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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrd 1332 - STR Correspondence as of 12072017Stanley, Jane From: nicky@nickygonzalez.com Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 5:11 PM To: CityhallMail Cc: Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: [SPAM] - Short Term Rental BAN City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Members Dear Honourable Mayor Harnik, Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan and Honourable City Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I am a Realtor and a short term vacation home owner. I am writing to express my support for Short Term Rentals throughout the City of Palm Desert, in every neighborhood, not just in planned residential communities. STRs have revived the City of Palm Desert and keep the economy going year-round. Among the homes I have sold, 3 of them are in Palm Desert. My buyers only reason for investment in PD was to be able to use their home as a vacation rental. My wife and myself started renting our our home the first year we bought it. We only rent it out for 3 months out of the year as We Are Full Time Residents and Live in Our Home the remainder of the year. Renting our home has allowed us the ability to fix up our home, every penny we make we either put it back in to our home or we use it to supplement our income as we are both self employed. If there are problems with noise and parking, then what is required is simply better regulation and better enforcement. The goal is to eliminate the renters who are here to party, not to turn away the great renters who come to Palm Desert because they love our neighborhood. These visitors spend their money in the city of Palm Desert and sustain local businesses. I am greatly concerned for the property values in the R1 and R2 zones if this ban goes into effect. In the current economic climate, people want the flexibility to be able to rent out their homes for short i periods of a week or so to supplement their incomes or to cover their costs. If they do not have this opportunity, they will purchase elsewhere, thereby decreasing property values. Allowing 28-day rentals is not a solution because visitors do not rent for 28 days these days. Families travel for one to two weeks and do not negatively impact the neighborhood. This ordinance is contrary to the best interest of all of Palm Desert and I strongly urge the City Council to reject it on second reading. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Nicky Gonzalez nicky©a nickygonzalez.com 76-788 New York Avenue Palm Desert, Ca. 92211 2 Klassen, Rachelle From: Aylaian, Lauri Sent: Friday, December 01, 2017 5:01 PM To: Klassen, Rachelle Subject: FW: Ban on STR in Palm Desert For your information and records. Lauri Aylaian City Manager Ph: 760.346.0611 Direct: 760.776.6481 laylaian@,,cityofpalmdesert.org From: Cherilyn Clark Finailto:dubbie56@shaw.cal Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2017 11:34 PM To: CityhallMail <CitvhaIU citvofpalmdesert.ore>; Swartz, Kevin <kswartz@citvofoalmdesert.org>; Aylaian, Lauri <Iavlaian@citvofnalmdesert.org>; Harnik, Jan <iharnik@citvofpalmdesert.org>; Nestande, Gina <enestande@citvofoalmdesert.ore>; Jonathan, Sabby<sionathan@citvofoalmdesert.org>; Kelly, Kathleen <kkelly@citvofpalmdesert.ore>; Weber, Susan Marie <sweber@citvofpalmdesert.org>; Stendell, Ryan <rstendell@citvofpalmdesert.ors>; shareoalmdesert@smail.com Subject: Ban on STR in Palm Desert Cherilyn Clark 105-1014 Rockland Ave., Victoria, BC, Canada V8V 3H5 Email: dubbie56@shaw.ca November 30, 2017 Dear Sirs: Re: Short Term Rental ban in Palm Desert I and three other friends and relatives have been travelling to this area on a continuous basis for several years and love the area and all what is has to offer, and hope to continue to go on an annual basis. As a Palm Desert vacationer, I am shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. We have been renting a home in Palm Desert for several years and assure you we are responsible guests. We do not make noise or in any way annoy the neighbours and go out of our way to respect the neighbours and also the owners who have advised us regarding noise bylaws. Without the ability to rent this home (77271 Ohio Circle) we would find it much more expensive to vacation in your city and would likely opt to go elsewhere. We enjoy so much the tourist attractions, shopping, restaurants and feel we contribute to your economy each year. We love Palm Desert but you would force us to choose another destination. Please do not think all vacationers who rent houses in Palm Desert are party people, I think that is just the opposite, most people are older and go there to relax and enjoy the beautiful area. Please consider removing the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. i Thank you, Cherilyn Clark 2 Klassen, Rachelle From: ALR <pacificpc@ca.rr.com> Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2017 12:11 PM To: Harnik, Jan; Weber, Susan Marie; Nestande, Gina; Kelly, Kathleen; Jonathan, Sabby; Klassen, Rachelle; '- City Attorney'; Stendell, Ryan Subject: NO to bans on vacation rentals Dear ELECTED officials, I am writing to you as a homeowner of a NOW beautiful home just South of El Paseo in Palm Desert. The home was in horrible condition and we invested a lot of money and time to make this a beautiful home. By doing this, this improved everyone's property values and also made for a much nicer community within the City of South Palm Desert. When we are not in town we rent the home thru a vacation rental agency so we are able to afford to keep the home. The assumption that by renting our home causes noise or trouble is absurd as there are laws that exist that if a resident is disturbing someone then the Police will be called . Whether it is a renter, a vacation renter or a homeowner , EVERYONE has to abide by the laws and this should have no bearing on whether it is a vacation renter or not. The City of Palm Desert already has laws regarding nuisance and these JUST NEED TO BE ENFORCED. With better enforcement this will take care of the few bad apples who make everyone look bad. This seems to have no logic and seems to also be illegal as if one owns a home and is responsible and takes care of it then they should not be panelized by made up facts. If anyone breaks the law then they should be taken care of , regardless of whether they are renters or not. There are a lot more permanent homeowners who are trouble makers and that is where the issue should be as laws should be upheld and enforced for EVERYONE. Enforcement of EXISTING laws will take care of it. The restriction on vacation rental homes will only hurt the City financially and will cause a large drop in homeowners value and people will not want to buy in Palm Desert anymore. Guests stay in Palm Desert and spend their money in Restaurants, shopping and also many times end up wanting to buy a home in the City as they end up loving it so much. You must understand this so we are all dumbfounded as to why you would consider doing something so harmful to our City. PLEASE do NOT place restrictions on vacation rental homes as we should have the same legal rights as a person who lives there all the time. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Amy Raff 1 Klassen, Rochelle From: Tracey Jackson <Tracey@dunnawayjackson.com> Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2017 6:54 PM To: Tracey Jackson Subject: Last favour for our short-term rental campaign - I promise! Friends and family — I promise, this is the last time I will ask you to write on this issue! All of you who wrote last time for the November meeting — Thank you! I am still going to ask you to write again though!!! The more the better! If you wrote before, perhaps have the other party in your couple write this time — or just write again — either way — we really need you!!! Thank you so much — we are grateful for your help! Please write by December 8th, 2017!! Thank you so much! We are making headway in Palm Desert on the short-term rental issue. We brought one city councilor on our side and we just need one more. We are in full swing! City Council gets a package of letters just before each meeting. ! We need the to know that the support for short-term rentals has not disintegrated. We need to inundate City Council with letters again! Please. I am not asking any of you to write anything you don't feel comfortable with. Even if you just want to say that short-term rentals are good for the economy (with proper regulation, density restrictions and proper enforcement) — that would be great. I have a sample email below from a "visitor" perspective, but it's just a sample to draw from. Our biggest concern now is that the City is not grandfathering in existing permit -holders and allowing us to continue operating. That is where they have really gone overboard. The next city council meeting is December 14, 2017 — and we need to inundate them with letters this week (hopefully before the 8`h) so that they really start thinking about the risks of this ban. Here are the main points that we wish to emphasize: 1. If the ban goes into effect, short-term rental guests will no longer stay in Palm Desert — they will vacation elsewhere as it's the home and the location that they want. 2. Existing short-term rentals should be grandfathered in — unfair not to. Please write to all the email addresses below when you send your letter to City Hall! I'll get a copy that way. thank you! Tracey Sample email to city council below December 2, 2017 VIA EMAIL c:ityh,Il ityofpal mclesert_urj, kswartz@cityofpalniclesert:o! harlpain-rclesert@grnaiLcorn LAylaia_n„()CityufPalmDesert.ori, jharnik@cityofpalrndesert.org E;nestancie 'cit''oihalndesc'rt.o 1 sio jth<srruocityolv,rin'iciosert.or k!, ilylicit,rr�f��alrndr c:rt.or S4v0erc i)c ityofrial 11deser talk; rstendell@cityofpaItnciesert _ort', City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I understand that the City of Palm Desert voted 3-2 to ban any new short-term rentals in residential zones R1 and R2 immediately and to even disallow existing permitted short-term rentals in these two zones as of December 31, 2019. I am writing to inform the City Council that Palm Desert as a whole will suffer as a result of this short-sighted ban. I am particularly concerned that existing, permitted short-term rentals are not being grandfathered, as one would expect. If this ban goes into effect, I will not be visiting Palm Desert as a tourist in the future as I prefer to stay in homes near shopping and dining amenities, which is what drew me and my family to the El Paseo area. I do not wish to stay in hotels as they do not provide a large space for our extended family vacations. When I come to Palm Desert, we walk along El Paseo for breakfast, lunch and dinner at least 3-4 times per visit. We shop in the nearly clothing stores. We buy groceries nearby and we use various services. We spend thousands of dollars per trip between our accommodations, food and beverage, recreation and shopping. We will choose to stay elsewhere, perhaps in Palm Springs or Arizona where short-term rental homes are not prohibited. I know many other visitors to Palm Desert who stay in this neighborhood for the same reasons I do. It is what draws us and our tourist dollars to the area. I strongly believe that Palm Desert will suffer a sizable economic decline if this ban is put into place. It likely will be unable to recover from such a decline. I urge you to reject this ban as it will substantially reduce tourism in the area, which as you know is a critical component of the local economy. While I understand that the residential neighborhood around El Paseo accommodates long-term residents, it is a tourist destination where residents must expect a certain degree of visitor traffic. I suggest that the City of Palm Desert turn its attention to the enforcing noise by-laws across all of Palm Desert as noisy, disruptive people should be penalized for their behavior. Please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. Thank you for considering my position. Sincerely, Name Address Contact Information 2 Klassen, Rachelle From: Aylaian, Lauri Sent: Monday, December 04, 2017 8:56 AM To: Klassen, Rachelle Subject: FW: Potential ban on Short Term Rentals For your information and records. Lauri A. Lauri Aylaian City Manager Ph: 760.346.061 1 Direct: 760.776.6481 laylaian s cityofpalmdesert.org From: ashley moliere fmailto:amoliere26@email.coml Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2017 5:40 PM To: CityhallMail<Citvhall@citvofpalmdesert.org>; Swartz, Kevin <kswartz@citvofpalmdesert.ors>; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri<lavlaian@citvofpalmdesert.org>; Harnik, Jan <iharnik@citvofpalmdesert.org>; Nestande, Gina<gnestande@citvofpalmdesert.org>; Jonathan, Sabby <sionathan@citvofpalmdesert.org>; Kelly, Kathleen <kkelly@citvofpalmdesert.org>; Weber, Susan Marie <sweber@citvofpalmdesert.org>; Stendell, Ryan<rstendell@citvofpalmdesert.org> Cc: Tracey Jackson <Tracev@dunnawaviackson.com> Subject: re: Potential ban on Short Term Rentals City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: Citv Council Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance l am writing in regards to a recent City Council meeting in which members voted to ban any new short-term rentals as well as disallow existing permitted short-term rentals as of December 31, 2019. The fact that existing permitted short-term rentals are not being grandfathered is very short-sighted. 1 I strongly disagree with this ordinance as I believe it will diminish the tourism business in Palm Desert. If the members of City Council choose to pass this ordinance, I will no longer vacation in Palm Desert. Normally when I visit Palm Desert, I spend my money at local restaurants, grocery stores and shopping centres around El Paseo. If this ordinance passes, that money will be spent elsewhere. I urge you to think about the bigger picture and reject this ban because the long term implications will be destructive to the economy of the City of Palm Desert. I suggest instead to look into noise by-laws that will deter potential disruptive guests. Thank you for considering my position. Sincerely, Ashley Moliere 9890 Manchester Drive Burnaby, BC, Canada V3N4R4 Phone number: 778-233-0967 2 Klassen, Rachelle From: Aylaian, Lauri Sent: Monday, December 04, 2017 8:56 AM To: Klassen, Rachelle Subject: FW: Short Term Rental Ordinance For your information and records. Lauri A. Lauri Aylaian City Manager Ph: 760.346.0611 Direct: 760.776.6481 laylaian u cityofpalmdesert.org From: Doug Lang fmailto:douR@douelane.cal Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2017 11:12 PM To: CityhallMail<Citvhall@citvofoalmdesert.org>; Swartz, Kevin <kswartz@citvofoalmdesert.org>; shareoalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri<lavlaian@citvofoalmdesert.org>; Harnik, Jan <iharnik@citvofoalmdesert.org>; Nestande, Gina<gnestande@citvofoalmdesert.org>; Jonathan, Sabby <sionathan@citvofr almdesert.org>; Kelly, Kathleen <kkelly@citvofoalmdesert.org>; Weber, Susan Marie <sweber@citvofr almdesert.org>; Stendell, Ryan<rstendell@citvofoalmdesert.org> Subject: Short Term Rental Ordinance City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Via Email Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance We are disappointed to hear that that the City of Palm Desert voted 3-2 to ban any new short-term rentals in residential zones R1 and R2 immediately and to even disallow existing permitted short-term rentals in these two zones as of December 31, 2019. Please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. We believe there are many folks from Western Canada that particularly like to action in Palm desert and choose as we do to reside in a house rather than a hotel for obvious reasons. Thank you for considering my position. Regards, 1 Doug- dl Consulting Ltd. 801- 3355 Cypress Place West Vancouver, BC V7S 3J9 Canada Tel: 1-604-307-6404 This message attachment is intended only for the use of the individual person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged and confidential. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or the agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, your are hereby notified that any disclosing, copying, distributing or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this communication is prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone at 604-307-6404 (call collect) and return the original message to us via email. 2 Klassen, Rachelle From: Aylaian, Lauri Sent: Friday, December 01, 2017 4:44 PM To: Klassen, Rachelle Subject: FW: STR Ban: Letter from Joe Karas Attachments: STR Letter from Joe Karas.pdf For your information and records. Lauri Aylaian City Manager Ph: 760.346.0611 Direct: 760.776.6481 laylaian:� cilyofpalmdesert.org From: sharepalmdesert@Rmail.com fmailto:sharepalmdesert@smail.coml Sent: Friday, December 01, 2017 9:05 AM To: Aylaian, Lauri<lavlaian@citvofpalmdesert.org>; Harnik, Jan <iharnik@cityofpalmdesert.org>; Jonathan, Sabby <sionathan@citvofpalmdesert.org>; Kelly, Kathleen <kkellv@cityofpalmdesert.org>; Weber, Susan Marie <sweber@citvofpalmdesert.org>; Stendell, Ryan<rstendell@citvofpalmdesert.org>; Swartz, Kevin <kswartz@citvofoalmdesert.org> Cc: Joe Karas <Rracekaras@vahoo.com> Subject: STR Ban: Letter from Joe Karas Good afternoon, Please find attached a letter from Joe Karas regarding Short Term Rentals. 1 November 15, 2017 VIA EMAIL kswartz@citvofaalmdesert.orq City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: Kevin Swartz Dear Mr. Swartz: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance Mr. Swartz, I am property manager working in Palm Desert and Indian Wells primarily. I currently manage 7 Short Term Rental properties in Palm Desert. I have been doing this for 8 years. All of the owners for whom [manager properties are very responsible and take great pride in properly managing their homes. I personally greet every guest at all my STRs and I am on -call 24-hours/day to attend to any problems. I will go out at any time if I have to. I tell the guests the rules and I ensure that the group is who it is supposed to be. Once in a while there has been the occasional disruptive renter who slips through the cracks, but I have found that arises if ever, during the music festivals. Some of my STR owners have decided to discontinue renting to festival attendees to eliminate the risk of these disruptive renters. With my experience, I believe that the solution to some of the issues raised by the residents of south Palm Desert is stronger regulation and enforcement, not a total ban on STRs in zones RI and R2. We all live in a tourist area and we all depend on that tourist economy for our livelihood. To ban STRs in these zones will greatly affect the property values in those areas, affect the businesses along El Paseo and put many people like myself out of work. This is what I suggest to better control the Short Term Rentals so that STRs and full-time residents can co- exist harmoniously: 1. Eliminate the party house: a) Increasing the minimum stay to 3-5 nights would significantly reduce, if not eliminate the party house. Most STR Owners are compliant and do not want partiers and we know from experience that requiring a longer stay of 7 nights 2 will solve this problem. When renters stay for a week, they are not there to party. b) Establish a minimum age for renters. Most of my STR owners have a minimum age of 28 years. The young people are the problem renters and nobody wants problem renters. c) Decreasing the number of extra daytime guests to 2-4 instead of up to 6. d) Decrease the number of total persons permitted per house to 2 persons per bedroom to a maximum of 10-12 regardless of the size of the house (eg. Even if it is a 7 or 8 bedroom house, the maximum number is 12) with special allowances for small children. This would encourage families, which is who everybody wants to attract. e) Maintaining the higher penalties set out in the Ordinance. f) Disallowing outdoor music after 9pm for all neighbors on weekdays and lOpm on weekends - not just STRs. 2. Improve enforcement of the by-laws: a) Improve the presence of code compliance officers after-hours to patrol neighborhoods. This will ensure that an officer is available to deal with a complaint immediately. With the taxes collected, the city could pay for these enforcement services. b) Enable the code compliance officer to evict guests who breach the rules more than once per reservation. c) Fine the renter for by-law violations and enforce the fine against the homeowner - that way the homeowner will be sure io collect from the renter with some kind of a security deposit. 3. Maintain the residential neighborhood in a tourist community: Set a maximum number of STRs that are permitted in a neighborhood. Allow all existing STRs to continue. 4. Discourage unreasonable complaints: Some neighbors are just unreasonable and expect silence at all times, even during the daytime. There should be some kind of fine for the neighbor who complains unnecessarily. I am very concerned about the negative impact that this ban on STRs in zones R 1 and R2 will have on the Palm Desert economy and in particular, on the businesses on El Paseo. I meet and talk to all the renters every day. They are typically extended families with grandparents, parents and grandchildren. They are going to El Paseo and spending money shopping, dining and on services. They come to south Palm Desert because they can walk to El Paseo or take a short drive. They will go to Palm Springs if they can no longer rent houses in south Palm Desert. Instead of spending their money supporting the local businesses along El Paseo, they will spend in Palm Springs. Palm Desert used to be dead outside of the "season". Now, thanks to STRs, El Paseo is still active and vibrant in the spring, summer and fall as renters come for a week or so for a quick and 2 relaxing vacation. Once again, with the STRs gone in south Palm Desert, vacationers will go to Palm Springs instead for their summer vacations. I am also concerned that small business operators such as property managers like myself, cleaners, pool maintenance crews etc. will be out of work with this ban. STR property owners spend way more money and time ensuring that their properties are painted and beautiful than do the full-time residents. Tradespeople will suffer without these STRs. We need to keep these 276 STRs to keep people from the desert employed. I attended many of the meetings and even spoke at City Hall in Indian Wells when that city was considering banning STRs. Indian Wells initially did so, but eventually lifted the ban in September 2017 as they stated that their increased regulations had eliminated the party house problem. Palm Desert should also improve the regulations instead of implementing a ban in any areas. Please pass on my email to City Council. Given my years of experience with STRs, I would like an opportunity to speak to City Council on November 16, 2017 as I fear that the City is going to make a big mistake if they proceed with this ban. Please forward my request to speak to City Council and please advise me as to their response. Thank you. Joe Karas, 44 A 7' Property Manager 41865 Moneaque Road Bermuda Dunes, CA 92203 (760) 574-4497 Swartz, Kevin From: Gail <gail@embertonlaw.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2017 11:27 AM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com Subject: Ban on all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 Zones From: Gail Sage fmailto:Qailsaae(aicloud.coml Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 11:57 AM To: QailCaembertonlaw.com Subject: Fwd: Hi there To whom it may concern: I vacation in Palm Desert and am dismayed that City Council has voted to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. We like to rent private homes while on vacation as it is more suitable to us than a plain old hotel room. If we can no longer rent a home then we will be forced to vacation somewhere else where we can vacation the way we want. But we love your city and want to continue spending our hard earned money with your businesses! Please reconsider and allow short term rentals to continue. Gail Sage gailsagePicloud.com 1 Swartz, Kevin From: Randi Jones <randijonesl0@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2017 10:15 AM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Cc: Randi Business; Nicole Zambon Subject: STR - a reasonable solution Hello all: I'm sure you've heard every argument pro and con by now, so I'll be brief. I bought a home in Silver Spur Ranch in 2015 because I love the valley and I particularly love Palm Desert. I did research for 2 years and I have a limited budget but I hope to retire to my Palm Desert home in about 10 years. When I made my decision, I was relying on my right to do STR. In my case, I spent a little over $105,000 improving the inside and outside of my home. I try to be a good neighbor and I prominently post the Palm Desert "Good Neighbor" brochure in my marketing. My local property manager has high standards and carefully screens renters because we care. I understand that there have been renters who violate the laws for noise and parking. I fully support the enforcement of all laws to allow homeowners the enjoyment of their home. And those laws should be enforced against STR and long term renters as well as disrespectful homeowners. If the community has changed and we now want to eliminate STR, I propose that current, tax -paying holders of licenses be grandfathered in to R-1 and R-3 areas. If they can't control their clients and get violations, then they can lose their license. The number of licenses will fall thru attrition, with the offenders being the first to go. Sales and death will eventually reduce the rest. Also, please consider allowing 7 days rentals in the summer. We need more business in our stores and restaurants in the off season and allowing 7 day rentals in R-1 areas during those times will help the economy. Let's meet the needs of full time residents but allow us good homeowners who rely on STR to continue beyond 2019 is a more controlled manner. Thank you for considering my suggestions. Randi Jones 73586 Siesta Trail 303-522-5051 1 November 24, 2017 VIA EMAIL (kswartz( citvofoalmdesert.ora) City of Palm Desert 73 — 510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: Kevin Swartz Dear Sir: Re: SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE I write in response to the proposed ban on short term rentals on Palm Desert homes situated in the area surrounding the El Paseo shopping district. I am strongly opposed to that ban and believe that short term rentals are in interest of Palm Desert and all home owners and residents there. I have rented homes in the affected area on several occasions. I typically stay for an extended weekend of approximately 5 days and I typically travel and stay with a group of family and friends. I am a 41 year old lawyer working in Vancouver, Canada and my travel companions are also professionals of similar ages and from the same geographic area. We have traveled to the area at all times of year including the summertime. In fact, I had a group of 10 people celebrate my 40th birthday there in August 2016. We have selected homes in the El Paseo area because we find the area extremely amenable to our lifestyle. We enjoy working out at the Orange Theory on El Paseo and most of us do so almost every morning during our stays in Palm Desert. We enjoy dinners at places like Tommy Bahamas, Sullivan's, and Mastros. We always spend a couple of afternoons shopping at the boutiques on El Paseo. We like that we can walk to restaurants and to our workouts. We also enjoy the climate and having a private pool and home which provides serenity and relaxation that a hotel cannot offer. We spend hours each day by the pool. We are not a group that has late -night parties. After our morning workouts, shopping, hours in the sun and a nice dinner with some wine we're rarely up past 10pm. If the ban on short term rentals passes, I highly doubt I will continue to return to the Palm Desert area for a number of reasons. I consider traveling to Palm Desert "short haul" travel which I only do for short mini -vacations. I have limited time off as a self-employed professional and if I have longer time away from work I tend to travel intemationally. 1 like to have urban amenities nearby on these short mini -vacations as maintaining an exercise routine is important to me and I spend much of this unstructured time shopping and enjoying the restaurants. As I enjoy wine when I dine, I don't drive and like to be in walking distance. I'm not interested in spending time in cabs and ubers when I'm relaxing on a short vacation. I also enjoy warm weather being from a cooler, rainier climate. The rental homes in the affected area have fully met my travel interests for trips between 4 and 7 days. As such, if the travel ban passes going forward I expect that my travel group and 1 will be looking for a new place to go that provides a similar experience and won't return to Palm Desert. Henceforth I expect that I will instead choose to go to Scottsdale, Arizona where private 1 homes remain available for these kinds of vacations. If other like-minded people do the same, I fully expect that the businesses on El Paseo will suffer which will affect all residents of and travelers to Palm Desert and not just people in this specific area. I truly hope that the council will reconsider the ban on short terms rentals to the El Paseo district. On a personal level, I have enjoyed my time there and would like to come back. On a broader level, I fully expect that the lost revenues to the city will affect all residents and businesses on a large s, le which cannot possibly be in in the interest of the city. Sincerely; lison, • uellet 5 - 2088 West 11 w Avenue, Vancouver BC V6J 2C9 604-790-3490 2 November 27, 2017 Mayor Jan Harnik — City of Palm Desert Dear Ms. Harnik, With regard to the November 16 Palm Desert City Council's 3 to 2 vote in favor of retaining the short-term rental ban effective the middle or end of 2019, we would like to respond. Unfortunately, we were unable to stay for the entire meeting, but watched it via streaming video on the City's website. We felt that both sides had very valid arguments. While we are definitely in support of stricter enforcement of the city codes regarding Short -Term Rental, we do feel that it is unfair to penalize those of us in the R-1 and R-2 Zones who rent our homes responsibly and abide by the law. As mentioned in previous correspondence, we were completely taken by surprise by this ban. During the course of dialogue at the February 23 city council meeting (which we attended), the city council had commented that the word "ban" had been used quite a lot, but that no one is talking about a ban (page 20 of the meeting minutes). In terms of how this affects us personally, however, this IS a ban (our home is in an R-2 neighborhood). Earlier this year we had qualified for an exemption to the STR permit moratorium on the basis that we had committed approximately $59,000 in STR-related upgrades before the moratorium was announced. We were granted the permit upon showing proof of these expenditures. With the no ban assurance from the city council, we spent an additional $15,000 to complete our STR-related upgrades. Had we known that such a ban would eventually be considered, we would not have spent those funds. We respectfully ask that the city council put itself in our shoes for a moment and see things from our point of view. We are operating legally with a permit and in full accordance with the law (we understand that an estimated 2 out of 3 STRs in Palm Desert are not even permitted). We have paid our TOT consistently, and we have not had any complaints. As stated in our Nov. 7 2017 letter, this is our retirement home. We live on a fixed income, and we rely on the STR income we receive when we ourselves are not using our retirement home to make it affordable. We cannot afford our home otherwise, and may be forced to sell it to recover the funds (approximately $75,000) which pulled from our retirement savings to pay for these upgrades. In Section 5.10.070 of the proposed draft ordinance, exemptions to the ban may be permitted based on unconstitutional takings. We ask that the city council expand these exceptions to include those permitted properties that 1.) can prove expenditures were made specifically related to STR (as was done for moratorium exemptions), 2.) have been operating in full compliance of law (including payment of all transient occupancy taxes), and 3.) have not had any complaints from the neighbors. We propose that these exceptions be granted with the further provision that permits not be granted upon sale of the house, or if the permit is not renewed. This seems like a fair compromise for us, and for others like us who have been following the law and who may be in a similarly impacted financially should this ban be imposed as it is currently written. Sincerely, Douglas P. Bouche dpbouche@gmail.com (858) 822-8708 Diane L. Bouche dbouche89@gmail.com (858) 822-8710 Swartz, Kevin From: Ronald Olson <olsonronaldg@hotmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 8:45 AM To: sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Cc: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin Subject: Short Term Rental Ordinance November 28 , 2017 VIA EMAIL citvhalI(F)citvofpalnridesert.ora; ik,,,,vartz(n)(11 olpaIrnrie:,crt.or; C.itvo Palin )esert.ori,, gnestande@citvofpalmdesert.org pmath<an;arcitvofpalrndesert A:_eber; ilyr) pahhn(iesert.or: City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Members Dear Honourable Mayor Harnik, Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan and Honourable City Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I write to express my support for Short Term Rentals throughout the City of Palm Desert, in every neighborhood, not just in planned residential communities. STRs have revived the City of Palm Desert and keep the economy going year-round. Palm Desert has beautiful neighborhoods again which were dilapidated during the recession. If there are problems with noise and parking, then what is required is simply better regulation and better enforcement. The goal is to eliminate the renters who are here to party, not to turn away the great renters who come to Palm Desert because they love our neighborhood. These visitors i spend their money in the city of Palm Desert and sustain local businesses. I am greatly concerned for the property values in the R1 and R2 zones if this ban goes into effect. In the current economic climate, people want the flexibility to be able to rent out their homes for short periods of a week or so to supplement their incomes or to cover their costs. If they do not have this opportunity, they will purchase elsewhere, thereby decreasing property values. Allowing 28-day rentals is not a solution because visitors do not rent for 28 days these days. Families travel for one to two weeks and do not negatively impact the neighborhood. This ordinance is contrary to the best interest of all of Palm Desert and I strongly urge the City Council to reject it on second reading. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Ronald G. Olson olsonronaldg©hotmail.com 523 Mesquite Hills Palm Desert, CA 92260 760-674-4721 2 Swartz, Kevin From: Moliere, Toni <Toni.Moliere@fortisbc.