES THIS ISLAND.
EVERY FAMILY WHO NOW CALLS HILTON HEAD HOME MORE THAN LIKELY WORK WITH A REALTOR TO MAKE THAT DREAM POSSIBLE.
LET'S NOT FORGET THOSE SHORT-TERM RENTAL, RENTAL HOMEOWNERS PAY THREE TIMES THE PROPERTY TAX THAT WE GET TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS FROM YEAR ROUND.
LET'S DO SOMETHING TO BUILD SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL TOGETHER, SUSTAINABLE, BALANCED, AND UNIFIED.
LET'S CREATE A COMMUNITY WHERE RESIDENTS, INVESTORS, AND VISITORS CAN LIVE, WORK AND PLAY SIDE BY SIDE.
PLEASE BE BETTER, LEAD WITH COURAGE, LEAD WITH GRACE LEAD FOR ALL OF US WHO LOVE THIS ISLAND ENOUGH TO FIGHT FOR IT.
I OWN, UH, 21 SOUTH FOREST BEACH DRIVE, UNIT 2 0 4.
FOR 10 YEARS I WAS A SHORT-TERM RENTAL OWNER.
I CURRENTLY LIVE THERE FULL-TIME AND I'M A RESIDENT OF HILTON HEAD, AS IS MY WIFE.
I OWN A LONG-TERM RENTAL AT THREE 80 MARSHLAND ROAD WITH A LONG-TERM HILTON HEAD RESIDENT.
AS A TENANT, I HAVE BEEN THE BOARD PRESIDENT AT SUMMER HOUSE ON THREE 80 MARSHLAND ROAD.
I AM CURRENTLY THE PRESIDENT OF SHOREWOOD COMMONS AND SHOREWOOD TWO HORIZONTAL PROPERTY REGIME.
SINCE I DON'T RENT, I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE 115 UNITS THAT DO AT SHOREWOOD.
AND WHAT I'VE HEARD SO FAR, WE'VE HEARD FROM BEACH AND TENNIS, WE'VE EXEMPTED HOTELS, WE'VE EXEMPTED MOTELS, WE'VE EXEMPTED, TIMESHARES.
EVERYBODY WHO'S BEHIND THE GATES SHOULD BE EXEMPTED.
WE DON'T NEED THIS ISSUE, RIGHT FROM YOUR OWN DATA, YOU COLLECT IT.
WELL, LET ME, LET ME GO BACK A MINUTE.
YOU IMPLEMENTED IN 2022, A BUSINESS LICENSE.
I CALL THAT A TAX BECAUSE PRIOR TO THAT, IF I OWNED ONE RENTAL, I DID NOT HAVE TO HAVE A BUSINESS LICENSE.
THERE'S MONEY 92 50 PLUS 1.7 TIMES, UH, SOMETHING 100.
WELL, IT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND DIVIDED BY A THOUSAND, A HUNDRED DOLLARS.
THAT'S ABOUT $350 A UNIT RIGHT AFTER THAT.
NOW, IN 2023, YOU PUT IN THIS SHORT TERM RENTAL THING AT 250, WE DON'T GET ANYTHING FOR IT, BUT WE PAY FOR IT.
I THINK THIS WHOLE THING SHOULD BE VOTED DOWN.
WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.
AND ON JULY 4TH, 1770 6, 56 MEN SIGNED A DOCUMENT SAYING THEY DIDN'T WANT TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION, UH, THAT THE BRITISH WERE PUTTING ON US.
SO LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE GO BACK, AS EVERYBODY ELSE HAS SAID, LET'S REVISIT THIS.
RIGHT? I KNOW IT'S NOT ALL OF YOU THAT ARE IN SUPPORT OF THIS, BUT DON'T KILL THE CO THE ECONOMY WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SOLVE.
AND WHAT I, THE FINAL THING I'M GONNA SAY IS NOW THAT I'M A RESIDENT, I'M WATCHING EVERYBODY BECAUSE IN WARD THREE, I CAN RUN FOR ONE OF YOUR SEATS.
