HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/29/2020 Non-Agenda Public CommentsSanchez, Gloria
From: Mathias Vince Karlen<mathias.vince.karlen@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2020 6:08 AM
To: CouncilMeeting Comments
Subject: Comments for City Council Meeting 10/29/20
Please find below comments that I was hoping could be read at tonight's city council public hearing reading
amending the city's vacation rental ordinance. Thank you.
I am writing to encourage the council to amend and expand Palm Desert's existing STR ordinance to
incorporate areas zoned PR. As a homeowner in an R-1 zone, 1 cannot stress enough how much my own quality
of life has improved as a direct result of the council's decision to phase out STRs, one of which was located
directly adjacent to me.
1 think it is both a matter of both consistency and fairness that ALL owners of single family (none HOA)
residences have equal treatment, and be able to benefit from the discontinuance of clearly commercial
enterprise in areas of our city originally intended for residential use.
Thank you for your consideration.
Kind regards,
Vince Karlen
72902 Joshua Tree St.
Palm Desert, CA 92260
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Sanchez, Gloria
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Dear Mayor and City Council,
rfsharrow3@gmail.com
Thursday, October 29, 2020 10:48 AM
'Rob Sharrow; Sanchez, Gloria
Public comment for Oct 29 city council meeting
I am submitting only written comments for the Council's consideration.
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I wanted to take this opportunity to reiterate my oral comments from the last city council meeting and to also submit
my final statements which I was not able to make due to the 3 minute time limit. (new comments in BOLD)
I see that the discussion on this topic was delayed a few weeks but several individuals including myself and my wife
Genevieve Sharrow have requested to be a part of this discourse and no one who I'm in contact with who favors short
term rentals has been invited. I also note that not a single person opposed to them bothered to show up at the last
council meeting. Rather everyone who reaches out gets a generic email stating that the council is working together
with both sides. I don't see STR advocates represented to defend themselves nor do I see opponents presenting their
case so if they are, I request the city do a better job with openness and transparency.
Respectfully, rushing urgent legislation that would significantly reduce city revenue seems to sits in stark contrast to that
history of wisdom and fiscal prudence in the governance of this city especially during this financial crisis when many are
hurting so much. As the council is aware the city budget this year has a —$10 million shortfall. Transient Occupancv
revenues reduced in 2020 by almost the same amount as the shortfall. While this is attributed to covid it also coincides
exactly with the short term banning in r1 and r2 zones. I argue the full financial impact of the first ban has not been fully
realized or understood and there are manv who want to be more engaged and contribute to a solution that works for
everyone, but Covid restrictions make that r)articularly challenging.
Residents of PR zoned areas without HOA representation should have an avenue to locally control STR if that is the
majority will, but using the city to apply a blanket ban without local due process simply shifts the lack of representation
to those who wish to operate them but cannot without a letter from a non -existing HOA. Everyone is at an elevated level
of stress... due to covid, the general state of the world, and the upcoming election. Respectfully I ask the citv to continue
as thev have been, the stabilizing and calming leaders this communitv needs right now to help facilitate solutions that
don't entirelv disenfranchise one group in favor of another.
I noted in the proposed ordinance text it states that despite increases in STR permits there has "not been an uptick in
complaints" yet staff showed in the previous meeting that there has been an uptick this past year during the covid crisis.
But I ask why have the enforcement mechanisms which have so far worked not worked recently in these areas? Has the
trend continued into the summer and fall or was it just a spring phenomenon?
I look forward to see more detail on the complaints and I hope a detailed study of the impacts of the first ban in R1
and R2 are understood before expanding the restrictions on STR permits to allow more time to see the longer term
impacts play out, without the covid crisis hanging over us all.
In the meantime, with isolated exceptions it seems the enforcement process works. The enforcement system works.
After reviewing the proposed changes to the permit and fine structure I worry that the relaxation of fines will weaken
the system in place now and undermine the working system rather than strengthen it. It is appropriate to raise the
permit fees commensurate with neighboring communities but the penalties are the greatest deterrent to bad apples
so I recommend to keep them as they have been.
Finally, STIR also offer a truly unique opportunity for a type of inter -generational family vacation that does not directly
compete with hotels or resorts and will bring people back. My wife and I are an example. After many visits here over
the years with family, we recently purchased a Palm Desert home of our own.
In closing, I ask that you allow more time to understand the impact of the previous ban, and allow more time and
opportunity for community participation which is so much harder during COVID so that both sides can work together
for solutions to keep the party houses out and encourage more families to utilize these assets.
Thank you.
Robert and Genevieve Sharrow
77550 Mountain View
Palm Desert CA 92211