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 9:14 AM To: Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan; Swartz, Kevin Subject: Short Term Rentals City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Members Dear Honourable Mayor Harnik, Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan and Honourable City Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I am writing in support of Short Term rentals everywhere in the City of Palm Desert, not just chosen planned residential communities. During the recession many of the beautiful Palm Desert neighbourhoods were dilapidated and I truly believe that short term rentals have revived the City and have kept the economy going year round. If the issue is with parking and noise complaints the City should be regulating and addressing these issues with higher fines and better enforcement instead of coming up with a solution of a complete ban. I love Palm desert and I love being able come down with my family and relax in an area that is within walking distance to El Paseo where we can go out for dinners and spend our money in the shops. If your ban goes through in R1 and R2 zones this option will no longer be available to people such as myself. Allowing 28 day rentals is not a solution because your average family vacations will only come for a week or two at the most. The ordinance that you are trying to pass is not in the best interest of the City of Palm Desert and I urge City Council to reject it on the second reading. Thanks you for your consideration Sincerely, Antoinette Moliere i tmoliere8@yahoo.ca 9890 Manchester Drive. Burnaby BC, Canada 16047879864 . reach.,c n•,i!noi .etl ,ef.st:nLibv: ;t i nr'.;�;C 1C•705 I r'i`'a'l Hupp:4:y �, r.if,:, %4' :! .,�. •P _,�! ,E 'Col r;HI unsubscribe !Kw; , .rm.:rs f :'; I rr,h L'l �_rn.ail r.1 unsubscribe a2fortisbc.com i rn!L,r;• FYI. .. r or'is., t f F,tirt•sriC AiterrdLv;r f_I;er__fy 1' is iu,-r contain om;rd?niral m<+te,ial thf- scdr use of the ❑Monde,, ra< perlisf Any rev/tr.v use drslnbution or disclosure :)y o.rwn., I<, r oo,rS rna ;accept Landlty fur ally' errors or ormssions .vn,;,I an;e as a :Fault of e mad transmisIon If you are not the u,l�ndfti� .:fir: r. a.,� ; �1,r�1 d.r: ,••,n.1er ;ne,,-2d,3tely :Ind delete all copses of the message r nIuding removal from year I'rud di lye you 2 Swartz, Kevin From: Aylaian, Lauri Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 1:32 PM To: Klassen, Rachelle; Swartz, Kevin Subject: FW: R-1 and R-2 Zones Councilmembers, I believe that this email message was addressed to you, but sent to me. I am forwarding it to you for your information and records in case the sender did not blind copy you on it. Lauri A. Lauri Aylaian City Manager Ph: 760.346.0611 Direct: 760.776.6481 laylaian@cityofpalmdesert.org From: Kathy Laynes fmailto:klavnes20@gmail.coml Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 12:19 PM To: Aylaian, Lauri<laylaianPcitvofoalmdesert.org> Subject: R-1 and R-2 Zones Good afternoon I am writing as a Palm Desert vacationer in the hopes that you will reconsider the decision to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. We have been renting a home in Palm Desert for several years and are responsible guests. We do not make noise or in any way annoy the neighbours. Without the ability to rent this home (77271 Ohio Circle) we would find it much more expensive to vacation in your city and would likely opt to go elsewhere. We love Palm Desert and we support the local businesses. Please consider removing the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Kind regards, Kathy Laynes 10043 Imperial Street Chilliwack, BC V2P 7N8 Canada 604.793.8250 t Swartz, Kevin From: Debra Vogler <debravogler@me.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 4:05 PM To: Kelly, Kathleen; Swartz, Kevin Subject: Inputs re: short-term rentals Dear Councilwoman Kelly/Mr. Swartz: My name is Debra Vogler and I am a full-time resident and homeowner in Palm Desert. am against short-term rentals in R-1 and R-2 zoned areas. First, I will address the economic issues. If the City Council is serious about growing the economy in the Coachella Valley area and increasing the value of people's homes, small businesses and resort properties, then it should work more closely with CVEP to get our infrastructure ready for high-tech companies, and then get to work bringing them here. This area couldn't compete for the Amazon bid because it doesn't have the infrastructure required to support it. Bill Gates recently announced an $80Mn investment to build a smart city in the Arizona desert. In 2015 there was a $1 Bn investment by Pegasus Global Holdings to build a testing ground for smart cities in the New Mexico desert near White Sands. Where is the investment to bring in high-tech companies that are the true growth engines and wealth generators of the U.S. economy, and indeed, worldwide? This region not only has a golden opportunity to become a tech hub, but it has an advantage: the benefit of hindsight. The leaders here can avoid the pitfalls that can come from too rapid growth. When you attract high-tech investment to the area, you bring in young people who will be earning high salaries. They are eager to either begin or continue their careers and they will not care that it's over a 100 degrees in the summer. Furthermore, they serve as living, breathing examples to the young people who grew up here as to what kinds of careers are possible when you don't have an economy solely dependent on the hospitality industry. The high-tech workers will have plenty of discretionary money to spend in the local stores and restaurants. And one thing high-tech workers do is hold lots of conferences that draw professionals from around the world, so those who own resorts and hotels will be very happy indeed. Just once, I would like to be able to walk up and down El Paseo and see every single store front occupied with a booming business open 6-7 days a week and not closed in the summer. When that happens, I will know the local economy is healthy and vibrant. Now, onto short-term rentals. Party houses masquerading as single-family homes do not belong in residential neighborhoods where homeowners expect to have peace and quiet. Additionally, taxpayer money — property taxes, local taxes, fees, and the like — should not be used to support a specific business segment, such as short-term rental businesses, to the detriment of others. Other home businesses (e.g., consulting, writing) do not add to the burden of extra police enforcement and do not need intensive or extensive code compliance monitoring interactions. Those who run short-term rental businesses should be charged a transient accommodations excise tax sufficient to enable the city to hire the requisite number of full-time code compliance officers. This expense should be seen as a cost of doing business, and therefore, borne solely by the short-term business owners. And residents who use their own funds to correct or mitigate issues arising because t of short-term rental disturbances should be reimbursed from a fund that uses fees and taxes paid by short-term renters or landlords. Thank you for your time and consideration of these inputs. Sincerely, Debra Vogler 73080 Shadow Mountain Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 2 Swartz, Kevin From: Mark Freeman <markfree@gorge.net> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 10:44 AM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin Subject: [SPAM] - Fwd: Short term rentals I sent this Email on November loth. My wife and I have definitely decided to sell our house if short term rentals are banned. I want to emphasize that our short term rental is in above average shape. Most all of them are. Our problem $$$ we cannot afford to retire and keep this house if we cannot rent it out short term. Yes, we will be losing money. Taking away short term rentals will drop the value of our house. It immediately raises the house prices in LaQuinta, and other areas not affected by the ban. They are priced out our range....Goodbye Palm Desert, Palm Desert Country Club and our awesome house. Thank you city of Palm Desert for ruining our retirement .....We will not be staying California Begin forwarded message: From: Mark Freeman <markfree@gorge.net> Subject: Short term rentals Date: November 10, 2017 at 8:39:44 AM PST To: cityhall @cityofpalmdesert.orq, kswartz@citvofPalmDesert.orq About 4 years ago, my wife and I discovered Palm Desert and the beautiful Palm Desert Country Club. We were shopping for a future retirement home and we were fortunate to find it on California Dr. on the 5th green of PDCC. We live here part of the year and rent it out through PD Vacation Rentals by Adi Gross. We rely on this income to help pay the mortgage until we fully retire in 4 years. We have had no problems or complaints regarding our guests. Our guests tend to return every year and book well in advance. Banning short term rentals discriminates against us seniors trying to retire here. Compliance is the answer. Please don't let a small group of Paseo seniors push this through! If short term rentals are banned, we would need to sell our dream.... and retire elsewhere. Our Gardener, Pool Technician, and Maintenance People depend on these short term rentals and cannot afford to have their small business impacted. Sincerely, Mark & Shari Freeman The Dalles Oregon, and Palm Desert CA i Swartz, Kevin From: Kelley Eling <Kelley.Eling@Comcast.net> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 8:05 AM To: Kelly, Kathleen; Jonathan, Sabby; Swartz, Kevin; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina Subject: [SPAM] - RE: Short-term Rentals Good Morning Council Members, I thought you might like to know that all my buyers have either eliminated Palm Desert from their home search and have moved their interest to La Quinta or Rancho Mirage. OR they have eliminated Coachella Valley altogether. If the goal was to drive home buyers out of Palm Desert, you're doing a great job. This past weekend I was out previewing properties for clients in La Quinta and catching up on the inventory in Palm Desert. Everywhere I went in Palm Desert, I was the only person looking at the property. The ONLY one. The listing agents weren't even bothering to hold open houses. In La Quinta it was a totally different story —every place was packed with agents and buyers. Every single one. I am showing property in La Quinta and Rancho Mirage today. But not Palm Desert. Even though Palm Desert is where they prefer to buy they are avoiding it because they don't have the option of short term rentals. I could be selling 77545 Robin Road in Palm Desert for $1.2M today. Instead we're heading out to La Quinta and Rancho Mirage. It's important to note that the prices are higher at the homes we are viewing in La Quinta and Rancho Mirage --because buyers have an option for short term rentals. And buyers are willing to pay more for that option. You don't seem to understand that full time residents are a small fraction of buying public here in Palm Desert. Even then most of them would like the option to rent their homes on a short term basis. I hope you reconsider the proposed ban and enforce the existing rules. If you enforced the rules on the bad apples then the offended neighbors wouldn't have anything to be offended about. Plus, as we all know, a ban will only drive homeowners to do short term rentals under the radar, depriving the City of a lot of TOT dollars. Appeasing a few neighbors in ONE neighborhood doesn't make any sense to the City as a whole, including all the homeowners, property managers, their service providers AND real estate agents like myself. With the proposed ban everyone loses. Kelley From: Kelley Eling [mailto:Kelley.Eling@Comcast.net] Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2017 11:21 AM To: 'kkelly@cityofpalmdesert.org' <kkelly@cityofpalmdesert.org> Subject: RE: Short-term Rentals Unlike some agents, I tell the truth. Many of my clients were on hold because of the moratorium. Now they simply aren't interested in Palm Desert and many are not interested in Coachella Valley at all anymore. It's very short-sighted to eliminate this for everyone rather than going after only the offending property owners. 1 People don't want to stay in hotels and condos. They want a house with a private pool. There are people outside California that have never been in a private pool before. Kelley From: kkelly@cityofpalmdesert.org [mailto:kkelly@citvofpalmdesert.org] Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2017 11:13 AM To: Kellev.Eling@Comcast.net Subject: RE: Short-term Rentals Please stay in touch. I do appreciate the input based on your experience. Kathleen Kelly Councilwoman Ph: 760.346.0611 Direct: 760.776.6316 kkelly@cityofpalmdesert.org From: Kelley Eling imailto:Kellev.Elina(aComcast.net1 Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2017 11:12 AM To: Kelly, Kathleen Subject: RE: Short-term Rentals Hi Kathleen, Thank you for your reply. Times have changed. The cost of living has increased and wages have not. Every single buyer that WAS interested is not interested any longer. Not in Palm Desert. Kelley From: kkellv(c@citvofoalmdesert.org [mailto:kkelly@citvofpalmdesert.org] Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2017 11:04 AM To: Kellev.Eling@Comcast.net Subject: Short-term Rentals Dear Ms. Eling: Thank you for taking the time to give your input on this very important issue. There was certainly a time when the ability to rent homes for 30 days or more was adequate to enable part-time residents to pencil out purchases. As time goes by, I will be interested to see how your experiences with prospective buyers evolve. Sincerely, Kathleen Kelly Councilwoman Ph: 760.346.0611 Direct: 760.776.6316 kkelly@cityofpalmdesert.org 2 73-510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260-2578 www,cityofpalmdesert,org 3 Swartz, Kevin From: Aylaian, Lauri Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 11:48 AM To: Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Weber, Susan Marie Cc: Klassen, Rachelle; Swartz, Kevin; Stendell, Ryan Subject: FW: Short Term Rentals Councilmembers, This email message was addressed to you, but sent to me. I am forwarding it to you for your information and records in case the sender did not blind copy you on it. Lauri A. Lauri Aylaian City Manager Ph: 760.346.0611 Direct: 760.776.6481 laylaian@cityofpalmdesert.org From: joe lepre fmailto:ioeleore@hotmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 9:53 AM To: Aylaian, Lauri <Iaylaian@citvofpalmdesert.org> Subject: Short Term Rentals City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Members Dear Honourable Mayor Harnik, Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan and Honourable City Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I write to express my support for Short Term Rentals throughout the City of Palm Desert, in every neighborhood, not just in planned residential communities. STRs have revived the City of Palm Desert and keep the economy going year-round. Palm Desert has beautiful neighborhoods again which were dilapidated during the recession. If there are problems with noise and parking, then what is required is simply better regulation and better enforcement. The goal is to eliminate the renters who are here to party, not to turn away the great renters who come to Palm Desert because they love our neighborhood. These visitors spend their money in the city of Palm Desert and sustain local i businesses. I am greatly concerned for the property values in the R1 and R2 zones if this ban goes into effect. In the current economic climate, people want the flexibility to be able to rent out their homes for short periods of a week or so to supplement their incomes or to cover their costs. If they do not have this opportunity, they will purchase elsewhere, thereby decreasing property values. Allowing 28-day rentals is not a solution because visitors do not rent for 28 days these days. Families travel for one to two weeks and do not negatively impact the neighborhood. This ordinance is contrary to the best interest of all of Palm Desert and I strongly urge the City Council to reject it on second reading. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Joe Lepre Brooklin, Ontario Canada joelepre[@hotmail.com 2 Swartz, Kevin From: Kathy Laynes <klaynes20@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 12:19 PM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: R-1 and R-2 Zones Good afternoon, I am writing as a Palm Desert vacationer in the hopes that you will reconsider the decision to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. We have been renting a home in Palm Desert for several years and are responsible guests. We do not make noise or in any way annoy the neighbours. Without the ability to rent this home (77271 Ohio Circle) we would find it much more expensive to vacation in your city and would likely opt to go elsewhere. We love Palm Desert and we support the local businesses. Please consider removing the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Kind regards, Kathy Laynes 10043 imperial Street Chilliwack, BC V2P 7N8 Canada 604.793.8250 i Swartz, Kevin From: joe lepre <joelepre@hotmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 9:50 AM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: Short Term Rentals City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Members Dear Honourable Mayor Harnik, Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan and Honourable City Council Members Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I write to express my support for Short Term Rentals throughout the City of Palm Desert, in every neighborhood, not just in planned residential communities. STRs have revived the City of Palm Desert and keep the economy going year-round. Palm Desert has beautiful neighborhoods again which were dilapidated during the recession. If there are problems with noise and parking, then what is required is simply better regulation and better enforcement. The goal is to eliminate the renters who are here to party, not to turn away the great renters who come to Palm Desert because they love our neighborhood. These visitors spend their money in the city of Palm Desert and sustain local businesses. I am greatly concerned for the property values in the R1 and R2 zones if this ban goes into effect. In the current economic climate, people want the flexibility to be able to rent out their homes for short periods of a week or so to supplement their incomes or to cover their costs. If they do not have this opportunity, they will purchase elsewhere, thereby decreasing property values. Allowing 28-day rentals is not a solution because visitors do not rent for 28 days these days. Families travel for one to two weeks and do not negatively impact the neighborhood. This ordinance is contrary to the best interest of all of Palm Desert and I strongly urge the City Council to reject it on second reading. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely. Joe Lepre Brooklin Ontario, Canada i loelepre@hotmail.com 2 Swartz, Kevin From: joe lepre <joelepre@hotmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 9:50 AM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: Short Term Rentals City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Members Dear Honourable Mayor Harnik, Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan and Honourable City Council Members Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I write to express my support for Short Term Rentals throughout the City of Palm Desert, in every neighborhood, not just in planned residential communities. STRs have revived the City of Palm Desert and keep the economy going year-round. Palm Desert has beautiful neighborhoods again which were dilapidated during the recession. If there are problems with noise and parking, then what is required is simply better regulation and better enforcement. The goal is to eliminate the renters who are here to party, not to turn away the great renters who come to Palm Desert because they love our neighborhood. These visitors spend their money in the city of Palm Desert and sustain local businesses. I am greatly concerned for the property values in the R1 and R2 zones if this ban goes into effect. In the current economic climate, people want the flexibility to be able to rent out their homes for short periods of a week or so to supplement their incomes or to cover their costs. If they do not have this opportunity, they will purchase elsewhere, thereby decreasing property values. Allowing 28-day rentals is not a solution because visitors do not rent for 28 days these days. Families travel for one to two weeks and do not negatively impact the neighborhood. This ordinance is contrary to the best interest of all of Palm Desert and I strongly urge the City Council to reject it on second reading. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Joe Lepre Brooklin Ontario, Canada i Joelepre@hotmail.com 2 Swartz, Kevin From: Kelley Eling <Kelley.Eling@Comcast.net> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 8:05 AM To: Kelly, Kathleen; Jonathan, Sabby; Swartz, Kevin; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina Subject: [SPAM] - RE: Short-term Rentals Good Morning Council Members, I thought you might like to know that all my buyers have either eliminated Palm Desert from their home search and have moved their interest to La Quinta or Rancho Mirage. OR they have eliminated Coachella Valley altogether. If the goal was to drive home buyers out of Palm Desert, you're doing a great job. This past weekend I was out previewing properties for clients in La Quinta and catching up on the inventory in Palm Desert. Everywhere I went in Palm Desert, I was the only person looking at the property. The ONLY one. The listing agents weren't even bothering to hold open houses. In La Quinta it was a totally different story —every place was packed with agents and buyers. Every single one. I am showing property in La Quinta and Rancho Mirage today. But not Palm Desert. Even though Palm Desert is where they prefer to buy they are avoiding it because they don't have the option of short term rentals. I could be selling 77545 Robin Road in Palm Desert for $1.2M today. Instead we're heading out to La Quinta and Rancho Mirage. It's important to note that the prices are higher at the homes we are viewing in La Quinta and Rancho Mirage --because buyers have an option for short term rentals. And buyers are willing to pay more for that option. You don't seem to understand that full time residents are a small fraction of buying public here in Palm Desert. Even then most of them would like the option to rent their homes on a short term basis. I hope you reconsider the proposed ban and enforce the existing rules. If you enforced the rules on the bad apples then the offended neighbors wouldn't have anything to be offended about. Plus, as we all know, a ban will only drive homeowners to do short term rentals under the radar, depriving the City of a lot of TOT dollars. Appeasing a few neighbors in ONE neighborhood doesn't make any sense to the City as a whole, including all the homeowners, property managers, their service providers AND real estate agents like myself. With the proposed ban everyone loses. Kelley From: Kelley Eling[mailto:Kelley.Eling@Comcast.net] Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2017 11:21 AM To: 'kkelly@cityofpalmdesert.org' <kkelly@cityofpalmdesert.org> Subject: RE: Short-term Rentals Unlike some agents, I tell the truth. Many of my clients were on hold because of the moratorium. Now they simply aren't interested in Palm Desert and many are not interested in Coachella Valley at all anymore. It's very short-sighted to eliminate this for everyone rather than going after only the offending property owners. 1 People don't want to stay in hotels and condos. They want a house with a private pool. There are people outside California that have never been in a private pool before. Kelley From: kkelly@citvofpalmdesert.org fmailto:kkelly@citvofpalmdesert.orgl Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2017 11:13 AM To: Kellev.Eling@Comcast.net Subject: RE: Short-term Rentals Please stay in touch. I do appreciate the input based on your experience. Kathleen Kelly Councilwoman Ph: 760.346.0611 Direct: 760.776.6316 kkelly@cityofpalmdesert.org From: Kelley Eling fmailto:Kellev.Elina@ Comcast.netl Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2017 11:12 AM To: Kelly, Kathleen Subject: RE: Short-term Rentals Hi Kathleen, Thank you for your reply. Times have changed. The cost of living has increased and wages have not. Every single buyer that WAS interested is not interested any longer. Not in Palm Desert. Kelley From: kkelly@citvofpalmdesert.org fmailto:kkelly@citvofoalmdesert.org) Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2017 11:04 AM To: Kellev.Eling@Comcast.net Subject: Short-term Rentals Dear Ms. Eling: Thank you for taking the time to give your input on this very important issue. There was certainly a time when the ability to rent homes for 30 days or more was adequate to enable part-time residents to pencil out purchases. As time goes by, I will be interested to see how your experiences with prospective buyers evolve. Sincerely, Kathleen Kelly Councilwoman Ph: 760.346.0611 Direct: 760.776.6316 kkelly@cityofpalmdesert.org 2 73-510 Fred Waring Drive. Pdm Desert, CA 92260-2578 www,cityofpalmdesert.org 3 November 27, 2017 Mayor Jan Harnik — City of Palm Desert Dear Ms. Harnik, With regard to the November 16 Palm Desert City Council's 3 to 2 vote in favor of retaining the short-term rental ban effective the middle or end of 2019, we would like to respond. Unfortunately, we were unable to stay for the entire meeting, but watched it via streaming video on the City's website. We felt that both sides had very valid arguments. While we are definitely in support of stricter enforcement of the city codes regarding Short -Term Rental, we do feel that it is unfair to penalize those of us in the R-1 and R-2 Zones who rent our homes responsibly and abide by the law. As mentioned in previous correspondence, we were completely taken by surprise by this ban. During the course of dialogue at the February 23 city council meeting (which we attended), the city council had commented that the word "ban" had been used quite a lot, but that no one is talking about a ban (page 20 of the meeting minutes). In terms of how this affects us personally, however, this IS a ban (our home is in an R-2 neighborhood). Earlier this year we had qualified for an exemption to the STR permit moratorium on the basis that we had committed approximately $59,000 in STR-related upgrades before the moratorium was announced. We were granted the permit upon showing proof of these expenditures. With the no ban assurance from the city council, we spent an additional $15,000 to complete our STR-related upgrades. Had we known that such a ban would eventually be considered, we would not have spent those funds. We respectfully ask that the city council put itself in our shoes for a moment and see things from our point of view. We are operating legally with a permit and in full accordance with the law (we understand that an estimated 2 out of 3 STRs in Palm Desert are not even permitted). We have paid our TOT consistently, and we have not had any complaints. As stated in our Nov. 7 2017 letter, this is our retirement home. We live on a fixed income, and we rely on the STR income we receive when we ourselves are not using our retirement home to make it affordable. We cannot afford our home otherwise, and may be forced to sell it to recover the funds (approximately $75,000) which pulled from our retirement savings to pay for these upgrades. In Section 5.10.070 of the proposed draft ordinance, exemptions to the ban may be permitted based on unconstitutional takings. We ask that the city council expand these exceptions to include those permitted properties that 1.) can prove expenditures were made specifically related to STR (as was done for moratorium exemptions), 2.) have been operating in full compliance of law (including payment of all transient occupancy taxes), and 3.) have not had any complaints from the neighbors. We propose that these exceptions be granted with the further provision that permits not be granted upon sale of the house, or if the permit is not renewed. This seems like a fair compromise for us, and for others like us who have been following the law and who may be in a similarly impacted financially should this ban be imposed as it is currently written. Sincerely, Douglas P. Bouche dpbouche@gmail.com (858) 822-8708 Diane L. Bouche dbouche89@gmail.com (858) 822-8710 I have vacationed in your city on three occasions, spending over $1000 each time. If you pass this ban I will be vacationing else where and you will louse mine and many other tax contributions to your budget. Think of the unintended consequences. Bill Baker 8 Vista La Cuesta, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 Swartz, Kevin From: Ronald Olson <olsonronaldg@hotmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 8:45 AM To: sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Cc: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin Subject: Short Term Rental Ordinance November 28 , 2017 VIA EMAIL t j 1 r i.0 1•;rr.�[�.I•;�;I�f t gnestande@citvofpalmdesert.org uti 3th .y.rff),:ilfticlt• rt ( I'.F.t'ii'•J((+''` 4�v.)��s,tllliLiC",�:I'.'1; I� City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Members Dear Honourable Mayor Harnik, Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan and Honourable City Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I write to express my support for Short Term Rentals throughout the City of Palm Desert, in every neighborhood, not just in planned residential communities. STRs have revived the City of Palm Desert and keep the economy going year-round. Palm Desert has beautiful neighborhoods again which were dilapidated during the recession. If there are problems with noise and parking, then what is required is simply better regulation and better enforcement. The goal is to eliminate the renters who are here to party, not to turn away the great renters who come to Palm Desert because they love our neighborhood. These visitors spend their money in the city of Palm Desert and sustain local businesses. I am greatly concerned for the property values in the R1 and R2 zones if this ban goes into effect. In the current economic climate, people want the flexibility to be able to rent out their homes for short periods of a week or so to supplement their incomes or to cover their costs. If they do not have this opportunity, they will purchase elsewhere, thereby decreasing property values. Allowing 28-day rentals is not a solution because visitors do not rent for 28 days these days. Families travel for one to two weeks and do not negatively impact the neighborhood. This ordinance is contrary to the best interest of all of Palm Desert and I strongly urge the City Council to reject it on second reading. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Ronald G. Olson olsonronaldg©hotmail.com 523 Mesquite Hills Palm Desert, CA 92260 760-674-4721 2 76540 CALIFORNIA DR, PALM DESERT 77085 INDIANA AVE, PALM DESERT 77115 INDIANA AVE, PALM DESERT 77105 INDIANA AVE, PALM DESERT 42815 WARNER TRL, PALM DESERT 77320 CALIFORNIA DR, PALM DESERT CONV:171020170835190623 CONV:171020170723109475 CONV:171020170725110282 CONV:171020170836191249 CONV:171020170726110926 CONV:171020170726110650 PALM DESERT RA PALM DESERT RA PALM DESERT RA PALM DESERT RA PALM DESERT RA PALM DESERT RA 11/28/2017 0:00 11/28/2017 0:00 11/28/2017 0:00 11/28/2017 0:00 11/28/2017 0:00 11/28/2017 0:00 76540 CALIFORNIA DR, PALM DESERT 77085 INDIANA AVE, PALM DESERT 77115 INDIANA AVE, PALM DESERT 77105 INDIANA AVE, PALM DESERT 42815 WARNER TRL, PALM DESERT 77320 CALIFORNIA DR, PALM DESERT CO N V:171020170835190623 CO N V:171020170723109475 CONV:171020170725110282 CO N V:171020170836191249 CO NV:171020170726110926 CO N V:171020170726110650 PALM DESERT RA PALM DESERT RA PALM DESERT RA PALM DESERT RA PALM DESERT RA PALM DESERT RA 11/28/2017 0:00 11/28/2017 0:00 11/28/2017 0:00 11/28/2017 0:00 11/28/2017 0:00 11/28/2017 0:00 Swartz, Kevin From: Klassen, Rachelle Sent: Friday, November 17, 2017 9:45 AM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: FW: NO to bans on vacation rentals Did you receive this letter from last evening? Rachelle Klassen City Clerk Ph: 760.346.0611 Direct: 760.776.6304 rklassen@cityofpalmdesert.org From: ALR fmailto:nacificocCaca.rr.com1 Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2017 7:14 PM To: Harnik, Jan; Weber, Susan Marie; Nestande, Gina; Kelly, Kathleen; Jonathan, Sabby; Klassen, Rachelle; '- City Attorney'; Stendell, Ryan Subject: NO to bans on vacation rentals Dear Elected officials, I am writing to you as a homeowner of a now beautiful home just South of El Paseo in Palm Desert. The home was in horrible condition and we invested a lot of money and time to make this a beautiful home. By doing this, this improved everyone's property values and also made for a much nicer community within the City of South Palm Desert. When we are not in town we rent the home thru a vacation rental agency so we are able to afford to keep the home. The assumption that by renting our home causes noise or trouble is absurd as there are laws that exist that if a resident is disturbing someone then the Police will be called . Whether it is a renter, a vacation renter or a homeowner , EVERYONE has to abide by the laws and this should have no bearing on whether it is a vacation renter or not. This seems to have no logic and seems to also be illegal as if one owns a home and takes care of it then they should not be panelized by made up facts. If anyone breaks the law then they should be taken care of , regardless of whether they are renters or not. There are a lot more permanent homeowners who are trouble makers and that is where the issue should be as laws should be upheld and enforced for EVERYONE. The restriction on vacation rental homes will only hurt the city financially and also will cause a large drop in homeowners value and people will not want to buy in Palm Desert anymore. PLEASE do NOT place restrictions on vacation rental homes as we should have the same legal rights as a person who lives there all the time. Thank you for your attention to this matter. 