[02:15:01]
MY NAME IS KATHY RASH.I LIVE AT 36 LIGHTHOUSE ROAD VS.
IT'S BEEN A PROPERTY THAT'S BEEN IN MY FAMILY SINCE 1967.
I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT THE TOWN NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THE SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE UNTIL THEY'VE HAD THE ANALYSIS AND THE WORK DONE TO PASS THE LMO.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DOUBLING THE FEES.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A NUMBER OF RESIDENTS THAT COMPLAIN THAT YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT IS.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THE INCREASE IN TRAFFIC IS FROM BLUFFTON AND SAVANNAH FOR DAILY TRIPS? DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE INCREASE IS TO TIMESHARES? WHATEVER INFORMATION YOU DO HAVE, YOU'RE NOT SHARING IT AND THE OCCUPANCY DOESN'T EVEN ALLOW FOR THE FAMILIES THAT WE WANT TO HAVE HERE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT THE MAKEUP OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE IS REDU IS CHANGED TO REDUCE THE DRAMA.
WE'VE HAD A TWO WEEK MINIMUM SUGGESTED WE'VE HAD A $2,500 INCREASE IN THE FEE.
IT'S CAUSED ALL THIS DRAMA, ALL THIS FACEBOOK CRAZINESS AND HAS DONE NOTHING TO MAKE Y'ALL LOOK GOOD.
SO I THINK YOU SHOULD CHANGE THE MAKEUP OF THAT COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO, UH, LISTEN TO ALL OF US THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, WANTED TO PUT A LITTLE BIT OF A PERSONAL FACE ON THIS.
MY FAMILY IS MUCH LIKE MANY OF YOU'VE HEARD HERE TODAY WHERE A SEAT WHERE HILTON HEAD IS A STEPPING STONE.
WE BOUGHT HERE ALONG WITH MY, WITH MY IN-LAW PARENTS.
UM, WE USE IT AS A MULTI-GENERATIONAL HOME.
SIBLINGS WHO ARE IN MULTI MULTIPLE STATES USE THIS AS A GATHERING POINT FOR THE FAMILY.
I'VE COME TO THE ISLAND MULTIPLE TIMES PER YEAR.
THIS IS, I THINK THE FOURTH TIME I'VE BEEN HERE THIS YEAR.
I DROVE 950 MILES TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY BECAUSE THIS IS AN IMPORTANT THING.
UM, SO THE STEPPING STONE PIECE, MY WIFE AND I HAVE STARTED TO TALK ABOUT PO ABOUT RETIRING HERE.
THIS WHEN WE BOUGHT A VACATION HOME, STARTED USING IT AS SHORT TERM RENTAL.
WE, UM, HAVE HAD DOUBLE DIGIT INCREASES IN EXPENSES NOW WITH ALL THE LICENSES, FEES, TAXES, AND SO ON THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED IN THE LAST CALL IT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.
WE'VE ACTUALLY STARTED TALKING TO OUR FAMILY ABOUT THAT MAY HAVE REACHED A BREAKING POINT DEPENDING ON WHAT THIS IS THAT'S COMING WHERE WE MAY NEED TO SELL.
BUT AT THE SAME POINT, WE NEED THAT SHORT TERM RENTAL TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO STAY HERE, TO POTENTIALLY RETIRE HERE AS MONEY IN OUR PATHS HAVE DONE PREVIOUSLY.
UM, SO THAT'S THE PERSONAL ASPECT OF THIS.
I ALSO HAVE BEEN A COUNCIL MEMBER AT THE, THE TOWN WHERE, WHERE I, IN A SENSE, PERMANENTLY LIVE.
UM, FOR, FOR MULTIPLE TERMS. THIS FEELS VERY RUSHED TODAY.
THE FACT THAT WE HAVE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS COMING FROM STAFF AND COMMITTEE OF THIS COUNCIL AT THE MEETING WHERE WE'RE STARTING TO ADOPT THE ORDINANCE, THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THREE AMENDMENTS AND AN AMENDMENT UPON AMENDMENT AND THEN WE'RE DEBATING ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER.