1 Your Contact Information First Name Ed Last Name Barnhart Email Address ed(edbarnhart.com Phone Number 310-869-9275 Address 502 Main St. Address 2 Not answered City El Segundo State California ZIP Code 90245 I am a: (o) Palm Desert Resident Comments or Concerns: Mayor Jan Garnick, Mayor Pro Tem Sabby Jonathan, Councilmembers Gina Nestande, Kathleen Kelly, Susie Marie Weber, I have owned a single family residence at 77265 Minnesota, Palm Desert for 10 years. It has primarily been rented to Snowbirds consistently since February 2015. These retired out of state visitors come for 30 days or more and enjoy the benefits of Palm Desert, spend significant amounts of money on entertainment, golf, food, and other goods and services. The months of November through March are rented for not less than 30 days. In addition we rent for shorter periods for visitors who come for the tennis events, and touring. Two such couples come every year for 10 days in September. They are not yet retired and work for the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada. With this change you are proposing, eliminating short term rentals, you are going to make it impossible to rent to these guests going forward. They are middle aged and pose no problems. We do not rent to noisy partying young people. We take it off the market all summer since it only attracts less desirable tenants. We have been fully licensed and paid all of the TOT on our few short term rentals. I ask that you reconsider your decision which takes income from those of us who rely on it and instead target the landlords who are unlicensed and do not comply with the rules. Eliminate them so that those of us who are NOT causing any problem can continue to rent our property. Do you really think that revoking licenses is going to affect those people. I think NOT. Sincerely, Ed Barnhart Swartz, Kevin From: Stanley, Jane Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2017 3:12 PM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: FW: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Blind copied to the City Council From: Bev McKenzie Finailto:mckenziebev(acimail.com1 Sent: Friday, November 17, 2017 9:11 PM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Bev McKenzie 43376 Cook St Palm Desert, CA 92211 i Swartz, Kevin From: Stanley, Jane Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2017 3:12 PM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: FW: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Blind copied to the City Council From: Sherrie Brooks fmailto:sherriebrooksrentaMamail.comi Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2017 5:22 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Sherrie Brooks 76975 New York Ave Palm Desert, CA 92211 t Swartz, Kevin From: Stanley, Jane Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2017 3:07 PM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: FW: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Blind copied to the City Council From: Robin Horvath [mailto:sr horvath@vahoo.cal Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2017 10:30 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Robin Horvath 72782 Tamarisk St Palm Desert, CA 92260 i Swartz, Kevin From: Stanley, Jane Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2017 3:08 PM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: FW: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Blind copied to the City Council From: Ed Barnhart fmailto:ed(aedbarnhart.comj Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2017 4:17 PM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Ed Barnhart 502 Main St El Segundo, CA 90245 i Swartz, Kevin From: Stanley, Jane Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2017 3:09 PM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: FW: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Blind copied to the City Council From: Beth Bachrach Imailto:babachrachCaamail.com1 Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2017 9:46 PM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Beth Bachrach 1808 Manning Ave Los Angeles, CA 90025 1 Swartz, Kevin From: Stanley, Jane Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2017 3:09 PM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: FW: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Blind copied to the City Council From: Stacey JeImini fmailto:sdiassociates(aaol.com1 Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2017 3:42 PM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Stacey Jelmini 47955 Sun Corral Trail Palm Desert, CA 92260 1 Swartz, Kevin From: Stanley, Jane Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2017 3:10 PM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: FW: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Blind copied to the City Council From: Melissa Nale f mailto:lissaioulabelleCavahoo.coml Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2017 2:47 PM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Pro Tem Sabby Jonathan, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Melissa Nale 3750 Alta Vista Dr Fallbrook, CA 92028 1 Swartz, Kevin From: Stanley, Jane Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2017 3:11 PM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: FW: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Blind copied to the City Council From: Orlando Nava f mailto:onava03CaQmail.conl Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2017 11:52 PM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Pro Tem Sabby Jonathan, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Orlando Nava 72775 San Juan Dr Palm Desert, CA 92260 i Swartz, Kevin From: Stanley, Jane Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2017 3:06 PM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: FW: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Blind copied to the City Council From: Virginia Cotsis fmailto:vcotsisCamac.com1 Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2017 7:35 PM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Virginia Cotsis 1545 Santa Barbara St Ventura, CA 93001 i Swartz, Kevin From: Stanley, Jane Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2017 3:04 PM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: FW: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Blind copied to the City Council From: Mary Foster fmailto:marvfoster1424C@amail.coml Sent: Sunday, November 19, 2017 10:58 PM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Mary Foster 73602 Joshua Tree St Palm Desert, CA 92260 i Swartz, Kevin From: Stanley, Jane Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2017 10:08 AM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: FW: Short term rental matters Blind copied to the City Council From: John Curran fmailto:currani@Qmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2017 9:47 AM To: weber Subject: Short term rental matters Ms Weber, I am one of the people in south Palm Desert who live near to several short term rental units and was in favor of phasing them out of R-1 & R-2 zones. In the council meeting on November 16, you mentioned several times during the deliberations that you were in favor of letting the existing licensed units remain in place. The idea was that the houses would be sold at some point and the license would expire then. The owners might pass away and the license would likewise expire. This view does not take into account that not all the houses with a permit to operate short term rentals are owned by individuals. Near me there are 24 licensed units within a ten minute walk from my house. We looked at ownership records in the Riverside County real estate website and found that three of these properties are owned by family trusts and one is owned by a Canadian real estate company. Trusts are usually established to protect assets. The death of the residents would not necessarily involve the expiration of an STR permit since the trust remains in ownership and the trustees make decisions about selling or keeping the property. If properties are owned by LLC's or LLP's or any business entity, the license is in the name of the company and not a particular resident. The death of residents does not mean the license will not be renewed. I have only seen records for 24 houses and there are 276 of them in R-1 and R-2 zones. If sixteen percent of the local houses are owned by trusts or companies, this would suggest that nearly 50 houses of the total in residential zones could potentially continue to operate well into the future. The sunset provisions in the current ordinance address this directly instead of leaving a loophole for owners to continue operations for as long as the trust or firm exists. I hope you will consider this aspect of the matter and change your vote back to your original vote on October. Thank you. jc John Curran t Palm Desert, CA All messages from this address are gluten -free, as required by California law. November 20, 2017 VIA EMAIL (kswartz@cityofpalmdesert.org) City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: Kevin Swartz Dear Mr. Swartz: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance Dear Mr. Swartz, I recently learned of the City of Palm Desert passed a first reading to ban Short Term Rentals in residential zones in Palm desert as of July 1, 2019. 1 understand there was a second reading on November 16, 2017. It is concerning to think of this passing as the result will not only affect tourists but the local businesses. This letter is in opposition to the ban for Short Term Rental properties in the residential areas of Palm Desert near El Paseo. My family enjoys the availability and quick flight to Palm Desert and we have spent a number or short holidays with the ability to accommodate different work schedules within a short stay. We also have a fondness for the El Paseo area. I would like to suggest consideration of 4-7 nights as a compromise as this takes into account the vast number of people, like us choosing fly in to take a break in Palm Desert. Thank you for your time and consideration. Please forward this letter to the City Council on my behalf. Sincerely, Leah Mehlenbacher 10-935 Ewen Avenue New Westminster, BC, V3M 0A1 Ieahpm@hotmail.com Swartz, Kevin From: John Curran <curranj@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, November 17, 2017 2:31 PM To: Aylaian, Lauri; Swartz, Kevin; Stendell, Ryan; robert.hargreaves@bbklaw.com Subject: Staff work and long days Yesterday & last night were long and tiring. I have been involved with the STR matter since last February when I had a noisy party one night behind my house. My complaint led me to the Ad Hoc committee and to many hours of my own trying to find a solution. I believe that the staff work, legal advice, and management efforts went a long way to helping council see a pathway to a solution. As with all political decisions, it may not make everyone happy, but it matters most for leaders in our country to do the right thing. I believe that efforts from staff and managers such as this group provided are key to helping policymakers arrive at decisions that have a chance to work. Thank you again for all you do and will do in the future. jc John Curran 73110 Somera Rd Palm Desert, CA All messages from this address are gluten -free, as required by California law. i Swartz, Kevin From: Jann Buller <jannb774@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, November 17, 2017 11:32 AM To: Aylaian, Lauri; RW Hargreaves; Stendell, Ryan; Swartz, Kevin Subject: Thanks To: Laurie Aylaian RW Hargreaves Ryan Stendell Kevin Swartz There's an old saying: When you're going through hell, keep going. Well, you kept us going last night. Thank you, each and all, for your efforts to keep the process focused, progressing and out of trouble. You had a steadying hand on the tiller all evening. That's so essential, especially when working through a complex issue like this one, where feelings run high. It's been informative and gratifying to be part of Palm Desert's democratic process. Whatever the ultimate outcome, I now know a lot more about my city, how it's run, and the people responsible for our well-being today and for the city's future. With thanks for your service, Jann Buller 73110 Somera Road i Swartz, Kevin From: Stanley, Jane Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2017 8:17 AM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: FW: Your support last night re: STR Blind copied to the City Council. From: bob tetrault rmailto:DrofhmmatCavahoo.com1 Sent: Friday, November 17, 2017 8:31 PM To: weber Subject: Your support last night Honable council member Weber, I can't tell you how proud so many of us were last night with your new position, you stood strong after a terrible backlash from sabby and kelley, our str group in just a few days have collected over 1000 petition signatures, we will continue to collect signatures until next November's election, we will be a force at the ballot box, hopefully we will collect close to 30000 signatures in the valley, my investors and myself purchased four homes prior to the moratorium and we were denied permits, my other permitted rentals have a long history of 5 star reviews with no noise problems, I own many other properties in the desert also , I employ many people who are outraged at the harm this proposed city council's action will do to our deserts economy, I encourage you to lift the moratorium so we can acquire permits, and strongly start a enforcement program with no mercy, please try your best to change jan's position, our signatures from the 4th district are furious with jan's actions, we will not forget next november, thank you once again SO MUCH ! Keep up the fight! Bob tetrault 714 585 6640 Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android 1 RECEIVED C#T Y CLERK'S OFFICE PALM DESERT. Cn 2017NOY2I Ate 8:59 Palm Desert City Council 73510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, California 92260 RE: Short Term Rental (STR) Ordinance Dear Council Members: November 18, 2017 73275 Desert Rose Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 After attending the last council meeting (though we could not stay after midnight) on short term rentals we urge that you permanently stop any new STR's licenses in the R1 and R2 zones. Over 5% of the R1 zones are STR's, more than any other zones by percentages. R1 and R2 are zoned residential for a reason and not for commerical enterprises like STR's. Enforcement is also key and we hope that you put in place measures that effectively enforce zoning and licensing. By eliminating STR's from the neighborhoods you get rid of a lot of problems now and in the future! We sincerely hope that this issue can be voted on once and for all. Sincerely, Robert Hlavnicka -r�. L(��cr,.- . . Earl R. Andrews, PhD CC✓'YTC �,L4 Cr.)uoc4:1 TEv'i /1 Ji..‘t`jC!rf 2 II-)1-i"7 Stanley, Jane From: Jeff Kufeldt <kufeldtj@telus.net> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 5:26 PM To: CityhallMail Subject: Ban on Short Term Rentals City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Members Dear Honourable Mayor Harnik, Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan and Honourable City Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance 1 write to express my support for Short Term Rentals throughout the City of Palm Desert, in every neighborhood, not just in planned residential communities. STRs have revived the City of Palm Desert and keep the economy going year-round. Palm Desert has beautiful neighborhoods again which were dilapidated during the recession. If there are problems with noise and parking, then what is required is simply better regulation and better enforcement. The goal is to eliminate the renters who are here to party, not to turn away the great renters who come to Palm Desert because they love our neighborhood. These visitors spend their money in the city of Palm Desert and sustain local businesses. I am greatly concerned for the property values in the RI and R2 zones if this ban goes into effect. In the current economic climate, people want the flexibility to be able to rent out their homes for short periods of a week or so to supplement their incomes or to cover their costs. If they do not have this opportunity, they will purchase elsewhere, thereby decreasing property values. Allowing 28-day rentals is not a solution because visitors do not rent for 28 days these days. Families travel for one to two weeks and do not negatively impact the neighborhood. This ordinance is contrary to the best interest of all of Palm Desert and I strongly urge the City Council to reject it on second reading. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Jeff Kufeldt kuleldti"u telus.net 74638 Pepper Tree Drive Palm Desert 780 940 3403 Jeff Kufeldt i Stanley, Jane From: Cindy Yang Nguyen <cyang22@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 10:04 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: Short Term Rental Ordinance Dear Honourable Mayor Harnik, Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan and Honourable City Council Members: I write to express my support for Short Term Rentals throughout the City of Palm Desert, in every neighborhood, not just in planned residential communities. STRs have revived the City of Palm Desert and keep the economy going year-round. Palm Desert has beautiful neighborhoods again which were dilapidated during the recession. If there are problems with noise and parking, then what is required is better regulation and better enforcement. Also there can be a program to help education home owners on how to better vet their renters or they can be fined. The goal is to eliminate the renters who are here to party, not to turn away the great renters who come to Palm Desert because they love our neighborhood. These visitors spend their money in the city of Palm Desert and sustain local businesses. I am also greatly concerned for the property values in the R1 and R2 zones if this ban goes into effect. In the current economic climate, people want the flexibility to be able to rent out their homes for short periods of a week or so to supplement their incomes or to cover their costs. If they do not have this opportunity, they will purchase elsewhere, thereby decreasing property values. Allowing 28-day rentals is not a solution because visitors do not rent for 28 days these days. Families travel for weekend getaways or one - two weeks and do not negatively impact the neighborhood. This ordinance is contrary to the best interest of all of Palm Desert and I strongly urge the City Council to reject it on second reading. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Cindy Nguyen 310-795-5510 cyang22ecimail.com i Stanley, Jane From: Kathy Laynes <klaynes20@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 12:18 PM To: CityhallMail Subject: R-1 and R-2 Zones Good morning, I am writing as a Palm Desert vacationer in the hopes that you will reconsider the decision to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. We have been renting a home in Palm Desert for several years and are responsible guests. We do not make noise or in any way annoy the neighbours. Without the ability to rent this home (77271 Ohio Circle) we would find it much more expensive to vacation in your city and would likely opt to go elsewhere. We love Palm Desert and we support the local businesses. Please consider removing the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Kind regards, Kathy Laynes 10043 Imperial Street Chilliwack, BC V2P 7N8 Canada 604.793.8250 Stanley, Jane From: Paula Hatrak <hatrak12@yahoo.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 11:54 AM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: [SPAM] - Short Term Rentals City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert , CA 92260 Attention: City Council Members Dear Honourable Mayor Harnik, Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan and Honourable City Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I write to express my support for Short Term Rentals throughout the City of Palm Desert, in every neighborhood, not just in planned residential communities. STRs have revived the City of Palm Desert and keep the economy going year- round. Palm Desert has beautiful neighborhoods again which were dilapidated during the recession. If there are problems with noise and parking, then what is required is simply better regulation and better enforcement. The goal is to eliminate the renters who are here to party, not to turn away the great renters who come to Palm Desert because they love our neighborhood. These visitors spend their money in the city of Palm Desert and sustain local businesses. I am greatly concerned for the property values in the R1 and R2 zones if this ban goes into effect. In the current economic climate, people want the flexibility to be able to rent out their homes for short periods of a week or so to supplement their incomes or to cover their costs. If they do not have this opportunity, they will purchase elsewhere, thereby decreasing property values. Allowing 28-day rentals is not a solution because visitors do not rent for 28 days these days. Families travel for one to two weeks and do not negatively impact the neighborhood. This ordinance is contrary to the best interest of all of Palm Desert and I strongly urge the City Council to reject it on second reading. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Karl and Paula Hatrak 43830 Warner Trail Palm Desert , CA 92211 Hatrakl2(a�vahoo com 1 Stanley, Jane From: Larry Lewis <lawrlew@aol.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 7:36 AM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: [SPAM] - Short Term Lease in Palm Desert I understand there is a movement in place to eliminate the Short Term Leasing in your area, Though I do not understand your position but our family depends on the current leasing arrangements and hope you do not make a change to eliminate or change it. Thanks for your consideration Larry Lewis Iawrlew!c) aol.com i Stanley, Jane From: Janine <salonfingertips@aol.com> Sent: Monday, November 27, 2017 9:17 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: [SPAM] - We love coming to Palm Dessert Hello, We recently started visiting Palm Dessert. We can't wait to go back. We live in wet Seattle. If it wasn't for the short term rentals we would never have discovered how much we enjoyed it there. We prefer that style of rentals. It's more personal and a homier way to vacation. We spend more at local business shopping and feel more a part of the community. We have raved about our wonderful trips and are recommending it to everyone we know. The ease to go from Seattle to sunny Palm Dessert and the ability to rent homes makes it an ideal get away. Pease do not prohibit short term rentals. Have a happy day, Janine Hayes Stanley, Jane From: joe Iepre <joelepre@hotmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 9:49 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Short Term SRT City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Members Dear Honourable Mayor Harnik, Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan and Honourable City Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I write to express my support for Short Term Rentals throughout the City of Palm Desert, in every neighborhood, not just in planned residential communities. STRs have revived the City of Palm Desert and keep the economy going year-round. Palm Desert has beautiful neighborhoods again which were dilapidated during the recession. If there are problems with noise and parking, then what is required is simply better regulation and better enforcement. The goal is to eliminate the renters who are here to party, not to turn away the great renters who come to Palm Desert because they love our neighborhood. These visitors spend their money in the city of Palm Desert and sustain local businesses. I am greatly concerned for the property values in the R1 and R2 zones if this ban goes into effect. In the current economic climate, people want the flexibility to be able to rent out their homes for short periods of a week or so to supplement their incomes or to cover their costs. If they do not have this opportunity, they will purchase elsewhere, thereby decreasing property values. Allowing 28-day rentals is not a solution because visitors do not rent for 28 days these days. Families travel for one to two weeks and do not negatively impact the neighborhood. This ordinance is contrary to the best interest of all of Palm Desert and I strongly urge the City Council to reject it on second reading. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Joe Lepre Brooklin Ontario Canada i t ioelepre@hotmail.com 2 Stanley, Jane From: Neal Johnson <nealjohnsonll@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 8:44 AM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: Short Term Rental Ordinance City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Members Dear Honourable Mayor Harnik, Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan and Honourable City Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I own 2 vacation rental properties in Palm Desert and I don't think I could say it better than it says below, so I am copying and pasting the below comments which I fully agree with. BTW - I own a real estate company and have many clients I have convinced to buy in Palm Desert strictly for owning a second property and having vacation rental income to offset the cost. Most of these clients have already stopped considering Palm Desert for purchasing because they are afraid of this right being taken away from them if they buy. So I know for fact that it is already having an impact to your real estate values in the area because less buyers always means less demand which increases supply in the end. Higher supply puts negative pressure on prices - always. So, I write to express my support for Short Term Rentals throughout the City of Palm Desert, in every neighborhood, not just in planned residential communities. STRs have revived the City of Palm Desert and keep the economy going year- round. Palm Desert has beautiful neighborhoods again which were dilapidated during the recession. If there are problems with noise and parking, then what is required is simply better regulation and better enforcement. The goal is to eliminate the renters who are here to party, not to turn away the great renters who come to Palm Desert because they love our neighborhood. These visitors spend their money in the city of Palm Desert and sustain local businesses. I am greatly concerned for the property values in the R1 and R2 zones if this ban goes into effect. In the current economic climate, people want the flexibility to be able to rent out their homes for short periods of a week or so to supplement their incomes or to cover their costs. If they do not have this opportunity, they will purchase elsewhere, thereby decreasing 1 property values. Allowing 28-day rentals is not a solution because visitors do not rent for 28 days these days. Families travel for one to two weeks and do not negatively impact the neighborhood. This ordinance is contrary to the best interest of all of Palm Desert and I strongly urge the City Council to reject it on second reading. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Neal Johnson nealjohnsonll©gmail com 541 S Tumbleweed Road Anaheim CA 92807 (714)863-4043 2 Stanley, Jane From: Ronald Olson <olsonronaldg@hotmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 8:45 AM To: sharepalmdesert@gmaiLcom; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Cc: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin Subject: Short Term Rental Ordinance November 28 , 2017 VIA EMAIL _vv,11 t.ot, gnestande@citvofoalmdesert.org r)1 City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Members Dear Honourable Mayor Harnik, Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan and Honourable City Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I write to express my support for Short Term Rentals throughout the City of Palm Desert, in every neighborhood, not just in planned residential communities. STRs have revived the City of Palm Desert and keep the economy going year-round. Palm Desert has beautiful neighborhoods again which were dilapidated during the recession. If there are problems with noise and parking, then what is required is simply better regulation and better enforcement. The goal is to eliminate the renters who are here to party, not to turn away the great renters who come to Palm Desert because they love our neighborhood. These visitors i spend their money in the city of Palm Desert and sustain local businesses. I am greatly concerned for the property values in the R1 and R2 zones if this ban goes into effect. In the current economic climate, people want the flexibility to be able to rent out their homes for short periods of a week or so to supplement their incomes or to cover their costs. If they do not have this opportunity, they will purchase elsewhere, thereby decreasing property values. Allowing 28-day rentals is not a solution because visitors do not rent for 28 days these days. Families travel for one to two weeks and do not negatively impact the neighborhood. This ordinance is contrary to the best interest of all of Palm Desert and I strongly urge the City Council to reject it on second reading. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Ronald G. Olson olsonronaldg©hotmail.com 523 Mesquite Hills Palm Desert, CA 92260 760-674-4721 2 Stanley, Jane From: Philip Jacobs <pgj@ship2norway.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 8:57 AM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan; Philip Jacobs Subject: Short Term Rental Ordinance City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Members Dear Honourable Mayor Harnik, Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan and Honourable City Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I write to express my support for Short Term Rentals throughout the City of Palm Desert, in every neighborhood, not just in planned residential communities. STRs have revived the City of Palm Desert and keep the economy going year-round. Palm Desert has beautiful neighborhoods again which were dilapidated during the recession. If there are problems with noise and parking, then what is required is simply better regulation and better enforcement. The goal is to eliminate the renters who are here to party, not to turn away the great renters who come to Palm Desert because they love our neighborhood. These visitors spend their money in the city of Palm Desert and sustain local businesses. I am greatly concerned for the property values in the R1 and R2 zones if this ban goes into effect. In the current economic climate, people want the flexibility to be able to rent out their homes for short periods of a week or so to supplement their incomes or to cover their costs. If they do not have this opportunity, they will purchase elsewhere, thereby decreasing property values. Allowing 28-day rentals is not a solution because visitors do not rent for 28 days these days. Families travel for one to two weeks and do not negatively impact the neighborhood. This ordinance is contrary to the best interest of all of Palm Desert and I strongly urge the City Council to reject it on second reading. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Philip Grant Jacobs nui'a shin2tiorwa\.com 275 Tolosa Circle 818.245.6161 Stanley, Jane From: Sraybash, Dale HI <Dale.Sraybash@gov.sk.ca> Sent: Monday, November 27, 2017 4:39 PM To: CityhallMail Subject: Short term rentals My name is Dale from Saskatchewan Canada. Every winter my wife and I and our two young children come to Palm Springs to vacation for two weeks. It's a tradition for us and we find that the Palm Springs area is the most beautiful and safest place for us to vacation. We always rent a short term rental and if that's taken away then so will our vacation memories. Please don't ban these rentals. Sent from my iPhone i Stanley, Jane From: William Baker <baker1945.wb@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 9:27 AM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: Proposed ban on short term rentals I have vacationed in your city on three occasions, spending over $1000 each time. If you pass this ban I will be vacationing else where and you will louse mine and many other tax contributions to your budget. Think of the unintended consequences. Bill Baker 8 Vista La Cuesta, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 1 Stanley, Jane From: Mark Freeman <markfree@gorge.net> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 10:44 AM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin Subject: [SPAM] - Fwd: Short term rentals I sent this Email on November loth. My wife and I have definitely decided to sell our house if short term rentals are banned. I want to emphasize that our short term rental is in above average shape. Most all of them are. Our problem $$$ we cannot afford to retire and keep this house if we cannot rent it out short term. Yes, we will be losing money. Taking away short term rentals will drop the value of our house. It immediately raises the house prices in LaQuinta, and other areas not affected by the ban. They are priced out our range....Goodbye Palm Desert, Palm Desert Country Club and our awesome house. Thank you city of Palm Desert for ruining our retirement .....We will not be staying California Begin forwarded message: From: Mark Freeman <markfree(a�gorge.net> Subject: Short term rentals Date: November 10, 2017 at 8:39:44 AM PST To: citvhall c(D .citvofpalmdesert.orq, kswartz(acityofPalmDesert.orq About 4 years ago, my wife and I discovered Palm Desert and the beautiful Palm Desert Country Club. We were shopping for a future retirement home and we were fortunate to find it on California Dr. on the 5th green of PDCC. We live here part of the year and rent it out through PD Vacation Rentals by Adi Gross. We rely on this income to help pay the mortgage until we fully retire in 4 years. We have had no problems or complaints regarding our guests. Our guests tend to return every year and book well in advance. Banning short term rentals discriminates against us seniors trying to retire here. Compliance is the answer. Please don't let a small group of Paseo seniors push this through! If short term rentals are banned, we would need to sell our dream.... and retire elsewhere. Our Gardener, Pool Technician, and Maintenance People depend on these short term rentals and cannot afford to have their small business impacted. Sincerely, Mark & Shari Freeman The Dalles Oregon, and Palm Desert CA i Stanley, Jane From: Scott Thornton <klaregistry@telus.net> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 9:54 AM To: CityhallMail Cc: Swartz, Kevin; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan; sharepalmdesert@cityofpalmdesert.org Subject: [SPAM] - short term rental ban We vacation in Palm Desert annually, coming from Victoria, B.C., and are surprised and dismayed to hear that the city may ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. We are self-employed and are unable to Vacation 4 weeks at a time, so short term rentals meet our needs perfectly We have been renting a home in Palm Desert for several years and are responsible guests. We do not have parties, make noise or bother the neighbors. Every year we spend a significant amount golfing (particularly at Desert Willow), shopping, going to restaurants etc. I am not interested in hotel stays so would have to look at other areas for my vacations. Thank you for hearing my concerns Scott Thornton KLA Registry Services Ltd. Phone: 250-888-9383 Toll Free: 888-771-4437 (BC Only) Fax: 250-389-1322 1 Stanley, Jane From: Sent: To: Subject: Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, james repp <jrepprmd@yahoo.com> Tuesday, November 28, 2017 10:22 AM CityhallMail Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! My family are 19 year residents of Palm Desert. I consider this my hometown. As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was appalled to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones without having any data upon why this is a good idea. I understand you say this is a compromise as 80% registered home can still operate but please look into the data of the demand of those rentals. They are not of quality or being rented year round. If contracts were collected you would see this. Also compare home values appreciation in value to the 20% you are banning. I don't think you have this data and to make a rash decision with data as our council member feels neglectful. You are our representatives and we entrust you do your due diligence and research before making decision that will hurt our city that I live to be able to share. I encourage you to read reviews from guest and have the host of the 20% find a solution with their neighbors. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, james repp 43095 Tennessee Ave Palm Desert, CA 92211 ataL /Awai (zotc&Le (5--enu(Lis) CLetd/u4}//di Wte ll'"doi i Stanley, Jane From: Kelli Loughrin <KelliM@Loughrin.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 10:18 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, How uncreative. A total ban??! You can do better! Owner rights to rent their property, enjoy their property, city income, and other concerns can be balanced not banned. Overstepping government power. Letting a few dictate what the many can do. Very disappointing direction. Do better. As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Kelli Loughrin 38667 Dahlia Cir Palm Desert, CA 9221 1 1 Stanley, Jane From: Gina Regan <ginaluster@mac.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 10:38 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Gina Regan 74841 Borrego Dr Palm Desert, CA 92260 i Stanley, Jane From: Jenny Radisay <jradisay@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 10:32 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Jenny Radisay 875 Coast View Dr Laguna Beach, CA 92651 i Stanley, Jane From: Toni Drohomerski <ddrohome@telus.net> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 10:32 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Toni Drohomerski 254 Vista Royale Cir W Palm Desert, CA 92211 i Stanley, Jane From: michael flannery <mike@acmehouseco.