THIS IS NOT THE PATH I'VE SEEN IN THE PAST BEING A COUNCIL MEMBER FOR MULTIPLE TERMS. SO I'D URGE YOU TO TAKE IT SLOW, TAKE IT OFF THE TABLE TODAY TO TAKE IT SLOW, COME BACK WITH TIME AND DATA AND PROPOSE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE A FINAL ONE THAT WE CAN ALL TALK ABOUT RATHER THAN MULTIPLE AMENDMENTS UPON AMENDMENTS AT THE POINT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE A DECISION.
AND LASTLY, CHRISTOPHER CLIFF.
UM, I'VE BEEN ASKED TO TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
UM, SO WE'LL TAKE A, A QUICK FIVE MINUTE BREAK TILL 5 25.
FIVE MINUTES ALWAYS GOES A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
[02:20:01]
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMENTS.UM, SO WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE DIOCESE NOW.
AND IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION FROM COUNCIL? CALL FOR A QUESTION, MR. MAYOR.
SO ON THE TABLE, WE HAVE A MOTION BY MS. BRYSON.
SHE MOVED TO ADOPT, SHE MOVED IT.
THE CALL, THE QUESTION'S BEEN CALLED AND I'M GONNA COME BACK AND WE'LL VOTE BACKWARDS, BUT THIS WAY WE'LL PUT IT OUT THERE AS TO EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON.
I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA CALL FIRST.
MS. BRYSON MOVED ADOPTION TO OF THE DRAFT ORDINANCE, UH, BEFORE COUNSEL WITH THE FOLLOWING TWO CHANGES UNDER SECTION 10 DASH TWO DASH 20 B COMPLIANCE TO ADD LANGUAGE, WHICH PROVIDES THAT ANY APPLICATION FOR A NEW SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERMIT ON OR BEFORE, ON OR AFTER THE ADOPTION DATE WILL COMPLY WITH THE TERMS REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED IN THIS CHAPTER ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1ST, 2026.
IN REGARDS TO SECTION 10 DASH TWO DASH 60, THE TABLE WILL BE REVISED TO PROVIDE THAT THE, THAT THOSE SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPERTIES, WHICH HAVE SEVEN BEDROOMS AND ABOVE, AND WHICH ARE 3,600 SQUARE FEET OR MORE IN SIZE, THE MAXIMUM OCC OCCUPANCY WILL BE INCREASED BY TWO UPON COMPLIANCE WITH ALL OTHER TERMS REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED BY THIS CHAPTER.
SECOND, MR. DESIMONE MOVED TO AMEND MS. BRYSON'S MOTION TO APPROVE THE FIRST READING OF THE ORDINANCE TO REPEAL AND RE REPLACE TITLE 10, CHAPTER TWO OF THE ADMISSIBLE CODE ENTITLED SHORT-TERM RENTALS AS RECOMMENDED BY C-D-P-S-C WITH THE FOLLOWING, REMOVE SECTION 10 DASH TWO DASH 60 DASH C AND ALL OTHER REFERENCES TO OCCUPY LIMITATIONS AT THIS TIME.
FURTHER RECOMMEND THAT COUNSEL ADDRESS OCCUPANCY LOCATION, AND AS WE FURTHER DISCUSS THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE AND THE REWRITE OF THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, MRS. BECKER SECONDED A CLARIFYING QUESTION.
SO DOES THAT MEAN THE NEW APP COMPLIED BY 1 1 26 IS IN? THAT IS CORRECT.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD BECAUSE IT'S KINDA BUILDING ON ONE ANOTHER.
I I WANT CLARIFICATION ON THAT.
SO I'LL CONTINUE READING AND THEN WE'LL GET CLARIFICATION ON THAT.
UM, MR. BROWN REQUESTED THAT THE MOTION BE CHANGED TO A MAXIMUM OF SIX EXTERIOR PARKING SPACES ALLOWED AND NOT COUNT THE GARAGE SPACES AS PARKING SPACES AS THEY ARE NOT ALWAYS USED FOR PARKING.
MRS. BECKER MOVED TO AMEND MR. DESMOND'S MOTION REFLECTING CHIEF BLANKENSHIP'S, UH, I'M SORRY, MR. BROWN SECOND, AND MR. DESMOND'S CHANGE THEN MRS. BECKER MOVED TO AMEND MR. DESMOND'S MOTION REFLECTING CHIEF BLANKENSHIP'S UPDATED RECOMMENDATION SECTION THREE CHANGE IN ACCORDANCE TO MEETING THE INTENT OF THE NATIONAL FIRE ALARM AND SIGNALING CODE ITEM THREE B REMOVE IN ITS ENTIRETY.
SO SEAN, UM, NOW THAT I'VE READ THAT, IF YOU WOULD CLARIFY MRS. TANNER'S QUESTION AND I WOULD DIRECT THAT TO THE TOWN ATTORNEY.
IF YOU'LL RESTATE YOUR QUESTION, PLEASE.
UM, AS EACH COUNCIL PERSON WAS BUILDING ON THE OTHER, I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT IS ALL INCLUDED.
AND MS. BRYSON'S, UH, HAD TWO ITEMS. ONE, WHICH HAS BEEN EXCLUDED FROM MR. DEON'S, UM, DEAL ON OCCUPANCY.
SO MY QUESTION IS IN ALL OF THESE IS THE NEW APP, ANY NEW APPLICATIONS THEY HAVE TO COMPLY BY? 1 1 26 INCLUDED IN STEVE DESIMONE AND TAMMY BECKER'S PROPOSALS? SHORT ANSWER, YES.
YOU WANT A LONGER ANSWER?
WHAT I, WHAT I, WHAT THE MOTION WAS, WAS IT SAYS, UH, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEE.
SO THAT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED BY THE COMMUNITY SERVICE AND PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEE.
OUR RECOMMENDATION WAS THE EFFECTIVE DATE SHALL BE DETERMINED BY TOWNSIDE, BY STAFF AND MAYOR.
IN THAT CASE, I MOVE TO INCLUDE THAT SUPERVISION REGARDING NEW STR PERMITS.
ALRIGHT, I'D ASK FOR A SECOND.
IS THERE A SECOND? LET'S JUST KEEP THIS GOING HERE.
I I, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T HEAR WHAT YOU SAID.
I, I MI MS. BRYSON, WE WE COULD NOT HEAR YOU.
HOW'S THAT, THAT MY PHONE? CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? UM, I WOULD ASK ASSISTANCE FROM THE TECHNICAL FOLKS.
HOW'S THAT? EVIDENTLY THIS ONE'S NOT WORKING.
[02:25:01]
I'LL GIVE YOU THE SPECIFICS TO INCLUDE IN SECTION 10 DASH TWO DASH 20 THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE.ANY APPLICATION FOR A NEW STR PERMIT ON OR AFTER THE ADOPTION DATE SHALL COMPLY WITH THE TERMS REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED IN THIS CHAPTER ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1ST, 2026.
THAT, THAT, THAT IS IN THE MOTION, CORRECT.
UM, AND I HAD MISSED THAT IN MR. DESMOND'S ORIGINAL MOTION THAT CAME AFTER THAT.
SO YES, MR. DESMOND'S MOTION WOULD HAVE THE EFFECT OF UNDOING MS. BRYSON'S MOTION BECAUSE HE'S REMOVING HIS MOTION WOULD REMOVE ANY REFERENCE TO OCCUPANCY, WHICH WOULD TAKE TEN TWO SIXTY C OUT.
AND THEN HE WAS EFFECTIVELY REMOVING IT, UM, MOVING TO AMEND TO GO BACK TO WHAT THE COMMITTEE INITIALLY RECOMMENDED, WHICH WAS THE TIMEFRAMES THAT ARE SET OUT IN THE TEXT THAT MR. LEININGER HAS DESCRIBED.