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 10:26 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert Management company, small business and employer, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Businesses like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. I also want to point out that Bans have yet to work anywhere in the country. I can go to countless websites and rent homes throughout the world in every banned market. In fact many markets have more homes for rent now, than before the ban. That is a terrible result I am sure you can all agree. Taking out the professional managers, and leaving those that would operate illegally. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, michael flannery 803 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262 i Stanley, Jane From: Lori Forthmann <forthmannak@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 10:25 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Lori Forthmann 47015 Arcadia Ln Palm Desert, CA 92260 i Stanley, Jane From: Thomas Briggs <tom.briggs@nafinc.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 10:56 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Thomas Briggs 6842 Presidio Dr Huntington Beach, CA 92648 i Stanley, Jane From: Louis Kridle <LAKridle@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 10:16 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Louis Kridle 290 San Vincente Cir Palm Desert, CA 92260 i Stanley, Jane From: Dennis Barr <par7255431@yahoo.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 10:57 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Dennis Barr 280 Vista Royale Cir W Palm Desert, CA 92211 1 Stanley, Jane From: Vladimir Lukyanov <Lukyanov@Gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 10:16 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Vladimir Lukyanov 77616 Barons Cir Palm Desert, CA 92211 i Stanley, Jane From: Robert Briggs <robertwbriggs@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 9:54 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Robert Briggs 18807 Mt Schelin Cir Fountain Valley, CA 92708 1 Stanley, Jane From: Joaquin Murguia <joaquin.murguia@realthyonegroupm.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 9:34 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner and business owner, I was shocked and dismayed to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners and small business owners, like myself, in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Nearly all the issues raised with regard to STRs, by those that oppose them, are compliance issue. The regulations are in place to deal with them, the city needs to follow through with enforcement. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! As a real estate agent, I have seen the positive impact STRs have made on property values. However, in anticipation of this ban, I have already begun turning potential second home buyers away from Palm Desert who were looking to STRs to offset the carrying cost of the home. I can't imagine that turning people away can have a positive benefit for Palm Desert. Palm Springs turned the Spring Breakers way and it took YEARS for the city to bounce back. 1 would also like to bring to your attention, that the City of Indian Wells which is set to sunset STRs on July 4, 2018, will be reconsidering the ban at their January 2018 meeting. Please keep Palm Desert as the tourist center of the valley and not another city that chases away visitors. Don't let outsiders like the founder of Save Our San Diego Neighborhoods influence decisions about our city. "Thank you again for your time. Regards, Joaquin Murguia 76728 Florida Ave Palm Desert, CA 92211 i Stanley, Jane From: Phillip Godbold <phillipgodbold@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 9:34 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Phillip Godbold 106 Desert Falls Dr E Palm Desert, CA 92211 i Stanley, Jane From: Kim Marsh -Stearns <kstearns@windermere.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 9:23 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Kim Marsh -Stearns 72874 Willow St Palm Desert, CA 92260 1 Stanley, Jane From: Margaret Reed <mjreed6931@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 9:21 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Why have I gotten no information on this ban? I live near PD Country Club so am I OK? Please let us know who is affected wrongly by this decision? Thank you. Regards, Margaret Reed 42588 Hastings St Palm Desert, CA 92211 i Stanley, Jane From: Ray Daniel <rayjdaniel@hotmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 9:17 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Ray Daniel 43755 Ave Alicante Palm Desert, CA 92211 1 Stanley, Jane From: Ricki Bander <info@rbanderphd.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 9:12 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Ricki Bander 72594 Pitahaya St Palm Desert, CA 92260 i Stanley, Jane From: Shelly Hall <shelly@spearhall.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 9:12 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Shelly Hall 209 Calle Del Verano Palm Desert, CA 92260 i Stanley, Jane From: Robin Horvath <sr_horvath@yahoo.ca> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 9:08 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Robin Horvath 72782 Tamarisk St Palm Desert, CA 92260 t Stanley, Jane From: Beth Dalton <sbnmdalton@aol.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 9:06 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Beth Dalton 11609 Mt Whitney Ct Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91737 1 Stanley, Jane From: Michele Briggs <m.briggs@verizon.net> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 9:05 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Michele Briggs 18807 Mt Schelin Cir Fountain Valley, CA 92708 i Stanley, Jane From: Randi Jones <randijonesl0@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2017 10:15 AM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Cc: Randi Business; Nicole Zambon Subject: STR - a reasonable solution Hello all: I'm sure you've heard every argument pro and con by now, so I'll be brief. I bought a home in Silver Spur Ranch in 2015 because I love the valley and I particularly love Palm Desert. I did research for 2 years and I have a limited budget but I hope to retire to my Palm Desert home in about 10 years. When I made my decision, I was relying on my right to do STR. In my case, I spent a little over $105,000 improving the inside and outside of my home. I try to be a good neighbor and I prominently post the Palm Desert "Good Neighbor" brochure in my marketing. My local property manager has high standards and carefully screens renters because we care. I understand that there have been renters who violate the laws for noise and parking. I fully support the enforcement of all laws to allow homeowners the enjoyment of their home. And those laws should be enforced against STR and long term renters as well as disrespectful homeowners. If the community has changed and we now want to eliminate STR, I propose that current, tax -paying holders of licenses be grandfathered in to R-1 and R-3 areas. If they can't control their clients and get violations, then they can lose their license. The number of licenses will fall thru attrition, with the offenders being the first to go. Sales and death will eventually reduce the rest. Also, please consider allowing 7 days rentals in the summer. We need more business in our stores and restaurants in the off season and allowing 7 day rentals in R-1 areas during those times will help the economy. Let's meet the needs of full time residents but allow us good homeowners who rely on STR. to continue beyond 2019 is a more controlled manner. Thank you for considering my suggestions. Randi Jones 73586 Siesta Trail 303-522-5051 1 Stanley, Jane From: Gail <gail@embertonlaw.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2017 11:27 AM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com Subject: Ban on all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 Zones From: Gail Sage [mailto:ciailsage@icloud.coml Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 11:57 AM To: aaik embertonlaw.com Subject: Fwd: Hi there To whom it may concern: I vacation in Palm Desert and am dismayed that City Council has voted to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. We like to rent private homes while on vacation as it is more suitable to us than a plain old hotel room. If we can no longer rent a home then we will be forced to vacation somewhere else where we can vacation the way we want. But we love your city and want to continue spending our hard earned money with your businesses! Please reconsider and allow short term rentals to continue. Gail Sage gailsage@icloud.com Stanley, Jane From: Danielle Hosmer <pulmonizer@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2017 11:49 AM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan; gerry@nextlevelfitness.org Subject: please do NOT ban short term rentals Hello City Council members, 1 have been informed that Palm Desert is discussing the potential of banning short term rentals. I am writing to you as a concerned user of such rentals and want to express to you to please continue to allow short term rentals in Palm Desert. The availability of these rentals has allowed my family and extended friends and family to enjoy several wonderful vacations to your great city, and we definitely have plans for many future trips as well. As many of you may know, having a house, as opposed to a hotel room or suite, is really essential to a successful vacation when young children and larger families are involved. A house provides a very special environment that greatly colors the whole vacation experience. I would think that you would be proud of your city to provide such wonderful vacation experiences to families of all shapes and sizes, especially when young children or more disabled elderly persons are involved. Short term rentals also greatly expands the numbers of people who can visit your city and augment the commerce and financial wellbeing of all involved. I realize that full-time inhabitants of Palm Desert neighborhoods may have had bad experiences with vacationers and this is very, very regrettable. I know that there are people out there who do not conform to the laws and general codes of civility. However, this is not a reason to punish those of us who are upstanding guests and greatly respectful of any neighbors, property, and homes used. Short term rentals really are the wave of the present and future in communities worldwide and provide incredible opportunities and experiences for vacations of all levels. Such rentals are an open welcoming door from your community to the greater world and should be respected and nurtured. Perhaps, greater attention and focus should be given to better education and understanding between permanent residents and the overwhelming positive aspects of short term rentals in your Palm Desert neighborhoods. Sincerely, Danielle I losmer (physician, mother, wife, and avid fan of Palm Desert vacations) i Swartz, Kevin From: Aylaian, Lauri Sent: Monday, December 04, 2017 8:59 AM To: captainbrucepoynter@juno.com Cc: Klassen, Rachelle; Stendell, Ryan; Swartz, Kevin Subject: RE: THANK YOU!! Thank you Mr. Poynter. I am sharing your email message with the members of the City Council so that they have the benefit of your comments. Lauri A. Lauri Aylaian City Manager Ph: 760.346.0611 Direct: 760.776.6481 laylaian@cityofpalmdesert.org From: captainbrucepoynter@juno.com Finailto:captainbrucepovnter@iuno.coml Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2017 12:52 PM To: Aylaian, Lauri <lavlaian@cityofpalmdesert.ore> Subject: THANK YOU!! Ms. Ayalain. City Manager. I Greatly Appreciate Your Time and Efforts toward the Ordinance to Protect Palm Desert Neighborhoods! You have Assembled a Great Team! I am Proud to be a Palm Desert Resident. Thank You Again! Bruce Poynter 73-390 Calliandra Street 760-346-5128. i City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Dear Honorable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I understand that the City of Palm Desert is considering a ban on existing short-term rentals in the R1 and R2 zones as of January 1, 2020. I am writing to express my concern over this ban for the whole of Palm Desert. I am particularly concerned that the City would consider not allowing existing, permitted short-term rentals to be grandfathered, as one would expect. My family and I have stayed in short-term rental homes in south Palm Desert on several occasions in the past few years. We particularly enjoy the area because of the amenities, for shopping and dining that are within walking distance. We prefer to stay in a home so that we have sufficient room, privacy and areas for us to be together in a relaxed setting. We do not wish to stay in hotels, as they do not provide a large space for our extended family vacations. We also do not like to stay in communities away far from commercial amenities. Therefore, if this ban goes into effect, I do not see us visiting Palm Desert as a tourist in the future. We prefer to stay in homes near shopping and dining amenities, which is what drew us to the El Paseo area. When we come to Palm Desert, we walk along El Paseo for breakfast, lunch and dinner several times per stay. We shop in the nearly clothing stores. We buy groceries nearby and we use various services. We spend thousands of dollars per trip between our accommodations, food and beverage, recreation and shopping. We will choose to stay elsewhere, perhaps in Palm Springs, Arizona or Florida where short-term rental homes are not prohibited. I strongly believe that Palm Desert will suffer a sizable economic decline if this ban is put into place. It likely will be unable to recover from such a decline. I urge you to reject this ban as it will substantially reduce tourism in the area, which as you know is a critical component of the local economy. While I understand that the residential neighborhood around El Paseo accommodates long-term residents, Palm Desert is a tourist destination where residents must expect a certain degree of visitor traffic. I suggest that the City of Palm Desert turn its attention to enforcing noise by-laws across all of Palm Desert as noisy, disruptive people should be penalized for their behavior. Please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. Thank you for considering my position. Sincerely, Jeannie Sturdy 130 Sienna Hills Drive SW Calgary,AB Canada T3H 2E2 403 604 4029 Swartz, Kevin From: Cherilyn Clark <dubbie56@shaw.ca> Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2017 11:34 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com Subject: Ban on STR in Palm Desert Cherilyn Clark 105-1014 Rockland Ave., Victoria, BC, Canada V8V 3H5 Email: dubbie56(shaw.ca November 30, 2017 Dear Sirs: Re: Short Term Rental ban in Palm Desert I and three other friends and relatives have been travelling to this area on a continuous basis for several years and love the area and all what is has to offer, and hope to continue to go on an annual basis. As a Palm Desert vacationer, I am shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. We have been renting a home in Palm Desert for several years and assure you we are responsible guests. We do not make noise or in any way annoy the neighbours and go out of our way to respect the neighbours and also the owners who have advised us regarding noise bylaws. Without the ability to rent this home (77271 Ohio Circle) we would find it much more expensive to vacation in your city and would likely opt to go elsewhere. We enjoy so much the tourist attractions, shopping, restaurants and feel we contribute to your economy each year. We love Palm Desert but you would force us to choose another destination. Please do not think all vacationers who rent houses in Palm Desert are party people, I think that is just the opposite, most people are older and go there to relax and enjoy the beautiful area. Please consider removing the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Thank you, Cherilyn Clark 1 November 15, 2017 VIA EMAIL kswartacitvofaalmdesert.orq City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: Kevin Swartz Dear Mr. Swartz: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance Mr. Swartz, I am property manager working in Palm Desert and Indian Wells primarily. I currently manage 7 Short Term Rental properties in Palm Desert. I have been doing this for 8 years. All of the owners for whom I manager properties are very responsible and take great pride in properly managing their homes. I personally greet every guest at all my STRs and I am on -call 24-hours/day to attend to any problems. I will go out at any time if I have to. I tell the guests the rules and I ensure that the group is who it is supposed to be. Once in a while there has been the occasional disruptive renter who slips through the cracks, but I have found that arises if ever, during the music festivals. Some of my STR owners have decided to discontinue renting to festival attendees to eliminate the risk of these disruptive renters. With my experience, I believe that the solution to some of the issues raised by the residents of south Palm Desert is stronger regulation and enforcement, not a total ban on STRs in zones RI and R2. We all live in a tourist area and we all depend on that tourist economy for our livelihood. To ban STRs in these zones will greatly affect the property values in those areas, affect the businesses along El Paseo and put many people like myself out of work. This is what I suggest to better control the Short Term Rentals so that STRs and full-time residents can co- exist harmoniously: 1. Eliminate the party house: a) Increasing the minimum stay to 3-5 nights would significantly reduce, if not eliminate the party house. Most STR Owners are compliant and do not want partiers and we know from experience that requiring a longer stay of 7 nights 2 will solve this problem. When renters stay for a week, they are not there to party. b) Establish a minimum age for renters. Most of my STR owners have a minimum age of 28 years. The young people are the problem renters and nobody wants problem renters. c) Decreasing the number of extra daytime guests to 2-4 instead of up to 6. d) Decrease the number of total persons permitted per house to 2 persons per bedroom to a maximum of 10-12 regardless of the size of the house (eg. Even if it is a 7 or 8 bedroom house, the maximum number is 12) with special allowances for small children. This would encourage families, which is who everybody wants to attract. e) Maintaining the higher penalties set out in the Ordinance. f) Disallowing outdoor music after 9pm for all neighbors on weekdays and lOpm on weekends - not just STRs. 2. Improve enforcement of the by-laws: a) Improve the presence of code compliance officers after-hours to patrol neighborhoods. This will ensure that an officer is available to deal with a complaint immediately. With the taxes collected, the city could pay for these enforcement services. b) Enable the code compliance officer to evict guests who breach the rules more than once per reservation. c) Fine the renter for by-law violations and enforce the fine against the homeowner - that way the homeowner will be sure to collect from the renter with some kind of a security deposit. 3. Maintain the residential neighborhood in a tourist community: Set a maximum number of STRs that are permitted in a neighborhood. Allow all existing STRs to continue. 4. Discourage unreasonable complaints: Some neighbors are just unreasonable and expect silence at all times, even during the daytime. There should be some kind of fine for the neighbor who complains unnecessarily. I am very concerned about the negative impact that this ban on STRs in zones R 1 and R2 will have on the Palm Desert economy and in particular, on the businesses on El Paseo. I meet and talk to all the renters every day. They are typically extended families with grandparents, parents and grandchildren. They are going to El Paseo and spending money shopping, dining and on services. They come to south Palm Desert because they can walk to El Paseo or take a short drive. They will go to Palm Springs if they can no longer rent houses in south Palm Desert. Instead of spending their money supporting the local businesses along El Paseo, they will spend in Palm Springs. Palm Desert used to be dead outside of the "season". Now, thanks to STRs, El Paseo is still active and vibrant in the spring, summer and fall as renters come for a week or so for a quick and 2 relaxing vacation. Once again, with the STRs gone in south Palm Desert, vacationers will go to Palm Springs instead for their summer vacations. I am also concerned that small business operators such as property managers like myself, cleaners, pool maintenance crews etc. will be out of work with this ban. STR property owners spend way more money and time ensuring that their properties are painted and beautiful than do the full-time residents. Tradespeople will suffer without these STRs. We need to keep these 276 STRs to keep people from the desert employed. I attended many of the meetings and even spoke at City Hall in Indian Wells when that city was considering banning STRs. Indian Wells initially did so, but eventually lifted the ban in September 2017 as they stated that their increased regulations had eliminated the party house problem. Palm Desert should also improve the regulations instead of implementing a ban in any areas. Please pass on my email to City Council. Given my years of experience with STRs, I would like an opportunity to speak to City Council on November 16, 2017 as I fear that the City is going to make a big mistake if they proceed with this ban. Please forward my request to speak to City Council and please advise me as to their response. Thank you. Joe Karas, Property Manager 41865 Moneaque Road Bermuda Dunes, CA 92203 (760) 574-4497 Swartz, Kevin From: Patty Reed <pattyreedplmdsrt@aol.com> Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2017 3:55 PM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: STR ordinance Dear Mr. Swartz, My husband and 1 attended the City Council meeting on November 16. We were there as 32-year residents of Palm Desert who are concerned with the proliferation of STRs in our R-1 neighborhood. We arrived before the meeting began at 4:00 pm and found the agenda items that were discussed prior to opening the meeting for "remarks on the STR ordinance" to he illuminating as well as having a direct hearing on the ordinance regarding STRs. A member of COPs was honored for his years of service to Palm Desert. Full-time residents volunteer to give hack to our city through this wonderful organization and we are grateful for their service and commitment. Short-term renters do not. Residents of our city volunteer in other ways. We have volunteered at McCallum Theatre for 22 years. As Master Gardeners we provide service to Palm Desert at a variety of venues including The Living Desert, the Farmer's Market, and at UCR Palm Desert. Our city "snow birds" who are here for the winter months, often as long-term renters, volunteer in these organizations as well. Short-term renters do not. There was discussion about the possibility of providing live -streaming of the Council Meetings. The Mayor commented that our city needs people to attend meetings and he personally engaged in our city and its government; it does not need to create "living room quarterbacks." The grass -roots organization, Neighborhoods are for Neighbors, that promotes limiting STRs in R- 1 zoned areas is doing just that — becoming involved! Short-term renters do not. Another item for consideration was investing City funds in refurbishing parking lots adjacent to El Paseo. Council members remarked that when we maintain our city, everyone benefits from funds spent in that way, not just the businesses adjacent to the parking lots. We feel that concept also applies to R-1 neighborhoods. When the integrity of the neighborhood is maintained as non-commercial, the entire city benefits through maintained or increased property values. Our property value decreases if we have an STR adjacent or near our property — the existence of an STR must he declared when listing a home for sale, and many buyers immediately look elsewhere. Investors in STRs promote "Share Palm Desert." Their sign features a photo of El Paseo. We agree. Commercially zoned areas such as those around El Paseo should be shared with STRs, and STRs should he allowed to operate there. Investors should not be allowed to conduct their business in residential ncighhorhoods, capitalizing on the time and energy we have invested in our R-I neighborhoods that make them so desirable. In the past, the City fully supported citizens' requests to maintain quiet neighborhoods. Susie Peat, just honored as Citizen of the Year, reminded us that families who lived a quarter mile away in an R-1 zone maintained that the loud music blaring from Augusta (located in a commercial zone) disturbed their ability to enjoy the peace and quiet of their homes and property. The City Council listened to its citizens and acted to maintain the peace and quiet of that neighborhood. Once again, the residents are asking that the Council support their desire to have residential neighborhoods without the noise, traffic, and trash that often accompany an STR (a commercial venture). We fully support the compromise ordinance that allows short-term rentals of a room or rooms, or a casita, with the owner in residence in R-1 and R-2 zoned neighborhoods. We believe that the extension of STR conversion (to rentals of one month or more) to two full years is another acceptable compromise. We applaud the Council for listening to their constituents who have invested in Palm Desert. We've invested in our homes, we invest in our local businesses by shopping locally, we invest in our community through volunteerism, and we invest in the people of Palm Desert by looking out for and assisting our neighbors in our neighborhoods. Thank you for your support of the ordinance to phase -out short-term rentals in Palm Desert's R-1 and R-2 neighborhoods. 1 Sincerely, Patricia and Richard Reed 72810 Tamarisk St. Palm Desert CA 92260 2 Swartz, Kevin From: Mary Parmakszian <maryedp@telus.net> Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2017 7:14 PM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: Short Term Rentals City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I understand that the City of Palm Desert voted 3-2 to ban any new short-term rentals in residential zones R1 and R2 immediately and to even disallow existing permitted short-term rentals in these two zones as of December 31, 2019. I am writing to inform the City Council that Palm Desert as a whole will suffer as a result of this short-sighted ban. I am particularly concerned that existing, permitted short-term rentals are not being grandfathered, as one would expect. If this ban goes into effect, I will not be visiting Palm Desert as a tourist in the future as I prefer to stay in homes near shopping and dining amenities, which is what drew me and my family to the El Paseo area. I do not wish to stay in hotels as they do not provide a large space for our extended family vacations. When I come to Palm Desert, we walk along El Paseo for breakfast, lunch and dinner at least 3-4 times per visit. We shop in the nearly clothing stores. We buy groceries nearby and we use various services. We spend thousands of dollars per trip between our accommodations, food and beverage, recreation and shopping. We will choose to stay elsewhere, perhaps in Palm Springs or Arizona where short-term rental homes are not prohibited. I know many other visitors to Palm Desert who stay in this neighborhood for the J. same reasons I do. It is what draws us and our tourist dollars to the area. I strongly believe that Palm Desert will suffer a sizable economic decline if this ban is put into place. It likely will be unable to recover from such a decline. I urge you to reject this ban as it will substantially reduce tourism in the area, which as you know is a critical component of the local economy. While I understand that the residential neighborhood around El Paseo accommodates Tong -term residents, it is a tourist destination where residents must expect a certain degree of visitor traffic. I suggest that the City of Palm Desert turn its attention to the enforcing noise by-laws across all of Palm Desert as noisy, disruptive people should be penalized for their behavior. Please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. Thank you for considering my position. Sincerely, Mary Parmakszian 14487 16th Avenue, South Surrey,B.C. Canada V4A 1R2 Contact Information 2 Swartz, Kevin From: Worth Banner <worthbanner@gmail.com> Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2017 9:18 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: Short Term Rental Ordinance City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Warina Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I understand that the City of Palm Desert is considering a ban on existing short-term rentals in the R1 and R2 zones as of January 1, 2020. I am writing to express my concern over this ban for the whole of Palm Desert. I am particularly concerned that the City would consider not allowing existing, permitted short-term rentals to be grandfathered, as one would expect. My family and I have stayed in short-term rental homes in south Palm Desert on several occasions in the past few years. We particularly enjoy the area because of the amenities, for shopping and dining that are within walking distance. We prefer to stay in a home so that we have sufficient room, privacy and areas for us to be together in a relaxed setting. We do not wish to stay in hotels as they do not provide a large space for our extended family vacations. We also do not like to stay in communities away far from commercial amenities. Therefore, if this ban goes into effect, I do not see us visiting Palm Desert as a tourist in the future. We prefer to stay in homes near shopping and dining amenities, which is what drew us to the El Paseo area. When we come to Palm Desert, we walk along El Paseo for breakfast, lunch and dinner several times per stay. We shop in the nearly clothing stores. We buy groceries nearby and we use various services. We spend thousands of dollars per trip between our accommodations, food and beverage, recreation and shopping. We will choose to stay elsewhere, perhaps in Palm Springs, Arizona or Florida where short-term rental homes are not prohibited. I strongly believe that Palm Desert will suffer a sizable economic decline if this ban is put into place. It likely will be unable to recover from such a decline. I urge you to reject this ban as it will substantially reduce tourism in the area, which as you know is a critical component of the local economy. While I understand that the residential neighborhood around El Paseo accommodates long-term residents, Palm Desert is a tourist destination where residents must expect a certain degree of visitor traffic, most of which will occur regardless 1 of a new ordinance, I suggest that the City of Palm Desert turn its attention to enforcing noise by-laws across all of Palm Desert as noisy, disruptive people should be penalized for their behavior. Please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. Thank you for considering our position. Sincerely, Worth Banner and Elaine Cooper 2 Swartz, Kevin From: Patti Gudewill <pattigudewill@gmail.com> Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2017 10:02 AM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: Fwd: Last favour for our short-term rental campaign - I promise! City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I understand that the City of Palm Desert voted 3-2 to ban any new short-term rentals in residential zones R1 and R2 immediately and to even disallow existing permitted short-term rentals in these two zones as of December 31, 2019. I am writing to inform the City Council that Palm Desert as a whole will suffer as a result of this short-sighted ban. I am particularly concerned that existing, permitted short-term rentals are not being grandfathered, as one would expect. I am second generation visiting Palm Desert (my parents went in the (60/70/80/90) renting places and my husband and i have been going down for the past 30 years as well as our children. What you are considering to do would be a huge impact on your beloved Palm Desert. Frankly, it would not be the same if it didn't have so many tourists coming to enjoy the restaurants, shopping, hiking and so forth. As a Canadian, I love coming down to get out of our dreary winters and my husband and I have made many new friends in Palm Desert. I also love the people that work there. So friendly, helpful and I know they love to have tourists as everytime I go down they say soiiiiiiii This has really been very upsetting for many of us that love to visit Palm Desert. If I can't rent for a few weeks I will look elsewhere sadly. But I will miss this lovely city. Sincerely, Patti Gudewill 4778 West 2nd Avenue Vancouver, B.C. Canada i Swartz, Kevin From: Michelle Cote -Dear <cotedear@gmail.com> Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2017 12:43 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance Dear Palm Desert Council Members: If the ban on short-term rentals goes into effect, i will no longer bring my family to vacation in Palm Desert. El Paseo has been our choice of destination for years as it is a short flight from Vancouver, B.C, Canada —one we can make several times a year. As a family, it has been an ideal area to rent a home; my wife and her friends shop on El Paseo during the day while the teenagers prefer to walk to the mall to spend their money. We dine nightly as a family at the various restaurants on El Paseo, quite often with other Vancouver families. I know I am not the only father considering alternate vacation destinations, such as Arizona. As a business man, what concerns me most is City Council's proposal that existing, permitted, short-term rentals are not being 'grandfathered'. Disallowing existing, permitted rentals is unfair to local businesses who will suffer greatest from the sudden impact of decreased tourism. It is short-sighted to think one can find an immediate fix without somebody suffering the future after -shocks of decreased tourism. Although appeasing the long-term resident voters may scem appealing, maintaining financial integrity of one's City must be the long-term vision for any City Council Member. Supporting local businesses is at the core of a City's strength and stability. I urge the City Council Members to reject the ban on short-term rentals and focus your attention on the real problem: noise by- laws and penalizing those who disrespect such by-laws. Please reconsider the short-term rental ban before we `snow birds' arc forced to decide upon another sunny, family -friendly, golf destination in which to spend our money. Sincerely, Bryan Dear Vancouver, BC Canada 604.351.8812 hd(a calncva888.com 1 Swartz, Kevin From: Edgar Sandulo <edgardesigns@mac.com> Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2017 1:09 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: Short Term Rentals Dear council member I believe that the Palm Desert will suffer greatly do to the result of this misguided ban. I am particularly concerned that existing, permitted short-term rentals are not being grandfathered, is this truly the case? I think many of the concerns of residences would be better addressed by the enforcing noise by-laws and introduce any other laws that would make the neighbourhoods safer and more enjoyable for all. Disruptive people should be penalized for their behavior. Please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. I will not be visiting Palm Desert if this goes through. In the future as I prefer to stay in homes near shopping and dining amenities, which is what drew me and my friends to to the El Paseo area. I stay in hotels in other cities where I'm not looking for the vacation experience that I go to Palm Desert for. When we come to Palm Desert, we walk along El Paseo daily. If just for an early morning coffee, leisurely shopping or out for a fabulous dinner. We will choose to stay elsewhere, probably in Palm Springs. Especially now as their downtown is getting more and more vibrant, with new shopping experiences. I'm actually quite surprised that Palm Desert is pushing back on short term rentals as Palm Desert is in general Palm Desert is going to be in competition with Palm springs now that the downtown his being revitalized, one would think Palm Desert would do quite the opposite to encourage El Paseo a vacation destination. My choice would always be Palm Desert of course as I don't think Palm springs will ever be able to match the discerning choices in El Paseo. However this changing bylaw certainly would encourage any new businesses catering to an upscale market to now consider Palm Springs. I was also speaking to a real estate agent in Palm Springs who feels this move is going to create a high inventory in Palm Desert in the short term and decreasing real estate values in the long term. Please reject this ban as it will substantially reduce tourism in the area & decrease real estate values. Both these things in the long run will hurt the residence of palm desert as their homes will be less valuable and businesses will be less likely to locate in the area especially if they can capture a new market in the developing downtown Palm Springs. I understand that the residential area around El Paseo accommodates long-term residents, it is also tourist destination where residents should expect a certain degree of visitor traffic. This visitor traffic in the long run improves the quality of life and in general the choices for the long-term residents. t Thank you for taking time to read my concerns I truly hope to be able to continue my vacations to El Paseo Sincerely, Edgar Sandulo Edgar Designs 604 618 5424 Sent from my iPad 2 Swartz, Kevin From: Fisher , Charles [VA] <Charles.Fisher@vch.ca> Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2017 1:37 PM To: Swartz, Kevin; Stendell, Ryan; Weber, Susan Marie; Kelly, Kathleen; Jonathan, Sabby; Nestande, Gina; Harnik, Jan; Aylaian, Lauri; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; CityhallMail Subject: Short Term Rental Ordinance Attention: City Council Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I understand that the City of Palm Desert recently voted 3-2 to ban any new short-term rentals in residential zones R1 and R2 immediately and to even disallow existing permitted short-term rentals in these two zones as of December 31, 2019. I am writing to inform the City Council, now for the second time, that Palm Desert as a whole will suffer as a result of this short-sighted ban. I am particularly concerned that existing, permitted short-term rentals are not being grandfathered, as one would expect. Thus leaving the visitor to your region with no options other than hotels. I do not wish to stay in hotels as they do not provide a large space for our family and friends - and with larger families costs are prohibitive When we come to Palm Desert, we go to El Paseo and other nearby areas for meals and shopping. To say the least my family and thousands of other Canadians who visit Palm Desert are a significant boost to the local economy. This revenue will be lost as we will seek other areas in the sun belt to stay that meet our vacation needs. I have no doubt that Palm Desert will suffer a sizable economic decline if this ban is put into place. I strongly urge you to reject this ban as it will substantially reduce tourism in the area, which as you know is a critical component of the local economy. While I do understand there are many positives and negatives around short term rentals, I am sure the positives far out weigh the negatives, and that City Council can work towards keeping both supporters and opponents happy. For example I suggest that the City of Palm Desert turn its attention to the enforcing noise by-laws across all of Palm Desert as noisy, disruptive people should be penalized for their behavior. I am sure other concerns can also be addressed through sensible well thought out initiatives. I urge you to please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. Thank you for considering my position. Sincerely, Charles G. Fisher MD MHSc FRCSC Surgery of the Spine Professor and Head - Division of Spine Surgery, University of British Columbia and Vancouver General Hospital Past President, Canadian Spine Society Vancouver Spine Surgery Institute Blusson Spinal Cord Center 6th floor, 818 West loth Avenue Vancouver BC, V5Z 1M9 1 2 4. Swartz, Kevin From: Dennis Dierenfield <ddierenfield@yahoo.com> Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2017 2:02 PM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: 46086 Shadow Mountain Dr. Dear Kevin, I am in receipt of your letter regrding short term rentals.My wife and I reside part time at 46086 Shadow Mountain Dr. We live here part of the time, and have rented our house occasionally since 2015. My wife was formerly a full time resident of Palm Desert. It was with shock and dismay that I see the city would choose to again,to change the short term rental policy, for serveral reasons. First, there is a shortage of nice rentable homes in the city of Palm Desert as you know. I am sure that you also know that this proposed policy change is liken to an expostfacto law. It is not right to change the STR Ordinance so drastically. It will have a detrimental effect of property values, as well as depriving the owners, and the city, of income . My wife and I are retired and rely on this income. We are discreet on who uses our home, and we have a relative who helps us, to ensure that our neighbors are not effected in any way. Both our neighbors are part time residents, and to have our home occupied, gives them extra security as well. I am in sincere hope, that the city of Palm Desert will reconsider this confiscatory and short sighted ordinance. Sincerely, Dennis Dierenfield 1 Swartz, Kevin From: ashley moliere <amoliere26@gmail.com> Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2017 5:40 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Cc: Tracey Jackson Subject: re: Potential ban on Short Term Rentals City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I am writing in regards to a recent City Council meeting in which members voted to ban any new short-term rentals as well as disallow existing permitted short-term rentals as of December 31, 2019. The fact that existing permitted short-term rentals are not being grandfathered is very short-sighted. I strongly disagree with this ordinance as I believe it will diminish the tourism business in Palm Desert. If the members of City Council choose to pass this ordinance, I will no longer vacation in Palm Desert. Normally when I visit Palm Desert, I spend my money at local restaurants, grocery stores and shopping centres around El Paseo. If this ordinance passes, that money will be spent elsewhere. I urge you to think about the bigger picture and reject this ban because the long term implications will be destructive to the economy of the City of Palm Desert. I suggest instead to look into noise by-laws that will deter potential disruptive guests. Thank you for considering my position. Sincerely, Ashley Moliere 9890 Manchester Drive 1 Burnaby, BC, Canada V3N4R4 Phone number: 778-233-0967 2 Swartz, Kevin From: Doug Lang <doug@douglang.ca> Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2017 11:12 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: Short Term Rental Ordinance City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Via Email Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance We are disappointed to hear that that the City of Palm Desert voted 3-2 to ban any new short-term rentals in residential zones R1 and R2 immediately and to even disallow existing permitted short-term rentals in these two zones as of December 31, 2019. Please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. We believe there are many folks from Western Canada that particularly like to action in Palm desert and choose as we do to reside in a house rather than a hotel for obvious reasons. Thank you for considering my position. Regards, Doug- dl Consulting Ltd. 801- 3355 Cypress Place West Vancouver, BC V7S 3J9 Canada Tel: 1-604-307-6404 This message attachment is intended only for the use of the individual person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged and confidential. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or the agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, your are hereby notified that any disclosing, copying, distributing or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this communication is prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone at 604-307-6404 (call collect) and return the original message to us via email. 1 2 Swartz, Kevin From: Doug Bouche <dpbouche@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, December 04, 2017 7:17 AM To: Swartz, Kevin Cc: Stendell, Ryan; Diane Bouche Subject: STR Input for Consideration by City Council Hello Kevin: Thank you for your letter of Dec. 1, 2017. Regarding the proposed STR ban for R-1 and R-2 zoned homes, we are glad to see that Palm Desert is soliciting comments from property owners holding valid STR permits. We won't be able to attend the December 14 city council meeting, but we wish to convey our views to you and the city council by way of this email. Specifically, we ask that the city council answer the following question: "Of the 276 STR permits that have been issued for homes in R-1 and R-2 zoned neighborhoods, how many noise/nuisance related complaints has the city received over the past year for those properties?" We have not been able to find an answer to this question, although we have heard that the number is very small, especially when compared with the number of complaints received for non -permitted properties in these R-1 and R-2 zoned neighborhoods. If that is the case, then prohibiting these 276 permitted properties from operating their STRs doesn't solve the problem. We believe that homeowners in R-1 and R-2 neighborhoods holding valid STR permits should be exempted from the ban, provided that: 1. They have not had any noise/nuisance complaints; 2. They have been operating in full compliance with the existing ordinance (including payment of TOT); and 3. They are properties for which owners have made STR-related upgrades/modifications prior to the moratorium. This would be with the further understanding that these permits are not transferable and are not renewable upon sale of property or in the event the city pulls an owner's permit due to complaints, non-payment of TOT, etc. In our view, this is the only fair solution that addresses both the rights of homeowners that made STR-specific investments in their property and who have been operating their STRs legally and responsibly, as well as the noise/nuisance concerns that have been raised by various members of our community. We respectfully ask that the city council consider this sensible alternative. Sincerely, Doug and Diane Bouche i Swartz, Kevin From: Danielle Hosmer <pulmonizer@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2017 11:49 AM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan; gerry@nextlevelfitness.org Subject: please do NOT ban short term rentals Hello City Council members, I have been informed that Palm Desert is discussing the potential of banning short term rentals. I am writing to you as a concerned user of such rentals and want to express to you to please continue to allow short term rentals in Palm Desert. The availability of these rentals has allowed my family and extended friends and family to enjoy several wonderful vacations to your great city, and we definitely have plans for many future trips as well. As many of you may know, having a house, as opposed to a hotel room or suite, is really essential to a successful vacation when young children and larger families are involved. A house provides a very special environment that greatly colors the whole vacation experience. I would think that you would be proud of your city to provide such wonderful vacation experiences to families of all shapes and sizes, especially when young children or more disabled elderly persons are involved. Short term rentals also greatly expands the numbers of people who can visit your city and augment the commerce and financial wellbeing of all involved. I realize that full-time inhabitants of Palm Desert neighborhoods may have had bad experiences with vacationers and this is very, very regrettable. I know that there are people out there who do not conform to the laws and general codes of civility. However, this is not a reason to punish those of us who are upstanding guests and greatly respectful of any neighbors, property, and homes used. Short term rentals really are the wave of the present and future in communities worldwide and provide incredible opportunities and experiences for vacations of all levels. Such rentals are an open welcoming door from your community to the greater world and should be respected and nurtured. Perhaps, greater attention and focus should be given to better education and understanding between permanent residents and the overwhelming positive aspects of short term rentals in your Palm Desert neighborhoods. Sincerely, Danielle Hosmer (physician, mother, wife, and avid fan of Palm Desert vacations) 1 November 15, 2017 VIA EMAIL kswartz@citvofoalmdesert.orq City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: Kevin Swartz Dear Mr. Swartz: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance Mr. Swartz, I am property manager working in Palm Desert and Indian Wells primarily. I currently manage 7 Short Term Rental properties in Palm Desert. I have been doing this for 8 years. All of the owners for whom I manager properties are very responsible and take great pride in properly managing their homes. I personally greet every guest at all my STRs and I am on -call 24-hours/day to attend to any problems. I will go out at any time if I have to. I tell the guests the rules and I ensure that the group is who it is supposed to be. Once in a while there has been the occasional disruptive renter who slips through the cracks, but I have found that arises if ever, during the music festivals. Some of my STR owners have decided to discontinue renting to festival attendees to eliminate the risk of these disruptive renters. With my experience, I believe that the solution to some of the issues raised by the residents of south Palm Desert is stronger regulation and enforcement, not a total ban on STRs in zones Rl and R2. We all live in a tourist area and we all depend on that tourist economy for our livelihood. To ban STRs in these zones will greatly affect the property values in those areas, affect the businesses along El Paseo and put many people like myself out of work. This is what I suggest to better control the Short Term Rentals so that STRs and full-time residents can co- exist harmoniously: 1. Eliminate the party house: a) increasing the minimum stay to 3-5 nights would significantly reduce, if not eliminate the party house. Most STR Owners are compliant and do not want partiers and we know from experience that requiring a longer stay of 7 nights 2 will solve this problem. When renters stay for a week, they are not there to party. b) Establish a minimum age for renters. Most of my STR owners have a minimum age of 28 years. The young people are the problem renters and nobody wants problem renters. c) Decreasing the number of extra daytime guests to 2-4 instead of up to 6. d) Decrease the number of total persons permitted per house to 2 persons per bedroom to a maximum of 10-12 regardless of the size of the house (eg. Even if it is a 7 or 8 bedroom house, the maximum number is 12) with special allowances for small children. This would encourage families, which is who everybody wants to attract. e) Maintaining the higher penalties set out in the Ordinance. f) Disallowing outdoor music after 9pm for all neighbors on weekdays and lOpm on weekends - not just STRs. 2. Improve enforcement of the by-laws: a) Improve the presence of code compliance officers after-hours to patrol neighborhoods. This will ensure that an officer is available to deal with a complaint immediately. With the taxes collected, the city could pay for these enforcement services. b) Enable the code compliance officer to evict guests who breach the rules more than once per reservation. c) Fine the renter for by-law violations and enforce the fine against the homeowner - that way the homeowner will be sure to collect from the renter with some kind of a security deposit. 3. Maintain the residential neighborhood in a tourist community: Set a maximum number of STRs that are permitted in a neighborhood. Allow all existing STRs to continue. 4. Discourage unreasonable complaints: Some neighbors are just unreasonable and expect silence at all times, even during the daytime. There should be some kind of fine for the neighbor who complains unnecessarily. I am very concerned about the negative impact that this ban on STRs in zones R 1 and R2 will have on the Palm Desert economy and in particular, on the businesses on El Paseo. I meet and talk to all the renters every day. They are typically extended families with grandparents, parents and grandchildren. They are going to El Paseo and spending money shopping, dining and on services. They come to south Palm Desert because they can walk to El Paseo or take a short drive. They will go to Palm Springs if they can no longer rent houses in south Palm Desert. Instead of spending their money supporting the local businesses along El Paseo, they will spend in Palm Springs. Palm Desert used to be dead outside of the "season". Now, thanks to STRs, El Paseo is still active and vibrant in the spring, summer and fall as renters come for a week or so for a quick and 2 relaxing vacation. Once again, with the STRs gone in south Palm Desert, vacationers will go to Palm Springs instead for their summer vacations. I am also concerned that small business operators such as property managers like myself, cleaners, pool maintenance crews etc. will be out of work with this ban. STR property owners spend way more money and time ensuring that their properties are painted and beautiful than do the full-time residents. Tradespeople will suffer without these STRs. We need to keep these 276 STRs to keep people from the desert employed. I attended many of the meetings and even spoke at City Hall in Indian Wells when that city was considering banning STRs. Indian Wells initially did so, but eventually lifted the ban in September 2017 as they stated that their increased regulations had eliminated the party house problem. Palm Desert should also improve the regulations instead of implementing a ban in any areas. Please pass on my email to City Council. Given my years of experience with STRs, I would like an opportunity to speak to City Council on November 16, 2017 as I fear that the City is going to make a big mistake if they proceed with this ban. Please forward my request to speak to City Council and please advise me as to their response. Thank you. Joe Karas, Property Manager 41865 Moneaque Road Bermuda Dunes, CA 92203 (760) 574-4497 Swartz, Kevin From: Robert Hargreaves <Robert.Hargreaves@bbklaw.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2017 3:26 PM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: Fwd: URGENT: Short Term Vacation Rental - City Council Meeting 0 Robert Hargreaves Partner robert.hargreaves@bbklaw.com T: (760) 837-1604 C: (760) 861-0347 www..BBKlaw.com E1D Begin forwarded message: From: "interWays - connect Your world..." <info.g@interways.de> Date: November 29, 2017 at 3:14:06 PM PST To: <Robert.Hargreaves@BBKLaw.com> Subject: URGENT: Short Term Vacation Rental - City Council Meeting Reply -To: "interWays - connect Your world..." <info@interways.de> Dear City Attorney Hargreaves, we are writing you as owners of a vacation rental property in the Palm Desert Country Club area, specifically New York Avenue, and asking to reconsider the Short Term Rental Ban. We know many people in Palm Desert who are NOT opposed to Vacation rentals, those opposing it are a minority that are taking control of the city's fate! We have heard about the proposed ban on vacation rentals in residential neighborhoods and would like you to consider these items before voting tomorrow: • We are from Germany and have been coming to Palm Desert for many years now. After some thought, we had decided on a vacation property here in 2013, and have invested several hundred thousand dollars in the rather low income Palm Desert Country Club area. We bought a nice house and redid almost everything. • We have spent 200,000 $ in improvements, remodeling the front yard, the driveways, the outside of the house, a new pool, landscaping throughout. This has helped the local community by giving the neighborhood a nicer feel and look. • We have, and are continuing to, support the local economy by hiring local contractors (the above work was done by local companies), hiring gardener, pool boy, property management, all local contractors. This brings almost 50,000 $ alone each year into the local economy. • We have been renting the house for four years now, and never had a single complaint. Our management company, Vacation Palm Springs, are doing an excellent job in ascertaining that guests comply with all noise rules. • Our neighbors are glad the house (that has sat empty for a long time before we bought it) is occupied most of the time, especially during the summer months, when we are not in the area 1 ourselves. The neighbors liked all guests and had nice conversations, they value the added value to the area and their property we have achieved by remodeling the old house nicely. • Especially during the slower summer months, vacation houses can bring some life into an otherwise silent and empty neighborhood. • Restricting vacation rental, which is essential for a home like this, as we can only come for a few weeks per year, will essentially force us to cut back on local jobs by reducing pool and gardening service, perhaps even selling the house in the long run. This will, as we have seen, further put pressure on the home values in the area, since we have seen four for -sale -signs come up in our street in the past week alone, after the new rule was publicized. Negative impact: Property prices are going to decline for all neighbors, more properties will come onto the market and reduce prices overall, many houses are going to be less maintained, empty houses during slower months add to the neighborhoods being dead and rundown. Local contractors will get fewer jobs and contracts. Neighbors will have empty and less -nicely maintained houses in the area. Again: In four years, we have not had a single complaint from neighbors, on the contrary. Only favorable impressions. You certainly remember Palm Springs in the 1980's, forgetting that tourism is the mainstay of the economy, and cutting back on tourism. The result: 10-15 years of economic downturn, that has just recently begun to change to the better again. The Coachella Valley is dependent on tourism, the local economy is based on tourism. Cutting back on the modern forms of that is going to have a severely negative impact on Palm Desert — R1 and R2 zones are just the beginning. The PR zone will be next if precedent is set here. We strongly support rules and strict enforcement, which would give residents the assurance that no noise or other disturbance will be occurring in the future. Please bear in mind, the Desert Cities are RESORT Cities. Don't start to destroy the resort almost everyone here depends on. Thank you for considering our thoughts on this Christian Heiss, Isabelle Heiss, and our children 76908 New York Ave Palm Desert, 92211 415-639-8414 This email and any files or attachments transmitted with it may contain privileged or otherwise confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, or believe that you may have received this communication in error, please advise the sender via reply email and immediately delete the email you received. 2 Stanley, Jane From: Lorne Folick [LFolick@dolden.com] Sent: Monday, December 04, 2017 9:07 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: FW: Short Term Rental Ordinace City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I been informed that the City of Palm Desert voted 3-2 to ban any new short-term rentals in residential zones R1 and R2 immediately and to even disallow existing permitted short-term rentals in these two zones as of December 31, 2019. I was both alarmed and upset to learn about the outcome of the ban. I believe that Palm Desert as a whole will suffer as a result of this short-sighted ban. I am particularly concerned that existing, permitted short-term rentals are not being grandfathered. This seems unfair and precipitous. If this ban goes into effect, I will not be visiting Palm Desert as a tourist in the future. I prefer to stay in homes near shopping and dining amenities, which is the appeal of the El Paseo area. I do not wish to stay in hotels as they do not provide a large space for our extended family vacations. When I come to Palm Desert, we walk along El Paseo for breakfast, lunch and dinner at least 3-4 times per visit. We shop in the stores and use the services nearby. We spend thousands of dollars per trip between our accommodations, food and beverage, recreation and shopping. If this goes through we will choose to stay elsewhere, perhaps in Palm Springs or Arizona where short-term rental homes are not prohibited. I know many other visitors to Palm Desert who stay in this neighborhood for the same reasons I do. It is what draws us and our tourist dollars to the area. I strongly believe that Palm Desert will suffer a sizable economic decline if this ban is put into place. I urge you to reject this ban as it will substantially reduce tourism in the area, which as you know is a critical component of the local economy. While I understand that the residential neighborhood around El Paseo accommodates long-term residents, it is a tourist destination where residents must expect a certain degree of visitor traffic. I suggest that the City of Palm Desert turn its attention to the enforcing noise by-laws across all of Palm Desert as noisy, disruptive people should be penalized for their behavior. Please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. Thank you for considering my position. Sincerely, Lorne Folick. i Stanley, Jane From: Morgana, Tamsin [VA] [Tamsin.Morgana@vch.ca] Sent: Monday, December 04, 2017 5:49 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; 'sharepalmdesert@gmail.com'; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: Letter for Council re Short Term Rental Ordinance City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I have learned that the City of Palm Desert voted 3-2 to ban any new short-term rentals in residential zones R1 and R2 immediately and to even disallow existing permitted short-term rentals in these two zones as of December 31, 2019. I am deeply concerned with this decision and that existing, permitted short-term rentals are not being grandfathered which is only fair and what one would expect. I am writing to let City Council know that Palm Desert as a whole will suffer as a result of this short-sighted ban. My family is one example of the impact. My family and I have spent several vacations in the Palm Desert area near El Paseo Drive and we plan to spend more vacation time there in the future. However, if this type of accommodation is not available, it will be the end of an era and we will be forced to look elsewhere as home rental vacations are what we prefer. And, although Palm Desert is on our favorites list, there are other locations that offer a similar climate and experience that we can transition to such as Arizona or even Palm Springs nearby. We prefer home rental vacations because in general, a short-term rental in someone's home is an excellent choice for several couples to get together or for an extended family to be in one place together. We have experienced a high quality residence that is conscientiously run with emphasis on abiding by the rules and respecting of neighbors. It's great to have the local neighbourhood experience and be able to walk to the local area for shopping and restaurants and hiking the local trails which is what we do daily during our stay. By staying in the area and frequenting the nearby businesses, just as the locals do, we are putting thousands of dollars into your community. Palm Desert is not only a residential neighborhood but a popular tourist destination where the needs of both should be balanced. Consumer behavior trends are different today and for tourists, short-term home renting is a growth area of tourism and the way of the future for younger generations. Short stay vacation homes offer a multiplicity of tourism - related benefits for the local economy and without this option in Palm Desert there is a risk for large negative economic impacts to the business community, a potential impact to real estate sales, and loss of jobs and taxes of which it would be very difficult to recover from as there is much competition. Further, an increase in taxes to locals would need to be considered due to a lost tax base. For the above mentioned reasons I urge you to reject this ban. I would recommend that Council shifts focus to exploring and implementing strategies for effective management of short term rentals (e.g. enforcing noise by-laws) for the benefit of the overall community and all types of home owners within. This is a better approach than efforts to divert tourism dollars elsewhere due to poor planning and decisions. Thank you for considering my position. 1 . Sincerely, Tamsin Morgana, B. Admin., BSN, MA, RN 4620 Edmonds Drive Delta, BC, Canada V4K 1M9 604-952-4463 2 Stanley, Jane From: Carolyn Bishop [Carolyn@Bishopwear.com] Sent: Monday, December 04, 2017 12:03 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: Short Term Rental Ordinance December 4, 2017 VIA EMAIL kswartzecity_orp,ilmdcswri.orr' sharepalmde sort; %Kriair corn LAylaianPCitvotPalrnDesert.org jharnik(n)cityofpaiindesert.0rg gnestandePcitvofoalmriesert.ore !-Ionathan(d)city_pfo alnidP,ert or_g kkelly@)cityofjpalmdesert ory; ;vveber@citvofpalrndf >err.or#; rstendell(a)cityofhalmdesert.org City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Dear Honorable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I understand that the City of Palm Desert voted 3-2 to ban any new short-term rentals in residential zones R1 and R2 immediately and to even disallow existing permitted short-term rentals in these two zones as of December 31, 2019. I am writing to inform the City Council that Palm Desert as a whole will suffer as a result of this short-sighted ban. I am particularly concerned that existing, permitted short-term rentals are not being grandfathered, as one would expect. I have been visiting and staying in Palm Desert over the last 15 years. If this ban goes into effect, I will not be visiting South Palm Desert as a tourist in the future as I prefer to stay in homes near shopping and dining amenities, which is what drew me and my family to the El Paseo area. I do not wish to stay in hotels as they do not provide a large space for our extended family vacations. When I come to Palm Desert, we walk along El Paseo for breakfast, lunch and dinner at least 3-4 times per visit. We shop in the nearly clothing stores. We buy groceries nearby and we use various services. We spend thousands of dollars per trip between our accommodations, food and beverage, recreation and shopping. We will choose to stay elsewhere, perhaps in Palm Springs or Arizona where short-term rental homes are not prohibited. I know many other visitors to Palm Desert who stay in this neighborhood for the same reasons I do. It is what draws us and our tourist dollars to the area. I strongly believe that Palm Desert will suffer a sizable economic decline if this ban is put into place. It likely will be unable to recover from such a decline. i I urge you to reject this ban as it will substantially reduce tourism in the area, which as you know is a critical component of the local economy. While I understand that the residential neighborhood around El Paseo accommodates Tong -term residents, it is a tourist destination where residents must expect a certain degree of visitor traffic. I suggest that the City of Palm Desert turn its attention to the enforcing noise by-laws across all of Palm Desert as noisy, disruptive people should be penalized for their behavior. Please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. Thank you for considering my position. Sincerely, Carolyn Bishop Bishop Garment Company Phone 604 255-5461 Toll free 1-800-797-9629 Fax 604 255-9092 email carolvnObishoowear.com 2 Stanley, Jane From: Doug Lang [doug@douglang.ca] Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2017 11:12 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: Short Term Rental Ordinance City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Via Email Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance We are disappointed to hear that that the City of Palm Desert voted 3-2 to ban any new short-term rentals in residential zones R1 and R2 immediately and to even disallow existing permitted short-term rentals in these two zones as of December 31, 2019. Please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. We believe there are many folks from Western Canada that particularly like to action in Palm desert and choose as we do to reside in a house rather than a hotel for obvious reasons. Thank you for considering my position. Regards, Doug - di Consulting Ltd. 801- 3355 Cypress Place West Vancouver, BC V7S 3J9 Canada Tel: 1-604-307-6404 This message attachment is intended only for the use of the individual person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged and confidential. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or the agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, your are hereby notified that any disclosing, copying, distributing or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this communication is prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone at 604-307-6404 (call collect) and return the original message to us via email. 