SO AS I SEE THIS NOW, UM, OR, OR THE WAY THAT I WOULD DO IT, JUST BECAUSE IT'S THE ONLY WAY I CAN KEEP TRACK OF IT, UM, THE, THE ORDER WOULD BE TO, I THINK, VOTE ON MS. BECKER'S MOTION TO AMEND MR. DESMOND'S MOTION.
TO MAKE THE TWO CHANGES, UH, RELATED TO THE FIRE SAFETY REGULATIONS.
WHAT, WHAT I WANNA MAKE CLEAR, BECAUSE WE'VE KIND OF GONE AROUND IN A CIRCLE HERE FOR A MOMENT, IS THAT THE DATE OF ACTIVATION IS 5 1 20 26 BECAUSE THAT WAS IN THE RECOMMENDATION IN THE STAFF PROPOSAL.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT MR. DESMOND'S MOTION.
I JUST, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT OUT LOUD FOR CLARITY.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT MR. MS MS. BRYSON'S INITIAL MOTION WOULD'VE CHANGED THAT, YEP.
MR. DESMOND'S MOTION TO AMEND MS. BRYSON'S YES.
MOTION WOULD BRING IT BACK TO WHAT THE COMMITTEE DID OR THE LANGUAGE THAT IS IN THE TEXT THAT MR. LEININGER DISCUSSED WITH COUNSEL TODAY? YEAH, LET ME MAKE THIS CLEAR.
I DID NOT TAKE OUT THE OTHER LANGUAGE, UH, REGARDING COMPLIANCE DATES.
THERE'S AN ADOPTION DATE, BUT, AND THEN THERE'S SEPARATELY COMPLIANCE DATE.
AND ALL I DID WAS IN ADDITION TO WHAT'S EXISTING UNDER COMPLIANCE DATE IS TO ADD A NEW PROVISION ONLY REGARDING NEW STR PERMITS.
AND THAT WOULD BE EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1ST, 2026.
SO I DID NOT CHANGE ANYTHING ABOUT THE MAY ONE DATE U UNDERSTOOD, BUT IF I UNDERSTOOD MR. DESIMONE CORRECTLY, THE EFFECT OF HIS MOTION TO AMEND WOULD TAKE THAT OUT.
AND, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M HEARING THAT WRONG, BUT, AND NOW I MADE A MOTION TO ADD IT BACK IN, WHICH WAS SECONDED BY MR. ALFRED.
SHOULD, SO, SO, SO THAT'S NOW THE FOURTH MOTION? YES.
THAT WOULD ONLY BE SHOULD THE AMENDMENT PASS, RIGHT? OKAY.
CAN WE GET A, A MOTION? CAN WE STATE THE FULL MOTION FOR THE RECORD AGAIN, JUST START FROM THE BEGINNING? YEAH.
MS. BRYSON MOVED ADOPTION OF THE DRAFT ORDINANCE BEFORE COUNSEL WITH THE FOLLOWING TWO CHANGES UNDER SECTION 10 DASH TWO DASH 20 B COMPLIANCE TO ADD LANGUAGE WHICH PROVIDES THAT ANY APPLICATIONS FOR A NEW SHORT-TERM RENTAL ON OR AFTER PERMIT ON OR AFTER THE ADOPTION DATE WILL COMPLY WITH THE TERMS REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED IN THIS CHAPTER ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1ST, 2026.
AND REGARDING THE SECTION 10 DASH TWO DASH 60 C, THE TABLE WILL BE REVISED TO PROVIDE THAT THOSE SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPERTIES, WHICH HAS SEVEN BEDROOMS AND ABOVE, IN WHICH ARE 3,600 SQUARE FEET OR MORE IN SIZE, THE MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY MAY BE INCREASED BY TWO UPON COMPLIANCE WITH ALL OTHER TERMS REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED BY THIS CHAPTER.
THEN MR. DE DESMO MADE A MOTION TO REMOVE SEC SECTION 10 DASH TWO DASH 60 C AND ALL OTHER REFERENCES TO OC OCCUPANCY LIMITATIONS AT THIS TIME.