1 City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Dear Honorable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I understand that the City of Palm Desert is considering a ban on existing short-term rentals in the R1 and R2 zones as of January 1, 2020. I am writing to express my concern over this ban for the whole of Palm Desert. I am particularly concerned that the City would consider not allowing existing, permitted short-term rentals to be grandfathered, as one would expect. My family and I have stayed in short-term rental homes in south Palm Desert on several occasions in the past few years. We particularly enjoy the area because of the amenities, for shopping and dining that are within walking distance. We prefer to stay in a home so that we have sufficient room, privacy and areas for us to be together in a relaxed setting. We do not wish to stay in hotels, as they do not provide a large space for our extended family vacations. We also do not like to stay in communities away far from commercial amenities. Therefore, if this ban goes into effect, I do not see us visiting Palm Desert as a tourist in the future. We prefer to stay in homes near shopping and dining amenities, which is what drew us to the El Paseo area. When we come to Palm Desert, we walk along El Paseo for breakfast, lunch and dinner several times per stay. We shop in the nearly clothing stores. We buy groceries nearby and we use various services. We spend thousands of dollars per trip between our accommodations, food and beverage, recreation and shopping. We will choose to stay elsewhere, perhaps in Palm Springs, Arizona or Florida where short-term rental homes are not prohibited. I strongly believe that Palm Desert will suffer a sizable economic decline if this ban is put into place. It likely will be unable to recover from such a decline. I urge you to reject this ban as it will substantially reduce tourism in the area, which as you know is a critical component of the local economy. While I understand that the residential neighborhood around El Paseo accommodates long-term residents, Palm Desert is a tourist destination where residents must expect a certain degree of visitor traffic. I suggest that the City of Palm Desert turn its attention to enforcing noise by-laws across all of Palm Desert as noisy, disruptive people should be penalized for their behavior. Please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. Thank you for considering my position. Sincerely, Jeannie Sturdy 130 Sienna Hills Drive SW Calgary,AB Canada T3H 2E2 403 604 4029 Stanley, Jane From: Noel Johnson [noel.johnson70@gmail.com] Sent: Friday, December 01, 2017 8:36 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Noel Johnson 201 Seville Cir Palm Desert, CA 92260 i Stanley, Jane From: Terry! Fried [friedsfamily@gmail.com] Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2017 3:26 PM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, 1 was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. I have vacationed in Palm Desert personally in short term rentals for over 45 years so I find this move disheartening and unfair. As a new property owner in Palm Desert I bought here specifically so I could use my home as a short term and long term rental until I retire. We find the short term rentals are some of the best maintained homes in our neighborhood. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. 1 lomeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Terry) Fried 21282 Bishop Mission Viejo, CA 92692 1 Stanley, Jane From: Jessica Theis [jessielacroix@gmail.com] Sent: Friday, December 01, 2017 11:25 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Jessica Theis 3603 SW Myrtle St Seattle, WA 98126 i Stanley, Jane From: Jack Johnson [terryj909@gmail.com] Sent: Friday, December 01, 2017 10:43 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Jack Johnson 42841 Scirocco Rd Palm Desert, CA 92211 i Stanley, Jane From: ashley moliere [amoliere26@gmail.com] Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2017 5:40 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Cc: Tracey Jackson Subject: re: Potential ban on Short Term Rentals City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert. CA 92260 Attention: Citv Council Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I am writing in regards to a recent City Council meeting in which members voted to ban any new short-term rentals as well as disallow existing permitted short-term rentals as of December 31, 2019. The fact that existing permitted short-term rentals are not being grandfathered is very short-sighted. I strongly disagree with this ordinance as I believe it will diminish the tourism business in Palm Desert. If the members of City Council choose to pass this ordinance, I will no longer vacation in Palm Desert. Normally when I visit Palm Desert, I spend my money at local restaurants, grocery stores and shopping centres around El Paseo. If this ordinance passes, that money will be spent elsewhere. I urge you to think about the bigger picture and reject this ban because the long term implications will be destructive to the economy of the City of Palm Desert. I suggest instead to look into noise by-laws that will deter potential disruptive guests. Thank you for considering my position. Sincerely, Ashley Moliere 9890 Manchester Drive Burnaby, BC, Canada V3N4R4 1 Stanley, Jane From: Fisher , Charles [VA] [Charles.Fisher@vch.ca] Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2017 1:37 PM To: Swartz, Kevin; Stendell, Ryan; Weber, Susan Marie; Kelly, Kathleen; Jonathan, Sabby; Nestande, Gina; Harnik, Jan; Aylaian, Lauri; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; CityhallMail Subject: Short Term Rental Ordinance Attention: City Council Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I understand that the City of Palm Desert recently voted 3-2 to ban any new short-term rentals in residential zones R1 and R2 immediately and to even disallow existing permitted short-term rentals in these two zones as of December 31, 2019. I am writing to inform the City Council, now for the second time, that Palm Desert as a whole will suffer as a result of this short-sighted ban. I am particularly concerned that existing, permitted short-term rentals are not being grandfathered, as one would expect Thus leaving the visitor to your region with no options other than hotels. I do not wish to stay in hotels as they do not provide a large space for our family and friends - and with larger families costs are prohibitive When we come to Palm Desert, we go to El Paseo and other nearby areas for meals and shopping. To say the least my family and thousands of other Canadians who visit Palm Desert are a significant boost to the local economy. This revenue will be lost as we will seek other areas in the sun belt to stay that meet our vacation needs. I have no doubt that Palm Desert will suffer a sizable economic decline if this ban is put into place. I strongly urge you to reject this ban as it will substantially reduce tourism in the area, which as you know is a critical component of the local economy. While I do understand there are many positives and negatives around short term rentals, I am sure the positives far out weigh the negatives, and that City Council can work towards keeping both supporters and opponents happy. For example I suggest that the City of Palm Desert turn its attention to the enforcing noise by-laws across all of Palm Desert as noisy, disruptive people should be penalized for their behavior. I am sure other concerns can also be addressed through sensible well thought out initiatives. I urge you to please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. Thank you for considering my position. Sincerely, Charles G. Fisher MD MHSc FRCSC Surgery of the Spine Professor and Head - Division of Spine Surgery, University of British Columbia and Vancouver General Hospital Past President, Canadian Spine Society Vancouver Spine Surgery Institute Blusson Spinal Cord Center 6th floor, 818 West 10th Avenue Vancouver BC, V5Z 1M9 1 Stanley, Jane From: Edgar Sandulo [edgardesigns@mac.com] Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2017 1:09 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: Short Term Rentals Dear council member I believe that the Palm Desert will suffer greatly do to the result of this misguided ban. I am particularly concerned that existing, permitted short-term rentals are not being grandfathered, is this truly the case? I think many of the concerns of residences would be better addressed by the enforcing noise by-laws and introduce any other laws that would make the neighbourhoods safer and more enjoyable for all. Disruptive people should be penalized for their behavior. Please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. I will not be visiting Palm Desert if this goes through. In the future as I prefer to stay in homes near shopping and dining amenities, which is what drew me and my friends to to the El Paseo area. I stay in hotels in other cities where I'm not looking for the vacation experience that I go to Palm Desert for. When we come to Palm Desert, we walk along El Paseo daily. If just for an early morning coffee, leisurely shopping or out for a fabulous dinner. We will choose to stay elsewhere, probably in Palm Springs. Especially now as their downtown is getting more and more vibrant, with new shopping experiences. I'm actually quite surprised that Palm Desert is pushing back on short term rentals as Palm Desert is in general Palm Desert is going to be in competition with Palm springs now that the downtown his being revitalized, one would think Palm Desert would do quite the opposite to encourage El Paseo a vacation destination. My choice would always be Palm Desert of course as I don't think Palm springs will ever be able to match the discerning choices in El Paseo. However this changing bylaw certainly would encourage any new businesses catering to an upscale market to now consider Palm Springs. I was also speaking to a real estate agent in Palm Springs who feels this move is going to create a high inventory in Palm Desert in the short term and decreasing real estate values in the long term. Please reject this ban as it will substantially reduce tourism in the area & decrease real estate values. Both these things in the long run will hurt the residence of palm desert as their homes will be less valuable and businesses will be less likely to locate in the area especially if they can capture a new market in the developing downtown Palm Springs. I understand that the residential area around El Paseo accommodates long-term residents, it is also tourist destination where residents should expect a certain degree of visitor traffic. This visitor traffic in the long run improves the quality of life and in general the choices for the long-term residents. Thank you for taking time to read my concerns I truly hope to be able to continue my vacations to El Paseo t Sincerely, Edgar Sandulo Edgar Designs 604 618 5424 Sent from my iPad 2 Stanley, Jane From: Patti Gudewill [pattigudewill@gmail.com] Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2017 10:02 AM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: Fwd: Last favour for our short-term rental campaign - I promise! City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I understand that the City of Palm Desert voted 3-2 to ban any new short-term rentals in residential zones R1 and R2 immediately and to even disallow existing permitted short-term rentals in these two zones as of December 31, 2019. I am writing to inform the City Council that Palm Desert as a whole will suffer as a result of this short-sighted ban. I am particularly concerned that existing, permitted short-term rentals are not being grandfathered, as one would expect. I am second generation visiting Palm Desert (my parents went in the (60/70/80/90) renting places and my husband and i have been going down for the past 30 years as well as our children. What you are considering to do would be a huge impact on your beloved Palm Desert. Frankly, it would not be the same if it didn't have so many tourists coming to enjoy the restaurants, shopping, hiking and so forth. As a Canadian, I love coming down to get out of our dreary winters and my husband and I have made many new friends in Palm Desert. I also love the people that work there. So friendly, helpful and I know they love to have tourists as everytime I go down they say soil litil This has really been very upsetting for many of us that love to visit Palm Desert. If I can't rent for a few weeks I will look elsewhere sadly. But I will miss this lovely city. Sincerely, Patti Gudewill 4778 West 2nd Avenue Vancouver, B.C. Canada i Stanley, Jane From: Michelle Cote -Dear [cotedear@gmail.com] Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2017 12:43 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance Dear Palm Desert Council Members: If the ban on short-term rentals goes into effect, I will no longer bring my family to vacation in Palm Desert. El Paseo has been our choice of destination for years as it is a short flight from Vancouver, B.C, Canada —one we can make several times a year. As a family, it has been an ideal area to rent a home; my wife and her friends shop on El Paseo during the day while the teenagers prefer to walk to the mall to spend their money. We dine nightly as a family at the various restaurants on El Paseo, quite often with other Vancouver families. I know I am not the only father considering alternate vacation destinations, such as Arizona. As a business man, what concerns me most is City Council's proposal that existing, permitted, short-term rentals are not being 'grandfathered'. Disallowing existing, permitted rentals is unfair to local businesses who will suffer greatest from the sudden impact of decreased tourism. It is short-sighted to think one can find an immediate fix without somebody suffering the future after -shocks of decreased tourism. Although appeasing the long-term resident voters may seem appealing, maintaining financial integrity of one's City must be the long-term vision for any City Council Member. Supporting local businesses is at the core of a City's strength and stability. 1 urge the City Council Members to reject the ban on short-term rentals and focus your attention on the real problem: noise by- laws and penalizing those who disrespect such by-laws. Please reconsider the short-term rental ban before we `snow birds' are forced to decide upon another sunny, family -friendly, golf destination in which to spend our money. Sincerely, Bryan Dear Vancouver, BC Canada 604.351.8812 bd( calneva888.com 1 Stanley, Jane From: Worth Banner [worthbanner@gmail.com] Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2017 9:18 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: Short Term Rental Ordinance City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Warino Drive Palm Desert. CA 92260 Attention: Citv Council Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I understand that the City of Palm Desert is considering a ban on existing short-term rentals in the R1 and R2 zones as of January 1, 2020. I am writing to express my concern over this ban for the whole of Palm Desert. I am particularly concerned that the City would consider not allowing existing, permitted short-term rentals to be grandfathered, as one would expect. My family and I have stayed in short-term rental homes in south Palm Desert on several occasions in the past few years. We particularly enjoy the area because of the amenities, for shopping and dining that are within walking distance. We prefer to stay in a home so that we have sufficient room, privacy and areas for us to be together in a relaxed setting. We do not wish to stay in hotels as they do not provide a large space for our extended family vacations. We also do not like to stay in communities away far from commercial amenities. Therefore, if this ban goes into effect, I do not see us visiting Palm Desert as a tourist in the future. We prefer to stay in homes near shopping and dining amenities, which is what drew us to the El Paseo area. When we come to Palm Desert, we walk along El Paseo for breakfast, lunch and dinner several times per stay. We shop in the nearly clothing stores. We buy groceries nearby and we use various services. We spend thousands of dollars per trip between our accommodations, food and beverage, recreation and shopping. We will choose to stay elsewhere, perhaps in Palm Springs, Arizona or Florida where short-term rental homes are not prohibited. I strongly believe that Palm Desert will suffer a sizable economic decline if this ban is put into place. It likely will be unable to recover from such a decline. I urge you to reject this ban as it will substantially reduce tourism in the area, which as you know is a critical component of the local economy. While I understand that the residential neighborhood around El Paseo accommodates long-term residents, Palm Desert is a tourist destination where residents must expect a certain degree of visitor traffic, most of which will occur regardless of a new ordinance, I suggest that the City of Palm Desert turn its attention to enforcing noise by-laws across all of Palm Desert 1 as noisy, disruptive people should be penalized for their behavior. Please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. Thank you for considering our position. Sincerely, Worth Banner and Elaine Cooper 2 Stanley, Jane From: Gary & Lynn [gary.lynn@azureseas.caj Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2017 7:30 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Ban on R1, R2, Short Term Rentals To whom it may concern, I have been travelling to Palm Desert for a sunny get -away for the last 20 years and have spent many of my hard earned dollars playing golf at my favourite golf course, Desert Willows (among others) and dinning at one or another of the many fine dinning establishments in the area. I was shocked and saddened when I heard of City Council's movement to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. I, personally will not travel to, and stay at, Palm Desert if 1 have to resort to staying at a Hotel or some such other accommodation. We have been renting a home in Palm Desert for several years and are responsible guests. We do not make noise or in any way annoy the neighbours as I am sure is the case with most vacation renters. I am sure there are many that just go to "party", but I would wager that is a minority and as such more of an enforcement issue, Without the ability to rent this home (77271 Ohio Circle) we would find it much less desirable to vacation in your city and would likely opt to go elsewhere. We love Palm Desert, but, if this bylaw were to be successfully adopted, would feel forced to choose another destination for our R & R. Please consider removing the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Please consider, I remain, Gary Slater Palm Desert Vacationer. 1 Stanley, Jane From: Rod Lee [rd.lee@yahoo.cal Sent: Monday, December 04, 2017 8:36 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: [SPAM] - Fw: letter to city hall re Short Term Rental Ordinance City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I have learned that the City of Palm Desert voted 3-2 to ban any new short-term rentals in residential zones R 1 and R2 immediately and to even disallow existing permitted short-term rentals in these two zones as of December 31, 2019. I want you to know that I am deeply concerned with this decision and that existing, permitted short-term rentals are not being grandfathered which is only fair and what one would expect. I am writing to let City Council know that Palm Desert as a whole will suffer negative consequences as a result of this short-sighted ban. For example, as a repeat renter and visitor to the area, if this regulation comes to fruition it will mean I will have to invest my future tourism dollars at another location outside Palm Desert. Multiply that by all the renters annually and over time and the lost tourist dollars could be significant. A short-term home rental at a local residence is my holiday of choice. It's an option for my family to enjoy a local experience. We have experienced short-term rental owners that are responsible and respectful of the neighbourhood and whom display rules in a visible location. They employ trades people, contractors, managers, cleaning and gardening staff that are readily available and promote the use of local businesses. The houses are so well equipped, clean and well run, relatively in expensive, and convenient. They offer easy access to parking, shops, restaurants, and local outdoor activities. To me, it's a more relaxing holiday than staying in a large hotel. The benefit to Palm Desert is that thousands of my dollars go into your economy and there's a vibrancy to the community rather than closed shops, too many for sale signs and an economically depressed atmosphere. If managed effectively (e.g. enforcing noise bylaws) short-term rentals are a win -win for the community. If they are banned there will be economic, employment, and tourism losses to Palm Desert and a need to raise local taxes. I urge you to rethink and reject this ban and consider all types of homeowners in Palm Desert. Thank you for considering my position. i Sincerely, Rod Lee Box 3, Lacadena, Saskatchewan SOL 1VO 604-836-3143 2 Stanley, Jane From: Tracey Jackson [Tracey@dunnawayjackson.com] Sent: Monday, December 04, 2017 1:46 AM To: Stanley, Jane; Harnik, Jan Subject: [SPAM] - Meeting request regarding short-term rental ordinance Attachments: STR constitutional violations.docx Mayor Harnik, I write with respect to the recent decision of the Palm Desert City Council to ban short-term rentals in the R1 and R2 zones of Palm Desert. I am concerned about the negative impact of this ban on the City of Palm Desert. The current Ordinance will inevitably result in expensive and protracted litigation for the City as it isolates a particular group (short- term rental owners in zones R1 and R2) and infringes on their private property rights in an unjustifiable manner. This Ordinance is too extreme a measure for the City to take at this juncture without having first tried other measures that are less intrusive on the constitutional rights of private property owners. The laudable objective of the Ordinance is to reduce the noise and disruption perhaps caused by short-term rentals. However, the City has produced no evidence that short-term rentals in zones R1 and R2 cause more noise and disruption than those in zones R3 and the planned residential communities. In addition, if the objective is to resume the "single-family" use in residential areas, then this ordinance does not meet that objective as 2-night rentals are still permitted with the on -site owner permit, 28- night rentals are still permitted as well as group homes, daycares, and home -based businesses. In addition, R3 and planned residential zones are also "residential" but are exempt from this ban, for reasons that are not supportable. Because the City Council is under an obligation to implement measures that infringe the least on the private property rights of homeowners, the City must attempt enforcement and stronger regulations before it resorts to a ban. This Ordinance is also unfairly discriminatory against homeowners in zones R1 and R2. While Mayor Pro-Tem characterizes this ban as a "compromise" it is unfortunately the wrong compromise as it unfairly discriminates against residents in certain zones R1 and R2, while giving preferential treatment to residents in the R3 and planned residential zones. A better compromise that does not single out a certain group and therefore, not spark such a strong reaction from homeowners would be one that was evenly applied across all zones in Palm Desert. It is the singling out of zones R1 and R2 for the ban while allowing the continuation of short-term rentals in the R3 and "planned residential" zones that has fueled the fury of the short-term rental permit -holders in zones R1 and R2. This Ordinance is not the solution to the problems identified. To avoid a constitutional challenge to this Ordinance, the City must try to implement a more reasonable measure that is uniformly applicable across all residential areas of Palm Desert. Of particular concern is the failure to grandfather existing short-term rentals. Whenever a law -maker decides to reject grandfathering, it is bound to expose itself to litigation. Grandfathering is the minimum that is required to remedy this ordinance. I realize that the City Council could not possibly have the time to read the massive volume of materials that are provided to the members the day prior to the Council meeting. I have taken the time to read all of the submissions to City Council received prior to both the October 26th, 2017 meeting as well as the November 16th 2017 meeting. I have also read in detail the various economic impact studies prepared and submitted to the City. I have synthesized some of the information from those materials that 1 would like to provide to you for your consideration. I would like the opportunity to discuss my attached submissions with you as well as other issues related to this Ordinance. I am available to meet with you anytime this week commencing on Tuesday the 5th of December, 2017. I could also meet with you next week if that works better for you. I hope that you will agree to meet with me as I have spent considerable time and effort informing myself thoroughly of all aspects of this issue. I will be urging you to reject this ban given its violations of the constitutional rights of private 1 property owners in zones R1 and R2, its unfair treatment of the homeowners in zones R1 and R2 as well as it disproportionality. You called the previous draft ordinance "draconian", but the draconian elements of this ordinance remain; they are not eradicated by a 6-month extension of the sunset clause. I thank you in advance for taking the time to meet with me on this important matter. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Tracey L. Jackson Dunnaway, Jackson, Ouellet & Associates Barristers & Solicitors Suite 1205 - 808 Nelson Street Vancouver, BC. V6Z 2H2 Tel: 604-682-0007 Fax: 604-682-8711 This email may be privileged and/or confidential, and the sender does not waive any related rights and obligations. Any distribution, use, or copying of this email or the information it contains by other than an intended recipient is unauthorized. If you received this email in error, please advise me (by return email or otherwise) immediately. 2 Submissions re: The Draft Ordinance 1332: violations of the US Constitution 1. Courts in the United States have recognized that ordinances prohibiting short-term rentals ("STRs") in municipalities may unjustifiably interfere with private property rights and result in a "regulatory taking": Village of Tiki Island v. Ronquille, 463 S.W. 3d 562, 565 (Tex. App. Houston [1st Dist] 2015). 2. The "regulatory takings" doctrine is derived from the United States Constitution. The Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment provides that private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation. Similarly, Art. 1 §19 of the Constitution of California states that "private property may be taken or damaged for public use only when just compensation... has first been paid to, or into court for, the owner." 3. A regulatory taking may occur where government regulation denies all economically beneficial or productive use of land, and does not substantially advance legitimate state interests. Even if a landowner has not been deprived of all economically beneficial use of their property, the economic impact of a regulation may nonetheless indicate a taking: Sheffield Dev. Co., Inc. v. City of Glenn Heights, 140 S.W.3d 660, 671 (Tex. 2004). 4. In identifying a regulatory taking forbidden by the Takings Clause, courts may consider the following factors: a. The economic impact of the regulation on the property owner; b. The extent to which the regulation has interfered with distinct investment -backed expectations; and c. The character of the governmental action. Connolly v. Pension Benefits Guar. Corp., 475 U.S. 211, 225, 106 S. Ct. 1018 (1986) 5. Banning STRs in zones R1 and R2 in Palm Desert will have a serious economic impact on homeowners who rely on the income generated from their rental properties. Most of the 276 short-term rental permit holders will have no option but to sell their residences as a result of the ban. When these properties hit the market for sale, the supply will exceed demand, resulting in a price decrease. Therefore, the property values in R1 and R2 will decline as a result of this ban. 6. The ban will also interfere with distinct investment -backed expectations by prohibiting STRs in some residential zones. Many STR permit holders in the R1 and R2 zones, including myself, originally decided to purchase their properties based on their expectation that they would be able to rent the properties out short-term. Property purchasers in tourist areas such as desert cities typically wish to have flexibility to be able to rent out their properties to supplement their incomes and cover the costs of maintaining their properties. 7 The Ordinance does not provide for the grandfathering of properties that have already been engaging in STRs. Many STR permit holders in the R1 and R2 neighborhoods 1 have been renting out their properties for years, and have made substantial improvements to their property with the expectation of recouping those investments with rental income. The Ordinance will foreclose these permit holders' existing investment use of their property without any avenue for recoupment. In Village of Tiki Island v. Ronquille, an appellate Court in Texas found, on similar facts, evidence of a reasonable investment -backed expectation of the ability to engage in STRs. In that case, the Court upheld the trial judge's jurisdiction to grant an injunction against an ordinance banning STRs. 8. The fact that R1 and R2 are zoned as a single-family residential district is not a valid reason to prohibit STRs in this area. In Village of Tiki Island v. Ronquille, the Court rejected the Village's argument that because a property had been built for the purpose of a single family residence, the owner could not have an investment -backed expectation in its use for an STR. In other decisions, courts have construed the meaning of "single- family use" broadly and have found no inconsistencies between STR use and single- family residential use: Marchenko v. Zoning Hearing Board, 147 A.3d 947, 950-51 (PA. Commw. Ct. 2016). Indeed, in Palm Desert, other uses for properties in R1 and R2 that are not solely "single-family" are permitted such as group homes, home -based businesses, daycares and sober living or drug recovery houses. 9. The issue of whether regulation has gone too far, so as to require "just compensation" for the property owner, demands a thorough analysis of how the regulation affects the balance between the public interest and that of private landowners. Where the proposed regulation of property places burdens on a landowner that do not have an "essential nexus" to a legitimate public purpose, a regulatory taking may be found to have exceeded a municipality's powers: Nollan v. California Coastal Commission, 483 U.S. 825 (1987). 10. The public interest is not well served by the proposed Ordinance as drafted. The Ordinance does not effectively address the problems of nuisance complaints or party houses, nor will it result in the restoration of "single-family" neighborhood character. The Ordinance does nothing to prevent unpermitted homes renting for 28 days during which time the occupants can have a whole different friends or family to stay each night or each week. The Ordinance allows 2-night rentals for owner -occupied rentals which again will create traffic and "transients". The Ordinance allows for 2-night rentals to continue to operate in "planned residential" communities with no density restrictions. If the public interest is to return residential communities to their "single family" use, then this Ordinance does not achieve those goals. 11. In acting to regulate land use, the government must not employ a more intrusive and burdensome means than the Tess intrusive and burdensome alternative. There must be proportionality between a regulation's burdens on property owners and its impacts on the general health, safety, and welfare of a community, otherwise the regulation will be considered an unconstitutional taking: Dolan v. City of Tigard, 512 U.S. 374 (1992). I submit that this Ordinance is more intrusive than other alternatives and is therefore disproportionate. 2 12. There is no proportionality between the severe impact which the Ordinance will have on property owners and its perceived benefits to the general health, safety, and welfare of the community. The Ordinance does not employ the least intrusive and burdensome alternative in achieving its purposes, and there are many potential alternative measures which would better achieve the City's aims while not interfering with the rights of property owners in such an egregious way. For example, noise problems and party houses could be virtually eliminated by implementing simple measures such as 4-7 night minimums, improved security, increased code enforcement and renter fines with improved collection measures. "Saving Provision" 13. The City Council recognizes that this Ordinance infringes on the Constitutional rights of private property owners, and has therefore, included a "saving" clause in the draft Ordinance in an effort to save it from being struck down on the grounds of unconstitutionality. While the draft Ordinance allows existing short-term rental permit holders to apply for a renewal of their permits beyond the end date on the sunset clause, December 31, 2019, under the "unconstitutional takings" exception, this "saving" provision does not bring the Ordinance in compliance with either the US Constitution or the California Constitution for the reasons set out below: a) Requiring existing short-term rental permit holders only in R1 and R2 to apply for renewals of their permits after December 31, 2019 is cumbersome and expensive for the homeowner and the City.' The requirements to make this application are far- reaching: expert evidence, consultants, complete records showing past earnings, past expenditures, past revenue, future revenue, current value, profit expectations and the like. b) While homeowners in R1 and R2 have to go through the exercise in 13(a) above, existing permit holders in "planned residential" or R3 neighborhoods just have to send it the required fee and they will have a renewed permit. That is unfair discrimination. c) Homeowners in R1 and R2 who purchased properties with the intention of engaging in short-term rentals based on the existing law at the time, but who were denied a permit due to the moratorium are denied any opportunity to obtain a permit under this Ordinance. They cannot even apply for a permit under the "unconstitutional takings" exception as it only applies to "renewals" and not to "new permits". d) However, homeowners in R3 or planned residential communities who have purchase on the basis that they would be able to obtain a short-term rental permit, but who were prevented from doing so due to the moratorium will be able to obtain a short- term rental permit simply upon payment of the proper fee. This is unfair discrimination. e) While a homeowner in an R1 or R2 zone who loses his or her permit due to violations has no ability to obtain a new permit under the Ordinance. However, a homeowner in an R3 or planned residential community only loses their permit for a period of 24 months for the same violations. This is unfair discrimination. 'Palm Desert Municipal Code, c. 25.34.140 3 14. The burden of striking a balance between the rights of property owners and the needs of government regulation falls primarily on government officials. In passing this Ordinance, the elected officials of the City of Palm Desert have not properly considered their obligation to infringe upon the constitutional rights of property owners to the least extent possible to achieve their goals. This ban infringes on the rights of property owners to an extreme extent without having tried less -intrusive measures first such as better regulation and better enforcement throughout all residential areas of Palm Desert. 15. Banning short-term rentals in zones R1 and R2 will invite a constitutional challenge to the Ordinance, resulting in a protracted and expensive lawsuit for the City. All of which is respectfully submitted, December 3, 2017 Tracey Jackson (BA, LLB, LLM) 1205-808 Nelson Street, Vancouver, BC Canada traceviackson aatelus.net 4 Stanley, Jane From: Mark Stainer [stainer5@telus.net] Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2017 8:24 AM To: sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan; CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin Subject: [SPAM] - Short Term Rental Sent from my iPad December 02 , 2017 VIA EMAIL citvhal l(a,citvofpalmdesert.org kswartz(a,citvofnalmdesert.org_ sharenalmdesert(a amail.com LAvlaian@CitvofPalmDesert.or2 jharnik n,citvofnalmdesert.ore gnestandea,citvofnalmdesert.ora sionathanacitvofoalmdesert.ore_ kkel lv(aicitvofnalmdesert.org sweber@citvofnalmdesert.or2 rstendell a,citvofpalmdesert.or2 City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Members Dear Honourable Mayor Harnik, Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan and Honourable City Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance We recently purchased our home in Palm Desert after selling our vacation home on the Big Island of Hawaii. Since arriving in the desert we have been shocked and disappointed at the negative rhetoric concerning vacation rentals. Hawaii supports an inclusive culture where visitors are not only huge to the economy of the island/ state but visitors are truly viewed as positive additions to any community. I believe this polarized division of community will only pit neighbor against neighbor rather than supporting an inclusive neighbourhood of full and part residents, along with visitors from other states and countries. I write to express my support for Short Term Rentals throughout the City of Palm Desert, in every neighborhood, not just in planned residential communities. STRs have revived the City of Palm Desert and keep the economy going year-round. Palm Desert has beautiful neighborhoods again which were dilapidated during the recession. If there are problems with noise and parking, then what is required is simply better regulation and better enforcement. The goal is to eliminate the renters who are here to party, not to turn away the great renters who come to Palm Desert because they love our neighborhood. These visitors spend their money in the city of Palm Desert and sustain local businesses. I am greatly concerned for the property values in the RI and R2 zones if this ban goes into effect. In the current economic climate, people want the flexibility to be able to rent out their homes for short periods of a week or so to supplement their incomes or to cover their i costs. If they do not have this opportunity, they will purchase elsewhere, thereby decreasing property values. Allowing 28-day rentals is not a solution because visitors do not rent for 28 days these days. Families travel for one to two weeks and do not negatively impact the neighborhood. This ordinance is contrary to the best interest of all of Palm Desert and I strongly urge the City Council to reject it on second reading. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Mark Stainer stainer5@telus.net 250-954-9811 Aaron Nicklen anicklen!a)shaw.ca 250-248-0959 72877 Bel Air Road Palm Desert CA 92260 2 Stanley, Jane From: Kristi Hanson [kristi@kristihanson.com] Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2017 11:21 AM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please do not Vote to BAN short term rentals Honorable Mayor Jan Harnik and fellow Council Members: I've been a resident of the Coachella Valley for over 30 years. From the first time I moved here, until now, the valley has been a place that is a vacation mecca for many people from around the country. I personally have friends from North Dakota that come and spend a couple weeks to months at a time and are regular renters in our valley. I do understand the desire to keep neighborhoods clean and well maintained, and what I find is typically those homes that are rentals are better maintained than some that are owner occupied. The reason being, you won't garner high rents if the property doesn't show well. They also aren't cluttered with the owners "stuff", including large RV's and other unsightly elements. I live on Haystack Road and have for 19 years. I can honestly tell you, that I only know a few people near me. Homes on my street have sold multiple times, are occupied by people that are not there all that often, and many are elderly people that I do not meet since I work during the day and live a busy life. Does that make my neighborhood anymore neighborly because it's owner occupied? I really don't believe it does. Personally, I would enjoy having some life in my neighborhood for a change. It is common knowledge, that these renters come to our city, spend money in our stores and restaurants, attend events, and ultimately get hooked on our community. As their life evolves, they begin to spend more time, and ultimately end up buying a place here and calling it home. Please don't force those people to look to another community for a short- term rental property and lose out on the ultimate goal of a new resident. 1 I am also a firm believer in property owner's rights. One reason I chose not to live behind gates of a community is I didn't want to have overbearing oversight on my home. I do understand your desire to protect property values, to create a sense of community, and to maintain rule of order. However, it seems to me you haven't fully enforced the rules in place for those people who have property in a rental pool. A few unfortunate situations shouldn't ruin it for everyone. I feel it's time to really dig in and give the enforcement side a chance to work before completely banning the option all together. I urge you to table the BAN and strongly enforce the rules in place. I think we can all coexist together for a vibrant and active community. Sincerely, Kristi Hanson Kristi Hanson, AIA KHA ARCHITECTS 72-185 Painters Path, Suite A Palm Desert, CA 92260 P. 760.776.4068 F. 760.776.4098 NA/ k, .kristihanson.com 2 Swartz, Kevin From: Renee <reneecardenas@aol.com> Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2017 12:11 PM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: STR I am writing to the Mayor and City council to request and review of the ban on STR, actually, I am requesting a ban on the ban. I am still in disbelieve when I drive our beautiful streets to see the ungrateful signs communicating to our visitor that they are not welcome in my neighborhood. Don't we understand that our economy circles around tourism?, Don't' we get that our community is built around vacations and enjoyment? On the other hand, I understand that nobody wants to live next to a house that is a platform for parties, disrupting the life style of our families. The point then, is to identify those owners that have no regard for neighbors and to force them to change their way of handling their rentals. This is the real issue, is simple and clear. Just like we do when a dog becomes a nuisance, the city deals with that individual dog owner, never has been a ban on dogs. What kind of city will we be without the happy visitors that arrive from all parts of the world for our events and to enjoy our great weather? Why do we create events and venues in the first place? I believe that each and every member of the council that is responsible for making decisions about our future is doing it with the interest of the community at heart, thinking about our business owners, our property values as well as the city funds. Renee Cardenas Sent from Mail for Windows 10 1 Swartz, Kevin From: Mary Parmakszian <maryedp@telus.net> Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2017 11:05 AM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: Short Term Rentals City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I understand that the City of Palm Desert voted 3-2 to ban any new short-term rentals in residential zones R1 and R2 immediately and to even disallow existing permitted short-term rentals in these two zones as of December 31, 2019. I am writing to inform the City Council that Palm Desert as a whole will suffer as a result of this short-sighted ban. I am particularly concerned that existing, permitted short-term rentals are not being grandfathered, as one would expect. If this ban goes into effect, I will not be visiting Palm Desert as a tourist in the future as I prefer to stay in homes near shopping and dining amenities, which is what drew me and my family to the El Paseo area. I do not wish to stay in hotels as they do not provide a large space for our extended family vacations. When I come to Palm Desert, we walk along El Paseo for breakfast, i lunch and dinner at least 3-4 times per visit. We shop in the nearly clothing stores. We buy groceries nearby and we use various services. We spend thousands of dollars per trip between our accommodations, food and beverage, recreation and shopping. We will choose to stay elsewhere, perhaps in Palm Springs or Arizona where short-term rental homes are not prohibited. I know many other visitors to Palm Desert who stay in this neighborhood for the same reasons I do. It is what draws us and our tourist dollars to the area. I strongly believe that Palm Desert will suffer a sizable economic decline if this ban is put into place. It likely will be unable to recover from such a decline. I urge you to reject this ban as it will substantially reduce tourism in the area, which as you know is a critical component of the local economy. While I understand that the residential neighborhood around El Paseo accommodates long-term residents, it is a tourist destination where residents must expect a certain degree of visitor traffic. I suggest that the City of Palm Desert turn its attention to the enforcing noise by-laws across all of Palm Desert as noisy, disruptive people should be penalized for their behavior. Please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. Thank you for considering my position. Sincerely, Name Sonja Parkinson Address 1061 216 Street, Langley, BC Canada V2Z 1 R3 Contact Information. Soniaoarkinson@icloud.com 2 Swartz, Kevin From: Gordon Johnson <gjohnson0529@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2017 9:40 AM To: Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan; Swartz, Kevin Subject: [SPAM] - AGAINST Short Term rentals I am writing as a newer resident of the south Palm Desert area. We have had a condo on Shadow Mountain for about 5 years where we don't allow any form of rentals at all. My wife and I just retired and are considering purchasing a home in the area since we love it so much. But since the recent uproar about Short Term Renters and the impact, we are seriously considering not purchasing our full time home in Palm Desert. I have seen the yard signs but only recently started to subscribe to the NextDoor app for the area and didn't realize how much of a problem and impact it is having. We are totally opposed to Short Term renters and the impact it has on any neighborhood but the complaints and conversations we have had since we began looking for a home in the South Palm Desert area has been very disturbing. We know first hand the impact we have seen other places but didn't realize how pervasive it is there now. PLEASE, consider the residences and not just the absentee owners that rent just to make money. You need full time, committed home owners to fill the grocery stores, shop El Paseo and be true owners and neighbors. That leads to stability and fiscal strength. Palm Desert should not be tied to the volatility of the rental markets. Please, keep this in mind as this issue proceeds. You housing stock will be dramatically impacted by this decision, as will our decision to continue to live in an area we love. Gordon Gordon Johnson 73860 Shadow Mountain Drive Unit #1 Palm Desert, CA Mobile: 314.283.8289 1 Swartz, Kevin From: Rod Lee <rd.lee@yahoo.ca> Sent: Monday, December 04, 2017 8:36 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: [SPAM] - Fw: letter to city hall re Short Term Rental Ordinance City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I have learned that the City of Palm Desert voted 3-2 to ban any new short-term rentals in residential zones R1 and R2 immediately and to even disallow existing permitted short-term rentals in these two zones as of December 31, 2019. I want you to know that I am deeply concerned with this decision and that existing, permitted short-term rentals are not being grandfathered which is only fair and what one would expect. I am writing to let City Council know that Palm Desert as a whole will suffer negative consequences as a result of this short-sighted ban. For example, as a repeat renter and visitor to the area, if this regulation comes to fruition it will mean I will have to invest my future tourism dollars at another location outside Palm Desert. Multiply that by all the renters annually and over time and the lost tourist dollars could be significant. A short-term home rental at a local residence is my holiday of choice. It's an option for my family to enjoy a local experience. We have experienced short-term rental owners that are responsible and respectful of the neighbourhood and whom display rules in a visible location. They employ trades people, contractors, managers, cleaning and gardening staff that are readily available and promote the use of local businesses. The houses are so well equipped, clean and well run, relatively in expensive, and convenient. They offer easy access to parking, shops, restaurants, and local outdoor activities. To me, it's a more relaxing holiday than staying in a large hotel. The benefit to Palm Desert is that thousands of my dollars go into your economy and there's a vibrancy to the community rather than closed shops, too many for sale signs and an economically depressed atmosphere. If managed 1 effectively (e.g. enforcing noise bylaws) short-term rentals are a win -win for the community. If they are banned there will be economic, employment, and tourism losses to Palm Desert and a need to raise local taxes. I urge you to rethink and reject this ban and consider all types of homeowners in Palm Desert. Thank you for considering my position. Sincerely, Rod Lee Box 3, Lacadena, Saskatchewan SOL 1VO 604-836-3143 2 Swartz, Kevin From: Morgana, Tamsin [VA] <Tamsin.Morgana@vch.ca> Sent: Monday, December 04, 2017 5:49 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; 'sharepalmdesert@gmail.com'; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: Letter for Council re Short Term Rental Ordinance City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I have learned that the City of Palm Desert voted 3-2 to ban any new short-term rentals in residential zones R1 and R2 immediately and to even disallow existing permitted short-term rentals in these two zones as of December 31, 2019. I am deeply concerned with this decision and that existing, permitted short-term rentals are not being grandfathered which is only fair and what one would expect. I am writing to let City Council know that Palm Desert as a whole will suffer as a result of this short-sighted ban. My family is one example of the impact. My family and I have spent several vacations in the Palm Desert area near El Paseo Drive and we plan to spend more vacation time there in the future. However, if this type of accommodation is not available, it will be the end of an era and we will be forced to look elsewhere as home rental vacations are what we prefer. And, although Palm Desert is on our favorites list, there are other locations that offer a similar climate and experience that we can transition to such as Arizona or even Palm Springs nearby. We prefer home rental vacations because in general, a short-term rental in someone's home is an excellent choice for several couples to get together or for an extended family to be in one place together. We have experienced a high quality residence that is conscientiously run with emphasis on abiding by the rules and respecting of neighbors. It's great to have the local neighbourhood experience and be able to walk to the local area for shopping and restaurants and hiking the local trails which is what we do daily during our stay. By staying in the area and frequenting the nearby businesses, just as the locals do, we are putting thousands of dollars into your community. Palm Desert is not only a residential neighborhood but a popular tourist destination where the needs of both should be balanced. Consumer behavior trends are different today and for tourists, short-term home renting is a growth area of tourism and the way of the future for younger generations. Short stay vacation homes offer a multiplicity of tourism - related benefits for the local economy and without this option in Palm Desert there is a risk for large negative economic impacts to the business community, a potential impact to real estate sales, and Toss of jobs and taxes of which it would be very difficult to recover from as there is much competition. Further, an increase in taxes to locals would need to be considered due to a lost tax base. For the above mentioned reasons I urge you to reject this ban. I would recommend that Council shifts focus to exploring and implementing strategies for effective management of short term rentals (e.g. enforcing noise by-laws) for the benefit of the overall community and all types of home owners within. This is a better approach than efforts to divert tourism dollars elsewhere due to poor planning and decisions. 1 Thank you for considering my position. Sincerely, Tamsin Morgana, B. Admin., BSN, MA, RN 4620 Edmonds Drive Delta, BC, Canada V4K 1M9 604-952-4463 2 Swartz, Kevin From: Lorne Folick <LFolick@dolden.com> Sent: Monday, December 04, 2017 9:07 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: FW: Short Term Rental Ordinace City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I been informed that the City of Palm Desert voted 3-2 to ban any new short-term rentals in residential zones R1 and R2 immediately and to even disallow existing permitted short-term rentals in these two zones as of December 31, 2019. I was both alarmed and upset to learn about the outcome of the ban. I believe that Palm Desert as a whole will suffer as a result of this short-sighted ban. I am particularly concerned that existing, permitted short-term rentals are not being grandfathered. This seems unfair and precipitous. If this ban goes into effect, I will not be visiting Palm Desert as a tourist in the future. I prefer to stay in homes near shopping and dining amenities, which is the appeal of the El Paseo area. I do not wish to stay in hotels as they do not provide a large space for our extended family vacations. When I come to Palm Desert, we walk along El Paseo for breakfast, lunch and dinner at least 3-4 times per visit. We shop in the stores and use the services nearby. We spend thousands of dollars per trip between our accommodations, food and beverage, recreation and shopping. If this goes through we will choose to stay elsewhere, perhaps in Palm Springs or Arizona where short-term rental homes are not prohibited. I know many other visitors to Palm Desert who stay in this neighborhood for the same reasons I do. It is what draws us and our tourist dollars to the area. I strongly believe that Palm Desert will suffer a sizable economic decline if this ban is put into place. I urge you to reject this ban as it will substantially reduce tourism in the area, which as you know is a critical component of the local economy. While I understand that the residential neighborhood around El Paseo accommodates long-term residents, it is a tourist destination where residents must expect a certain degree of visitor traffic. I suggest that the City of Palm Desert turn its attention to the enforcing noise by-laws across all of Palm Desert as noisy, disruptive people should be penalized for their behavior. Please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. Thank you for considering my position. Sincerely, 1 Lorne Folick. pI1I111I1a►'I WALLACE FOLICK Lorne Folick* Ifolick` duIden.coni T 604.891.0352 1 C 604.908.0352 I F 604.689.3777 18th floor - 609 Granville St. Vancouver, h.C'. V7Y 1(;7 LLP ‘vww.dolden.com *l.awV Corporation Follow uS on twitter 1inkedIn Vancom l'r I K log vn,l I (,1lg,try I l or )I1 to I hi, email i- privile ed /confidential and OU need our consent to di,clo,o the contents to a third part. It ,ent to you in error, ple.r,e dclets. 2 Swartz, Kevin From: mlinla@aol.com Sent: Monday, December 04, 2017 5:28 PM To: Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan; Swartz, Kevin; lisa.riding@turnkeyvr.com Subject: [SPAM] - Re: Short term rentals I watched the last council meeting again on my computer. It was distressing to watch the rug pulled out from under me. There is no good faith in Palm Desert. It seems besides Council women Weber and Nestande there is no talk of compromise. As I have stated before we bought this home in a resort town as a short term vacation home in 2014 with the plans to move into the home in 10 years. I do not know the numbers but I am sure many of the homes in my area are 2nd homes .If we would have known at the time of our purchase that there was a chance that we could not conduct business we would not have purchased the home. Especially with the amount of work we had to put into it. All the monies we receive go back into the house. Either expenses, repairs or upgrades. Our management company, Turnkey, screens the applicants. We only want responsible adults that will respect our home and neighbors. We would rather not rent to someone who may be a problem and would happily lose the income for that time. Since our first guest in March of 2015 we have not had any complaints from anyone. Turnkey monitors the house. What is the difference between an HOA and and a R1 that is supervised? I believe it was stated that there are only 212 legal R1 short term rentals, which we are one of. It seems to me that the non -licensed illegal rentals are much more of a problem than we are. Why make us pay for a few homes that are unregulated and have no enforcement? Give enforcement a chance. I know I am in the 20% but I still count! Why us?? And no Council woman Kelly, I do not want to sell my home and take a loss. Mary Lou Grant Original Message From: mlinla <mlinla@aol.com> To: LAylaian <LAvlaian@CitvofPalmDesert.orq>; jharnik <iharnik@citvofpalmdesert.ora>; sjonathan <sjonathan@cityofpalmdesert.orq>; kkelly <kkelly@cityofpalmdesert.orq>; SWeber <SWeber@citvofpalmdesert.orq>; rstendell <rstendell@ citvofpalmdesert.orq>; kswartz <kswartz@citvofpalmdesert.orq>; lisa.riding <lisa.ridina@turnkeyvr.com>; steveaspel <steveaspel@aol.com> Sent: Tue, Nov 14, 2017 10:10 pm Subject: Short term rentals Mary Lou Grant 45625 Quailbrush St. Palm Desert 92260 https://www.vrbo.com/690628 I am a R-1 property owner, licensed in Palm Desert for short term rentals. Our home was purchased with short term rentals as the main reason. This is a needed income stream for us. Over $100,000 has been spent to update the property. We have been with Turnkey Management Company since we started in March of 2015. Turnkey vigorously screens each guest before they approve them. We usually have 2-4 older adults as guests. Turnkey monitors the house. When we started we gave letters to each of our neighbors that may be impacted, with the management company name and contact information for them as well for us. We stated that if there were any problems to please use the contact numbers. We check in with our neighbor Hal at 45657 Quailbrush St, who is a full time resident, and active in the community, when we are out in the desert. So far he said, there has been no problems. I understand if our property was a nuisance, but it is not! We follow all the rules. We are licensed, we pay taxes. It is not fair that because of a few bad apples we cannot conduct business. We should be able to do as we want with our property. That is why we bought a SFR. I hope you read this and take into account the good short term rentals in Palm Desert. Mary Lou Grant 1 Swartz, Kevin From: Carolyn Bishop <Carolyn@Bishopwear.com> Sent: Monday, December 04, 2017 12:03 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: Short Term Rental Ordinance December 4, 2017 VIA EMAIL c1;' tt31!<<'�ltyUt4l��lt�t�:��'�Prt Or;: I!��.^:ai t7!7f ft`7c)ffidlfTldP)t'rt.Ur: >11,3: ep_jlnidesnrt_t'- iri,-ri!.coni LAylai,in (:::`LrtyofPalnr)es Tt o h-irr:kLi' ty.,rpalindeseri_or,z gnestande@citvofpalmdesert.ore jf:nathan �� ityofpalmdeeerrt.cr,A i<,1<<Ily. _city �fPalmdesert.o:� vc-hc:r p:ityofpalnliieser-t or ; City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: Citv Council Dear Honorable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I understand that the City of Palm Desert voted 3-2 to ban any new short-term rentals in residential zones R1 and R2 immediately and to even disallow existing permitted short-term rentals in these two zones as of December 31, 2019. I am writing to inform the City Council that Palm Desert as a whole will suffer as a result of this short-sighted ban. I am particularly concerned that existing, permitted short-term rentals are not being grandfathered, as one would expect. I have been visiting and staying in Palm Desert over the last 15 years. If this ban goes into effect, I will not be visiting South Palm Desert as a tourist in the future as I prefer to stay in homes near shopping and dining amenities, which is what drew me and my family to the El Paseo area. I do not wish to stay in hotels as they do not provide a large space for our extended family vacations. When I come to Palm Desert, we walk along El Paseo for breakfast, lunch and dinner at least 3-4 times per visit. We shop in the nearly clothing stores. We buy groceries nearby and we use various services. We spend thousands of dollars per trip between our accommodations, food and beverage, recreation and shopping. We will choose to stay elsewhere, perhaps in Palm Springs or Arizona where short-term rental homes are not prohibited. I know many other visitors to Palm Desert who stay in this neighborhood for the same reasons I do. It is what draws us and our tourist dollars to the area. I strongly believe that Palm Desert will suffer a sizable economic decline if this ban is put into place. It likely will be unable to recover from such a decline. i I urge you to reject this ban as it will substantially reduce tourism in the area, which as you know is a critical component of the local economy. While I understand that the residential neighborhood around El Paseo accommodates long-term residents, it is a tourist destination where residents must expect a certain degree of visitor traffic. I suggest that the City of Palm Desert turn its attention to the enforcing noise by-laws across all of Palm Desert as noisy, disruptive people should be penalized for their behavior. Please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. Thank you for considering my position. Sincerely, Carolyn Bishop Bishop Garment Company Phone 604 255-5461 Toll free 1-800-797-9629 Fax 604 255-9092 email carolvn@bishopwear.com 2 Swartz, Kevin From: Aylaian, Lauri Sent: Monday, December 04, 2017 12:46 PM To: Patty Reed Cc: Klassen, Rachelle; Stendell, Ryan; Swartz, Kevin Subject: RE: STR ordinance Dear Mr. and Mrs. Reed, Thank you for expressing your concerns regarding short term vacation rentals in Palm Desert. I am forwarding a copy of your email message to the members of the City Council so that they, too, will have the benefit of your input. Sincerely, Lauri Aylaian City Manager Ph: 760.346.0611 Direct: 760.776.6481 laylaian@cityofpalmdesert.org From: Patty Reed[mailto:pattvreedplmdsrt@aol.comj Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2017 3:58 PM To: Aylaian, Lauri <lavlaian@cityofpalmdesert.org> Subject: STR ordinance Dear Ms. Aylaian, My husband and I attended the City Council meeting on November 16. We were there as 32-year residents of Palm Desert who are concerned with the proliferation of STRs in our R-1 neighborhood. We arrived before the meeting began at 4:00 pm and found the agenda items that were discussed prior to opening the meeting for "remarks on the STR ordinance" to be illuminating as well as having a direct hearing on the ordinance regarding STRs. A member of COPs was honored for his years of service to Palm Desert. Full-time residents volunteer to give hack to our city through this wonderful organization and we arc grateful for their service and commitment. Short-term renters do not. Residents of our city volunteer in other ways. We have volunteered at McCallum Theatre for 22 years. As Master Gardeners we provide service to Palm Desert at a variety of venues including The Living Desert, the Farmer's Market, and at UCR Palm Desert. Our city "snow birds" who are here for the winter months, often as Tong -term renters, volunteer in these organizations as well. Short-term renters do not. There was discussion about the possibility of providing live -streaming of the Council Meetings. The Mayor commented that our city needs people to attend meetings and be personally engaged in our city and its government; it does not need to create "living room quarterbacks." The grass -roots organization that promotes limiting STRs in R-1 zoned areas is doing just that — becoming involved! Short-term renters do not. Another item for consideration was investing City funds in refurbishing parking Tots adjacent to El Paseo. Council members remarked that when we maintain our city, everyone benefits from funds spent in that way, not just the businesses adjacent to the parking Tots. We feel that concept also applies to R-1 neighborhoods. When the integrity of the neighborhood is maintained as non-commercial, the entire city benefits through maintained or increased property values. Our property value decreases if we have an STR adjacent or near our property — the existence of an STR must he declared when listing a home for sale, and many buyers immediately look elsewhere. 1 Investors in STRs promote "Share Palm Desert." Their sign features a photo of El Paseo. We agree. Commercially zoned areas such as those around El Paseo should be shared with STRs, and STRs should be allowed to operate there. Investors should not he allowed to conduct their business in residential neighborhoods, capitalizing on the time and energy we have invested in our R-1 neighborhoods that make them so desirable. In the past, the City fully supported citizens' requests to maintain quiet neighborhoods. Susie Peat, just honored as Citizen of the Year, reminded us that families who lived a quarter mile away in an R-1 zone maintained that the loud music blaring from Augusta (located in a commercial zone) disturbed their ability to enjoy the peace and quiet of their homes and property. The City Council listened to its citizens and acted to maintain the peace and quiet of that neighborhood. Once again, the residents are asking that the Council support their desire to have residential neighborhoods without the noise, traffic, and trash that often accompany an STR (a commercial venture). We fully support the compromise ordinance that allows short-term rentals of a room or rooms, or a casita, with the owner in residence in R-1 and R-2 zoned neighborhoods. We believe that the extension of STR conversion (to rentals of one month or more) to two full years is another acceptable compromise. We applaud the Council for listening to their constituents who have invested in Palm Desert. We've invested in our homes, we invest in our local businesses by shopping locally, we invest in our community through volunteerism, and we invest in the people of Palm Desert by looking out for and assisting our neighbors in our neighborhoods. Thank you for your support of the ordinance to phase -out short-term rentals in Palm Desert's R-1 and R-2 neighborhoods. Sincerely, Patricia and Richard Reed 72810 Tamarisk St. Palm Desert CA 92260 Thank you for responding to a previous email. We appreciated knowing that you had received it. 2 December 4, 2017 To: Kevin Swartz Associate Planner, City of Palm Desert Re: Short -Term Rentals To Whom it May Concern, Nearly three years ago my husband and 1 were able to fulfill a lifelong dream, purchasing a modest Palm Desert home for weekends, vacations, and potential retirement. Because we are not wealthy, this extraordinary lifestyle would not be possible without the ability to offset expenses with rental income during part of the year. We believe everyone is entitled to the peaceful enjoyment of their home: we certainly value that experience ourselves, and carefully screen our vacation rental guests to ensure nothing about their stay(s) will disrupt the neighborhood in any way. Our house has NEVER been the subject of neighbor complaints. But while I empathize with my neighbors who are disturbed by so-called "party houses," -- and am privately horrified that any responsible homeowner would be so cavalier about such a valuable asset -- I worry deeply about the divisive conversation currently taking place regarding short-term rentals in Palm Desert. I believe STRs are an important part of our local economy, and welcome stronger enforcement measures on the city's part. I feel a few "bad apples" (especially investors who own multiple properties for the sole purpose of operating year-round STRs) are spoiling it for everyone. It disturbs me that numerous neighbors demonize EVERYONE who operates an STR, without differentiating those of us who operate legally, respectfully, and out of financial necessity. Speaking of finances, the city benefits greatly from responsibly managed STRs. We compliant owners collect and remit TOT taxes, and our upscale properties offer a lodging alternative that draws visitors to Palm Desert, rather than staying in other desert cities. The guests we rent to are given a list of host -recommended restaurants, shopping and activities that ALL lie within city limits, and increase tourism revenue for Palm Desert. We employ Valley residents for year-round maintenance of our home, at a far greater frequency than would be required for mere personal use. I strongly feel the proposed ban is not an effective solution. Eliminating ALL STR units will unfairly penalize law-abiding residents, part- and full-time. The Coachella Valley has, for decades, been supported and largely defined by its seasonal residents and visitors. An outright STR ban creates a dangerous precedent that would radically change the economic engine driving our region! Vacation rental permits should be based upon a HOMEOWNER'S ABILITY TO RESPONSIBLY MANAGE THE PROPERTY. Stronger enforcement, including additional code enforcement officers and harsh penalties, is key to protecting our quality of life. **Please remember, disruptive behavior is the problem, and is just as likely to be committed by long-term renters and owners. 