FURTHER RECOMMENDED THAT THE COUNCIL ADDRESS OCCUPANCY LOCATION AND USE AS WE FURTHER DISCUSSED THE LMO LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE AND THE REWRITE OF THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, MRS. BECKER.
SECOND, MR. BROWN REQUESTED THAT THE MOTION BE CHANGED TO STATE UP TO A MAXIMUM OF SIX EXTERIOR PARKING SPACES ALLOWED AND NOT COUNT THE GARAGE SPACES AS
[02:30:01]
PARKING SPACES AS THEY ARE NOT ALWAYS USED FOR PARKING.MR. DESMOND, AS THE MAKER OF THE AMENDMENT OF THE MOTION AGREED TO THE CHANGE, MR. BROWN'S SECONDED MR. BECKER, UH, MOVED TO AMEND MR. DESMOND'S MOTION REFLECTING CHRIS BLANKENSHIP'S, CHIEF BLANKENSHIP'S UPDATED RECOMMENDATIONS SECTION THREE CHANGE IN ACCORDANCE TO MEETING THE INTENT OF THE NATIONAL FIRE ALARM AND SIGNALING CODE ITEM THREE B.
MR. DESIMONE SECONDED MS. BRYSON THEN IN TURN MADE A MOTION SECONDED BY MR. ALFRED UNDER SECTION 10 DASH TWO DASH 20 B COMPLIANCE TO ADD LANGUAGE WHICH PROVIDES THAT ANY APPLICATION FOR A NEW SHORT-TERM RENT HONOR PERMIT ON OR BEFORE THE ADOPTION DATE WILL COMPLY WITH THE TERMS REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED IN THIS CHAPTER ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1ST, 2026.
SO IN, IS THAT ALL YOU NEED, KIM? SO FAR THOUGH, THE VOTE WILL BE FIRST ON MRS. BRYSON'S MOTION, MR. ALFRED SECOND UNDER SECTION 10 DASH 20 COMPLIANCE TO ADD LANGUAGE WHICH PROVIDED ANY, UH, APPLICATION FOR A NEW SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERMIT, HONORABLE BEFORE THE ADOPTION WILL COMPLY WITH THE TERMS REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND OPPOSED VOTE IS TWO TO FIVE.
TWO, TWO AGAINST, I MEAN 2, 4, 5 AGAINST.
NEXT WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, MRS. BECKER'S, UH, MOTION REFLECTING.
CHRIS, CHIEF BLANKENSHIP'S UPDATED RECOMMENDATION SECTION THREE CHANGE IN ACCORDANCE TO, TO MEETING THE INTENT OF A NATIONAL FIRE ALARM AND SIGNALING CODE ITEM THREE B REMOVED IN ITS ENTIRETY, MR. DESMO SECONDED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND OPPOSED? OKAY, THAT IS SEVEN ZERO.
THEN WE HAVE MR. BROWN REQUESTED THAT A MOTION BE CHANGED AT A MAXIMUM OF SIX EXTERIOR PARKING SPACES ALLOWED AND DO NOT COUNT GARAGE SPACES AS PARKING SPACES AS THEY ARE NOT ALWAYS USED FOR PARKING.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.
BE JUST ONE CLARIFICATION BEFORE YOU TAKE THAT VOTE.
EVERYTHING, ALL THE OTHER PROVISIONS THAT ARE LISTED YES.
SO THE VOTE, MAY I SPEAK BRIEFLY TO THAT MOTION? IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IF THERE WERE PARKING SPACES IN INSIDE THE GARAGE, UM, THEN THIS WOULD ADD SIX TO IT.
SO IT'S POSSIBLE THERE COULD BE EIGHT VEHICLES THERE, WHICH AT TWO PER PERSON WOULD BE 16 OCCUPANTS AT FOUR, FOUR PER CAR WOULD BE OKAY.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND AGAIN OPPOSED? THAT IS SIX ONE.
NOW LET'S SEE, REMOVE, UH, MR. UH, DEAMON, UH, TO AMEND MS. BRYSON'S MOTION TO APPROVE THE FIRST READING OF THE ORDINANCE TO REPEAL AND REPLACE TITLE 10, CHAPTER TWO, MUNICIPAL CODE ENTITLED SHORT-TERM RENTAL ASSOCIATION.
REMOVE SECTION 10 DASH TWO DASH 60 C AND ALL OUR REFERENCES TO OCCUPANCY LIMITATIONS AT THIS TIME.
FURTHER RECOMMENDED THE COUNSEL ADDRESS OCCUPANCY LOCATION AND USE AS WE FURTHER DISCUSS THE LMO.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND OPPOSED MOVE FIVE TO TWO AND THEN MS. BRYSON MOTION ADOPTION OF THE DRAFT ORDINANCE BEFORE COUNSEL WITH THE FOLLOWING TWO CHANGES UNDER SECTION 10 DASH TWO DASH 20 B COMPLIANCE TO ADD LANGUAGE WHICH PROVIDES THAT ANY APPLICATION FOR A NEW SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERMIT ON OR AFTER THE ADOPTION DATE WILL COMPLY WITH THE TERMS REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED IN THIS CHAPTER ON OR BEFORE.
DO I NEED TO READ ALL THIS SINCE WE JUST VOTED IT DOWN? NO.
SORRY, I WAS IN A MODE THERE Y'ALL.
SO, UM, NEXT WE WILL MOVE ON THE, UH, ADOPTION OF THE DRAFT ORDINANCE PRESENTED BY STAFF MINUS THAT WE, WHICH WE JUST WENT THROUGH.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.
SO I GUESS I NEED A LITTLE BIT OF CLARITY ON THE LAST ORIGINAL MOTION BY MS. BRYSON.
THE ORIGINAL MOTION OF MS. BRYSON HAS NOW BEEN AMENDED, UM, HER, HER MOTION TO REINSTATE HER TEXT FROM, UH, THE FIRST THING MEANING THE TEN TWO TWENTY B, REGARDING THE, UH, SOME APPLICATIONS BEING REQUIRED TO COMPLY BY JAN.
1 20 26, EXCUSE ME, UM, DID NOT PASS THE MOTION OF MS. BECKER TO ADOPT THE FIRE SAFETY TEXT.
CHANGES AS RECOMMENDED BY CHIEF BLANKENSHIP DID PASS MR. BROWN'S MOTION TO STATE THAT THE SIX PARKING SPACE LIMIT ONLY APPLIED TO EXTERIOR PARKING SPACES, MEANING THE GARAGE IS NOT COUNTED.
SO IF YOU HAD, YOU CAN HAVE SIX SPACES OUT OF DOORS, IF YOU WILL, DID PASS
[02:35:01]
MR. DESMOND'S MOTION TO AMEND, TO REPEAL OR TO DELETE SECTION TEN TWO SIXTY.UM, AND ALL OTHER REFERENCES TO OCCUPANCY LIMITATIONS PASSED.
SO WHAT IS NOW BEFORE COUNSEL IS TO CONSIDER THE MOTION TO ADOPT THE REGULATIONS WITH THE THREE AMENDMENTS THAT DID PASS MEANING REMOVE OCCUPANCY SIX PARKING SPACES OUTDOORS, AND TWO, CHANGE THE FIRE SAFETY REGULATIONS AS RECOMMENDED BY CHIEF BLANKENSHIP.
THAT IS WHAT'S BEFORE YOU NOW.
OKAY, I'LL CALL THE VOTE ONE MORE TIME.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION AS JUST DESCRIBED BY MR. COLTRANE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND OPPOSED THAT PASSES.
SO IT WAS SIX ONE? YES, CORRECT.
HE'S BEEN SICK FOR A COUPLE DAYS AND HE'S HERE TODAY.
AND, AND, AND I REALLY, I WANT TO, I WANT TO TELL US ABOUT STAFF THAT, THAT WHAT WE'VE GOT HERE IN, IN THIS TOWN IS WE'VE GOT A DEDICATED STAFF THAT IS HERE TO WORK FOR US.
SO I, I WANNA MAKE THAT STATEMENT.
UM, NEXT, LET ME JUST MAKE ONE STATEMENT TO EVERYONE.
UM, I'M REALLY ENCOURAGED OF THE TWO OR THREE DOZEN PEOPLE I HAD PERSONAL CONVERSATION WITH THAT THEY RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S A PROBLEM.
EVERYONE THAT I SPOKE WITH SAID THERE'S A PROBLEM AND IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED.
WHAT'S ALSO ENCOURAGING IS THAT WE HAVE A 21 PERSON ELMO COMMITTEE COMING UP, AND THIS BODY THAT'S REPRESENTED HERE NEEDS TO BE HEARD IN THAT COMMITTEE SO THAT WE CAN ALL COME TO A CONCLUSIVE COMMUNITY.
ANSWER TO FIXING WHAT YOU HAVE TOLD ME IS, IS TRULY A PROBLEM.
AND PEOPLE GOT UP TODAY AND EVEN SPOKE AND SAID THE SAME THING.
NO ONE SAID THERE'S NOT A PROBLEM.
AND WE NEED TO WORK ON THAT IN OUR, WITH OUR LMO REWRITE.
SO NEXT, KIM, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK ON NON AGENDA ITEMS? NO.
MAY I MAKE A COMMENT? YES, YOU MAY.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT TODAY, UM, 20, UM, INDIVIDUALS, 20 LIVES, 20 SOULS AND COUNTLESS RELATED PEOPLE WERE SET FREE AND, UM, ARE HOME WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
THAT'S WHAT SO, IN, IN, IN A, IN A CLOSING COMMENT, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
UM, AND I, AND I, AND I THINK I'M SPEAKING FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US THAT'S UP HERE TODAY, WE ALL RECEIVED A LOT OF EMAILS, TEXTS, AND PHONE CALLS.
AND WHILE WE TRIED TO RESPOND, I KNOW THAT WE DIDN'T GET EVERYBODY, SOME OF 'EM END UP IN JUNK, SOME OF 'EM JUST, I MEAN, COME IN AT A HUNDRED OF TIMES, BUT THANK YOU.
RIGHT? THEY WERE ALL READ, UM, MAYBE NOT RESPONDED TO, BUT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US HAS LISTENED TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU BOTH ON THE POSITIVE, NEGATIVE, AND INDIFFERENT.
AND WITH THAT, WE'RE ADJOURNED.
THANKS FOR WATCHING BEAUFORT COUNTY TV.
THIS IS NATALIE HEFTER FROM THE COASTAL DISCOVERY MUSEUM, AND THIS IS YOUR BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT.
TRUCK FARMING WAS INTRODUCED IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN 1868 UP NEAR CHARLESTON, BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL THE MID 1870S WHEN THE PORT ROYAL AUGUSTA RAILROAD RAN THROUGH THIS REGION.
THE TRUCK FARMING BECAME A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR ECONOMIC INDUSTRY HERE.
OUR FARMERS HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY RELIED UPON THIS LONG GROWING SEASON THAT WE HAVE TO GROW PRODUCE THAT WAS NEEDED IN URBAN AREAS, AND PARTICULARLY UP NORTH.
AS THESE FARMERS GREW THEIR POTATOES, TOMATOES, CORN, BROCCOLI, ASPARAGUS, AND LETTUCE.
LETTUCE WAS ACTUALLY AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR CROPS HERE.
AT ONE TIME, BEAUFORT WAS EVEN KNOWN AS LETTUCE CITY.
AS YOU TRAVEL PARTS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY AND SEE LARGE SCALE
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FARMS TODAY, REMEMBER THAT THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN IMPORTANT PART OF BEAUFORT COUNTY'S HISTORY.THIS IS NATALIE HEFTER FROM THE COASTAL DISCOVERY MUSEUM, AND THIS HAS BEEN YOUR BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT.
TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.