1 urge you to consider measures, that, for example 1) Create a minimum stay requirement that eliminates the one- and two -night stays that account for disruptive weekend parties, and 2) Enforce stringent penalties based upon the number of substantiated (i.e. documented in -person by police) violations. I want the city to have the tools it needs to shut down the bad guys. I do not want the city to take property rights away from those who have done nothing wrong. Thank you for your time, Sincerely, Stephanie A. Yates Stanley, Jane From: Trish and/or Bert <trishbert@shaw.ca> Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2017 5:51 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: Short Term Rental Ordinance - Palm Desert December 5, 2017 VIA EMAIL City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I understand that the City of Palm Desert is considering a ban on existing short-term rentals in the R1 and R2 zones as of January 1, 2020. I am writing to express my concern over this ban for the whole of Palm Desert. I am particularly concerned that the City would consider not allowing existing, permitted short-term rentals to be grandfathered, as one would expect. My family (ages 25 - 80) and I have stayed in short-term rental homes in south Palm Desert 3x in the past 5 years for 10 days each stay. In the past 30 years, we have visited the Palm Desert at least 10 times. We particularly enjoy the area because of the amenities, for shopping and dining that are within walking distance. We prefer to stay in a home so that we have sufficient room, privacy and areas for us to be together in a relaxed setting and great for Mom who has limited mobility. We do not wish to stay in hotels as they do not provide a large space for our extended family vacations. We also do not like to stay in communities away far from commercial amenities. Therefore, if this ban goes into effect, I do not see us visiting Palm Desert as a tourist in the future. We prefer to stay in homes near shopping and dining amenities, which is what drew us to the El Paseo area. When we come to Palm Desert, we walk along El Paseo for breakfast, lunch and dinner several times per stay. We love El Paseo - especially sitting outside at Tommy Bahamas! . We shop in the nearly clothing stores. We buy groceries and wine nearby and we use various services. We spend thousands of dollars per trip between our accommodations, food and beverage, recreation and shopping. We will choose to stay elsewhere, perhaps in Palm Springs, Scottsdale or Fort Lauderdale where short-term rental homes are not prohibited. I strongly believe that Palm Desert will suffer a sizable economic decline if this ban is put into place. It likely will be unable to recover from such a decline. I urge you to reject this ban as it will substantially reduce tourism in the area, which as you know is a critical component of the local economy. While I understand that the residential neighborhood around El Paseo accommodates long-term residents, Palm Desert is a tourist destination where residents must expect a certain degree of visitor traffic. I suggest that the City of Palm Desert turn its attention to enforcing noise by-laws across all of Palm Desert as noisy, disruptive people should be penalized for their behavior. Please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. i The owners of the homes we have rented have been fabulous - they are very transparent with all of the rules of the house (even going to the point of the sound system automatically shutting down at 10 pm) and the Property Manager is always available 24/7. I must say, when we stayed there in September and there were signs on lawns trying to ban short-term rentals, we felt very unwelcome and uncomfortable. The opposite should be happening, as we are a great asset to the neighbourhood and are great neighbours! Thank you for considering my position. Sincerely, Patricia Flett 2371 Orchard Avenue Sidney BC V8L 1V1 Canada 1-250-886-3428 (cell) 2 Stanley, Jane From: Stephanie Tafoya <stafoya@cox.net> Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2017 2:59 PM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, As a Palm Desert homeowner, I was shocked to see the City Council vote to ban all short-term vacation rentals in R-1 and R-2 zones. The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please remove the ban and give enforcement a chance to work. Homeowners like myself and countless small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Banning short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Stephanie Tafoya 43040 Illinois Ave Palm Desert, CA 92211 i To: PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL; City Attorney From: Lesley Miller, Esq. resident & property owner December 5, 2017 Re: Present Controversy re Short -Term Rentals My input to present controversy follows meetings with Tracey Jackson, Esq. (licensed in Canada) and other homeowner/landlords in R1 & R2. (I have been licensed in the State of California for 35 years and am a resident of Palm Desert since 2007. I own three single-family homes in South Palm Desert, two of which are rented to a "master" landlord for management. I participated in formulating the 20-year City Plan and have served and currently serve on the Art in Public Places Commission as Vice -Chair. I have expended volunteer energies in favor of the current effort re the undergrounding of poles/wires that remain in the City. Foremost, I have the interests of the City in mind and have minimal economic interest in the outcome of the controversy i.e. I did not purchase with the intent to rent and will probably simply sell my two extra properties if the Council imposes the Ban.) 1. As you most probably know, Cities are required to impose the "least intrusive means" upon their residents to address their regulatory objectives. Here, I understand that the "blue shirts" complain of Noise and extra new people "next door". Noise ordinances with appropriate enforcement should address the issue adequately. (i.e., set a decibel level and enforce it; set a maximum person per bedroom limit and at least see what happens?) Try e.g. a one year experimental "maximum City effort" plan? Ask the "blue shirts" to itemize their issues and formulate a regulation to address each issue with the experimental enforcement period to see what happens. 2. You might inquire of the blue shirts: "Exactly how do you propose that the City compensates for the lost revenue and visitor dollars?" (Tracey has the stats.) 3. "Equal Protection." The HOA's are NOT exempt from City regulation, in my opinion. The appropriate inquiry is: Do the more intrusive City ordinances 1 "Trump" the HOA's lesser -restrictive rules? This is an "equal protection"/ Constitutional law argument. Why should the single family owners be treated more restrictively than the owners within the HOA's? Treat all homeowners within City limits equally. The fact that the City does not collect the tax from the HOA's should not impact the fact that the HOA owners are subject to same ordinances as all others in the City. (Also, of course, when imposing fines, all owners should be treated the same for the same offense and STR's in R1 & R2 should not be targeted for "disparate treatment".) Similarly, it is always wrong to single out certain classes of owners for especially - restrictive rules (especially if they result in severe economic loss to those singled out as they do in Palm Desert. (Here, the R1 & R2 non-HOA owners) unless the City (1) has tried and has exhausted Least Intrusive Measures and has (2) very persuasive reasons for imposition (of the Ban). "Blue Shirt" requests will not satisfy those standards insofar as I am aware. 4. My understanding of the enactment of our "20-year Plan" is that it includes City policy to encourage Diversity (all ages, all types, all levels of education, entertainment venues, etc.) as well the goal to encourage tourism. I particularly like the fact that we wish Palm Desert to become a "central" place in the desert community, literally, a "hub" for tourism, perhaps with a central plaza at some future date (my suggestion). We are gaining on all fronts, to my understanding and thanks to you. (My sister in Massachusetts reports that she hears the name Palm Desert as much, or more, than she hears "Palm Springs" mentioned these days as an alternative to Palm Beach!) In 2016-17, Desert X focused on more than one site for public art installation here in our City and, to my understanding and with my participation, will do so again in 2019. STR's are ENTIRELY compatible with this philosophy. I urge the Council to re -consider the "Ban" and suggest that the Council impose a time frame (e.g. one year) during which clear rules and clear enforcement and uniform fines and uniform rules for everybody in the City, without singling out STR's in R1 & R2 and non-HOA's. ("equal protection"/ "due process" / "notice") 2 Then re -visit the issues at a noticed date. "Table" the "Ban" issues until the least intrusive measures have been tried and constitutional challenges have been fully vetted. I am available for conference if you wish. Lesleg Miller . 4torney at Law Cell 3/0 62.5 0/86 Email lzlymiller[agmail com /.5.59 East Ocean Boulevard '%'ewport Beach, C./ 92661 %rl 94.9 67.1.5/94 Sincerely, , Lesley Miller 7."i466 <joldflower Street `Palm Desert. (]'it 92260 id 760 56.5 7/44 /2 Via San ./1',eolo (ortona.. 4ezzo. halt' .5. 044 3 Stanley, Jane From: Tracey Jackson [Tracey@dunnawayjackson.com] Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2017 9:24 AM To: Weber, Susan Marie; gnestande@aol.com; Harnik, Jan; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Swartz, Kevin; Stendell, Ryan; Stanley, Jane Subject: [SPAM] - synthesized data on short-term rentals Attachments: One -page data on Loss of Tourist Dollars from Ban.pdf; STR fact sheet.pdf; STR - constitutional violations.pdf Honorable Mayor and Council Members: Thank you for reading my communication. Because I now realize that you only receive the "package" of materials just before the council meeting, I know that it is impossible to read all of the materials that are submitted. I have printed all of those materials and I have actually read (not skimmed, but read) them all. The 4"-binder for each meeting is truly impossible to review the night before a meeting. Therefore, I have taken the time to synthesize data and to condense my submissions on the constitutional violations of this Ordinance (all attached). I am pleading with each of you to read these attachments as they are short and informative. I am trying to find a compromise that works, not one that further divides this community and will not solve the problems identified by the long-term residents who dislike short-term rentals. Please find attached data that I have synthesized from economic studies and from information provided from the City, economic studies (cited) and the regulations. I would ask that each of you review this data as it shows a significant impact of this ban on the economic future of Palm Desert, the businesses, the City tax revenues and the residents of Palm Desert. While I recognize that Council Member Jonathan calls this Ordinance a "compromise" because it still allows short-term rentals in planned residential and R3 zones, in fact, it is this differentiation that has fueled and will continue to fuel outrage on the part of the existing short-term rental owners in R1 and R2. To infringe upon the private property rights of a particular group requires the City to have a strong justification for having done so without running afoul of the equal protection and private property rights protected by the Constitution. Without having tried the stronger regulations and better enforcement tools first, the City is violating the Constitution as it has a duty to infringe upon private property rights to the least extent possible to achieve its reasonable goals. This Ordinance is inviting a lawsuit that will be damaging, expensive, acrimonious and unhealthy for the City and its residents. This Ordinance must be rejected on second reading; if not, the City is violating the private property rights of a certain group. I strongly urge the City to reject the sunset clause and if it wishes to take a step toward achieving an appropriate balance that will benefit the City, its long-term residents, businesses, as well as the hotel industry, I second what Mayor Harnik said on October 26, 2017: a 7-night minimum across all residential areas in Palm Desert, not just in R1 and R2 zones. I urge the City to reconsider this Ordinance before it's too late and the economic damage is done. I would like to meet with each of the members of the City Council including the Mayor, in person and individually. I would like to do so next week (commencing on the 11th of December, 2017) prior to the Council Meeting on the 14th of December. I will make myself available at virtually any time next week if you would each take the time to meet with me. I appreciate the time and effort each of you has put into this difficult issue. I also appreciate you all taking the time to read my email as well as the attached (short) data and submissions. With the greatest of respect, Tracey L. Jackson Dunnaway, Jackson, Ouellet & Associates Barristers & Solicitors Suite 1205 - 808 Nelson Street Vancouver, BC. V6Z 2H2 i Tel: 604-682-0007 Fax: 604-682-8711 This email may be privileged and/or confidential, and the sender does not waive any related rights and obligations. Any distribution, use, or copying of this email or the information it contains by other than an intended recipient is unauthorized. If you received this email in error, please advise me (by return email or otherwise) immediately. 2 Loss of Tourist Dollars from Ban' Key facts about vacation home visitors: 1. 33% of vacation home visitors come 3-4 times/year (the highest percentage) (p. 15) 2. Vacation rental visitors are more likely (by margins of 4-19% higher) to spend on dining, shopping, recreation than are visitors to hotels. (p. 18) 3. Vacation rental visitors spend on average $230/day excluding accommodations (p. 18) Key facts about Canadian Visitors: 4. 65% of visitors to Palm Desert are Canadian (p. 37) 5. Canadians are most likely to use a second home or rent a vacation home (p.9) 6. Canadians are the second largest group of visitors to the GPS region (Californians are #1) (p. 21) 7. Canadians spend an average of $353/day (p. 21/31) 8. Canadians are most likely to be married (82%), over 55 (73%), incomes over $100K (52%), with a bachelor's degree or higher (62%), retired or professionals/in management (68%), staying 7+ nights (86%) (p. 25/26/27) Key facts about short-term rental visitors to Palm Desert: 9. Most likely to stay for a week or longer (33%) (p. 33/34) 10. 28% stay 3-4 nights 11. 65% are from Canada 12. Canadians visit 3-4 times/year 13. 33% are most likely to stay for 7+ nights Key facts about second home visitors: 14. 79% of second home visitors stay for 8+ nights (p. 14) 15. Second home visitors spend on average $312/day excluding accommodations (p. 18) 16. In Palm Desert, there are 30,913 households. Of those, 13,992 are owner -occupied and 16,991 are absentee occupied. In other words, more than half of Palm Desert homes are owned as "second homes. (Lawyers' Title) Impact of the short-term rental ban on R1 and R2 17. As of December 5, 2017, 74 (and counting) short-term rental tourists, wrote to City Council stating that they will no longer visit Palm Desert if this ban comes into effect. 18. Tourists who stay in short-term rentals spend $294/day, stay with 4.55 persons/house, for 102 nights per year.2 For the banned short-term rentals in R1 and R2, that's $37.5M per annum in lost tourist dollars coming to Palm Desert. If the second -home owners have to sell, that's also a loss of their tourist dollars to Palm Desert at $312/day per person. 1 Data from Greater Palm Springs Visitor Intercept Study, from data gathered over 2014-2015 prepared for the Visitors Bureau (page references in brackets. 2 Development Management Report on the impact of short-term rentals. Economic and Fiscal Impact Analysis presented to Palm Desert City Council. 1 Palm Desert Short-term Rental Ban Fact Sheet 1. Palm Desert City Council voted to BAN short-term rentals (under 28-days) in zones R1 and R2 (residential) but to allow them in "planned residential" zones. 2. This unfairly discriminates against homeowners in certain (eg. non -gated) residential areas, offends private property rights protected by the Fifth Amendment and the California Constitution that are not saved by the unconstitutional takings exception. 3. At the very least, the City should allow existing, permitted short-term rental homes (276) to continue operating (grandfathered) after December 31, 2019 without having to resort to the uncertainty, expense and of the unconstitutional takings exception application. Failing to grandfather those homeowners in R1 and R2 who relied on the existing laws when they purchased and improved their properties is precisely the provision that will embroil the City in an expensive and protracted lawsuit. 4. Passing this Ordinance with the sunset clause will invite a non -frivolous lawsuit by the group of homeowners in R1 and R2. Why the lawsuit? Because this Ordinance infringes on the private property rights of those in R1 and R2 while not infringing on the private property rights of homeowners in planned residential and R3. There is no justification for this discriminatory treatment under the law. The existing short- term rental permits did not differentiate between R1/R2 and "planned residential" or R3 zones. Because whenever the City infringers on private property rights, it has to do so in the least intrusive manner possible to avoid a violation of the Constitution. A ban is not the least intrusive measure when tougher rules and stronger enforcement have not been even tried yet. Impact of the BAN: 5. The City of Palm Desert will lose at least $700,000 in TOT (transient occupancy tax) per year. 6. The Short-term rentals subject to this BAN bring $37.5M per year in tourist dollars to Palm Desert. Businesses will suffer; some will close, particularly along El Paseo.' 7. Tourists staying in short-term rentals in Palm Desert will stay elsewhere if this Ban goes into effect. As of December 5, 2017 at least 80 visitors to Palm Desert wrote to City Council confirming that they will not return to visit Palm Desert this ban goes into effect. More letters are arriving every day! Those are lost tourist dollars. 8. Property values throughout zones R1 and R2 will decline as homeowners who depend upon short-term rental income will have to sell. Over -supply equals decreased pricing; it's simple, indisputable economics. 9. We need stronger enforcement. The City is supposed to enforce property rights, not ban them in an unfairly discriminatory fashion. 1 Development Management Group Report, "Coachella Valley Vacation Industry Study. Economic Impact Study. Fiscal Impact Study. November 28, 2016." 2 Myths about Short Term Rentals Myth 1. Short-term Rentals cause noise and disruption 2. Short-term rentals give rise to greater complaints in R1 and R2 3. Short-term renters are undesirable types 4. Short-term Rentals are "taking over neighborhoods" 5. Residential neighborhoods are for single- family use Facts In 2016, only 71 complaints were received about short- term rentals. In 2017, 231 total complaints received: 83 were "unfounded", 75 were for administrative issues like not paying TOT. Thus, only 73 complaints for noise/disruption in 2017 and 44 were during the Music Festivals. Only 35 citations issued for 1228 short-term rentals units in 2017.2 Kevin Swartz confirmed that the City does not have any data on whether there are more noise complaints arising from short-term rentals than from long-term residents or long-term renters. Therefore, there is no data to support this allegation. I have asked Kevin Swartz for the breakdown for the complaints listed above. He did not have that information available, but has to compile it. Therefore, there could not have been any data from the City on this point to account for the discriminatory treatment of R1 and R2 homeowners. 65% of visitors to Palm Desert are Canadians. They are most likely to be married (82%), over 55 (73%), incomes over $100K (52%), with a bachelor's degree or higher (62%), retired or professionals/in management (68%), staying 7+ nights (86%).3 These are precisely the kind who stay in short-term rentals The highest density of short-term rentals in any zone in Palm Desert is 5.3%. Even if looked at on the electoral map, the highest density in any one area was only 12%.4 Residential neighborhoods contain mixed use: group homes, daycares, home -businesses, rentals of 27+ nights and 2-night rentals with owner present — all allowed in R1 and R2. None of these uses is "single-family" yet they are allowed in these residential zones. This Ordinance allows short-term rentals in "planned residential" neighborhoods but not in R1 and R2. Planned residential, are still "residential". 2 Data provided by City of Palm Desert, Kevin Swartz. Beresfor Research, "Visitor Intercept Study for the Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau", 2015. ° Short -Term Rental Study Session, City of Palm Desert, September 27, 2017 3 Myth 6. Short-term rentals cause property values to decrease 7. Hotels don't want short-term rentals 8. Short-term rentals were disallowed in Palm Desert until 2012 Facts The opposite is true! Property purchasers always pay a premium for flexible uses of property. In Indian Wells, when the City banned short-term rentals for a 2-year period, it had a deterrent effect on property purchasers. The ability to rent a home as a short-term rental is a positive feature for any purchaser. Firstly, the City ought not to pander to one business interest as there are many businesses with an interest. Tourists who stay in hotels are different from those who stay in short-term rentals. Mayor Harnik said at the October 26, 2017 City Council meeting that she had spoken with the General Manager of the Marriott hotel in Palm Desert who suggested to her that having a 7-night minimum would "level the playing field". Therefore, let short-term rentals have the 7+ night tourists and the hotels to have the 1-6 night tourists for an appropriate balancing of interests. Not true. Short-term rentals have never been banned in Palm Desert. This proposed ban will be the first of its kind. Here is the history. 1973-2000: Municipal Code was silent on short-term rentals; they were not disallowed. 2000-2010: A Conditional Use Permit was required to operate an STR in an R1 zone. Otherwise, short-term rentals were permitted outright. April 2011: Ordinance No. 1223 was adopted, requiring CUPs for STRs in non -gated residential zones. Flat fee of $500 for a short-term rental minor CUP. The cost of a regular CUP was $2,915. A Public Hearing Notice had to be mailed to property owners within 300 feet of the subject parcel and placed in the Desert Sun. The CUP restricted rentals to a 3 day/ 2 night minimum. March 2012: New regulations were established for permitting of all residential STRs within the City. Each property being rented for under 27 days was required to have a Short -Term Rental Permit. Application fee of $25, 3 day/2 night minimum, maximum occupancy of 2 persons/bedroom. 4 Myth Facts January 2017: An Interim Urgency Ordinance: 45-day temporary moratorium on the issuance of new STR permits throughout Palm Desert. February 2017: An Interim Urgency Ordinance: extending moratorium on the issuance of new STR permits for an additional 10 months and 15 days. Short-term Rental Ban violates the Constitution 1. Courts in the United States have recognized that ordinances prohibiting short-term rentals ("STRs") in municipalities may unjustifiably interfere with private property rights and result in a "regulatory taking": Village of Tiki Island v. Ronquille, 463 S.W. 3d 562, 565 (Tex. App. Houston [1st Dist] 2015). 2. The "regulatory takings" doctrine is derived from the United States Constitution. The Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment provides that private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation. Similarly, Art. 1 §19 of the Constitution of California states that "private property may be taken or damaged for public use only when just compensation... has first been paid to, or into court for, the owner." 3. A regulatory taking may occur where government regulation denies all economically beneficial or productive use of land, and does not substantially advance legitimate state interests. Even if a landowner has not been deprived of all economically beneficial use of their property, the economic impact of a regulation may nonetheless indicate a taking: Sheffield Dev. Co., Inc. v. City of Glenn Heights, 140 S.W.3d 660, 671 (Tex. 2004). 4. In identifying a regulatory taking forbidden by the Takings Clause, courts may consider the following factors: a. The economic impact of the regulation on the property owner; b. The extent to which the regulation has interfered with distinct investment -backed expectations; and c. The character of the governmental action. Connolly v. Pension Benefits Guar. Corp., 475 U.S. 211, 225, 106 S. Ct. 1018 (1986) 5. Banning STRs in zones R1 and R2 in Palm Desert will have a serious economic impact on homeowners who rely on the income generated from their rental properties. Most of the 276 short-term rental permit holders will have no option but to sell their residences as a result of the ban. When these properties hit the market for sale, the supply will exceed demand, resulting in a price decrease. Therefore, the property values in R1 and R2 will decline as a result of this ban. 6. The ban will also interfere with distinct investment -backed expectations by prohibiting STRs in residential zones. Many STR permit holders in the R1 and R2 zones, including myself, originally decided to purchase their properties based on their expectation that they would be able to rent the properties out short-term. Property purchasers in tourist areas such as desert cities typically wish to have flexibility to be able to rent out their properties to supplement their incomes and cover the costs of maintaining their properties. 7 The Ordinance does not provide for the grandfathering of properties that have already been engaging in STRs. Many STR permit holders in the R1 and R2 neighborhoods 1 have been renting out their properties for years, and have made substantial improvements to their property with the expectation of recouping those investments with rental income. The Ordinance will foreclose these permit holders' existing investment use of their property without any avenue for recoupment. In Village of Tiki Island v. Ronquille, an appellate Court in Texas found, on similar facts, evidence of a reasonable investment -backed expectation of the ability to engage in STRs. In that case, the Court upheld the trial judge's jurisdiction to grant an injunction against an ordinance banning STRs. 8. The fact that R1 and R2 are zoned as a single-family residential district is not a valid reason to prohibit STRs in this area. In Village of Tiki Island v. Ronquille, the Court rejected the Village's argument that because a property had been built for the purpose of a single family residence, the owner could not have an investment -backed expectation in its use for an STR. In other decisions, courts have construed the meaning of "single- family use" broadly and have found no inconsistencies between STR use and single- family residential use: Marchenko v. Zoning Hearing Board, 147 A.3d 947, 950-51 (PA. Commw. Ct. 2016). Indeed, in Palm Desert, other uses for properties in R1 and R2 that are not soley "single-family" are permitted such as group homes, home -based businesses, daycares and sober living or drug recovery houses. 9. The issue of whether regulation has gone too far, so as to require "just compensation" for the property owner, demands a thorough analysis of how the regulation affects the balance between the public interest and that of private landowners. Where the proposed regulation of property places burdens on a landowner that do not have an "essential nexus" to a legitimate public purpose, a regulatory taking may be found to have exceeded a municipality's powers: Nollan v. California Coastal Commission, 483 U.S. 825 (1987). 10. The public interest is not well served by the proposed Ordinance s drafted. The Ordinance does not effectively address the problems of nuisance complaints or party houses, nor will it result in the restoration of neighborhood character. The Ordinance allows 28-day renters to have different friends or family to stay each week. The Ordinance allows 2-night rentals for owner -occupied rentals. The Ordinance allows for 2-night rentals to continue to operate in "planned residential" communities. This Ordinance unfairly discriminates against property owners in R1 and R2. 11. In acting to regulate land use, the government must not employ a more intrusive and burdensome means than the less intrusive and burdensome alternative. There must be proportionality between a regulation's burdens on property owners and its impacts on the general health, safety, and welfare of a community, otherwise the regulation will be considered an unconstitutional taking: Dolan v. City of Tigard, 512 U.S. 374 (1992) 12. There is no proportionality between the severe impact which the Ordinance will have on property owners and its perceived benefits to the general health, safety, and welfare of the community. The Ordinance does not employ the least intrusive and burdensome alternative in achieving its purposes, and there are many potential alternative measures which would better achieve the City's aims while not interfering with the rights of property 2 owners in such an egregious way. For example, noise problems and party houses could be virtually eliminated by implementing simple measures such as 4-7 night minimums, improved security, increased enforcement and renter fines with improved collection measures. "Saving Provision" 13. The City Council recognizes that this ban offends the Constitution and therefore, the draft Ordinance contains a "saving" clause in an effort to save the ordinance from being struck on the grounds of unconstitutionality. While the draft Ordinance allows existing short-term rental permit holders to apply for a renewal of their permits after December 31, 2019, under the "unconstitutional takings" argument, this "saving" provision does not render the ordinance in compliance with either the US Constitution or the California Constitution. • Requiring existing short-term rental permit holders only in R1 and R2 to apply for renewals of their permits after December 31, 2019 is cumbersome and expensive for the homeowner and the City. The requirements to make this application are far- reaching: expert evidence, complete records showing past earnings, past expenditures, past revenue, future revenue, current value and the like. • Compare that scenario to existing permit holders in "planned residential" or R3 neighborhoods: they just have to send it the required fee and they have a permit. That is unfair discrimination. • Homeowners in R1 and R2 who purchased properties with the intention of engaging in short-term rentals based on the existing law at the time, but who were denied a permit due to the moratorium. They are afforded no opportunity to obtain a short- term rental permit; they cannot even apply for a permit under the "unconstitutional takings" exception as it only applies to "renewals" and not to "new permits". • Compare that scenario to the same homeowners in "planned residential" communities who purchased properties with the intention of engaging in short-term rentals based on the existing law at the time, but who were denied a permit due to the moratorium. These homeowners will be able to obtain a permit simply upon payment of the proper fee. This is unfair discrimination. 14. The burden of striking a balance between the rights of property owners and the needs of government regulation falls primarily on government officials. In passing this Ordinance, the elected officials of the City of Palm Desert have not properly considered their obligation to infringe upon the constitutional rights of property owners to the least extent possible to achieve their goals. This ban infringes on the rights of property owners to an extreme extent without having tried less -intrusive measures first such as better regulation, better enforcement throughout all residential areas of Palm Desert. 15. Banning short-term rentals in zones R1 and R2 will invite a constitutional challenge to the Ordinance, resulting in a protracted and expensive lawsuit for the City. This is not good for Palm Desert! Tracey Jackson BA, LLB, LLM 3 Stanley, Jane From: Nicole Zambon <nicolezambonsd@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2017 12:03 PM To: CityhallMail Subject: Please Remove Ban on Short-term Rentals! Dear Mayor Jan Harnik, The city's thriving tourism economy depends on the visitors who stay in these R1 homes. Responsible homeowners who meet the city's high standards should be allowed to continue operating. Please give enforcement a chance to work. Please put a 5-7 night minimum in place instead of the Sunset. The sunset is not fair and is discriminating. With a longer minimum night stay, better enforcement, and attrition of the bad apples, there will not need to be a Sunset. Small businesses in our community depend on these vacation rentals to stay afloat. Eliminating short-term rentals outright in R-1 and R-2 zones will deprive residents of their property rights and eliminate an important source of revenue for local businesses. Please reconsider this harmful ban/Sunset and give enforcement a chance! Regards, Nicole Zambon 46172 Verba Santa Dr Palm Desert, CA 92260 i Stanley, Jane From: Brad Sherman [bradmix2000@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2017 10:26 AM To: CityhallMail Cc: Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Members Dear Honourable Mayor Harnik, Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan and Honourable City Council Members: My name is Brad Sherman I have a three bedroom home in the residential section of Palm Desert on Shadow Mountain Drive. I bought the house two years ago so I could in the future retire there. I could never have bought the house without being able to rent it out until my retirement. Of course I prefer long-term rentals but many times I'm renting from 1 to 3 weeks especially in the off-season. I myself like coming out in the off-season as well. I enjoy the vibrancy which these vacation rentals bring to the community. I have a property manager who vets my guests and we have to this date had no problems. For the most part my guests are older folks that sometimes invite their families to ,loin them. They don't want to spend their time in a hotel even for the short term. Cutting off short term rental say 3 to 4 night minimum would hurt me financially I'm not sure if I would be able to keep the house. I 1 feel instead of a sunset clause banning all short-term rentals it would be better to make a Min of lweek stays permitable. Of course I prefer long-term rental more but for the off-season and those odd months the short term fills in the gaps. I also think short term rentals offer a lot to the economy of Palm Desert restaurants, shops etc. I agree that if noise is an issue action should be taken; there are laws against that and I approve of them. Let's enforce the laws on the books rather than trying to gut the vibrancy and economy of Palm Desert. Thank You, Brad Sherman 73200 Shadow Mountain Dr. Palm Desert, CA. 92260 (818)421-3933 2 City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Dear Honorable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance CITY CLERK'S RIV�OFFICE PALM DESERT, CA 2017 DEC -6 PM 12: 53 I understand that the City of Palm Desert is considering a ban on existing short-term rentals in the RI and R2 zones as of January 1, 2020. I am writing to express my concern over this ban for the whole of Palm Desert. I am particularly concerned that the City would consider not allowing existing, permitted short-term rentals to be grandfathered, as one would expect. My family and I have stayed in short-term rental homes in south Palm Desert on several occasions in the past few years. We particularly enjoy the area because of the amenities, for shopping and dining that are within walking distance. We prefer to stay in a home so that we have sufficient room, privacy and areas for us to be together in a relaxed setting. We do not wish to stay in hotels as they do not provide a large space for our extended family vacations. We also do not like to stay in communities away far from commercial amenities. Therefore, if this ban goes into effect, I do not see us visiting Palm Desert as a tourist in the future. We prefer to stay in homes near shopping and dining amenities, which is what drew us to the El Paseo area. When we come to Palm Desert, we walk along El Paseo for breakfast, lunch and dinner several times per stay. We shop in the nearly clothing stores. We buy groceries nearby and we use various services. We spend thousands of dollars per trip between our accommodations, food and beverage, recreation and shopping. We will choose to stay elsewhere, perhaps in Palm Springs, Arizona or Florida where short-term rental homes are not prohibited. I strongly believe that Palm Desert will suffer a sizable economic decline if this ban is put into place. It likely will be unable to recover from such a decline. I urge you to reject this ban as it will substantially reduce tourism in the area, which as you know is a critical component of the local economy. While I understand that the residential neighborhood around El Paseo accommodates long-term residents, Palm Desert is a tourist destination where residents must expect a certain degree of visitor traffic. I suggest that the City of Palm Desert turn its attention to enforcing noise by-laws across all of Palm Desert as noisy, disruptive people should be penalized for their behavior. Please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. Thank you for considering my position. Sincerely, Jason Griffin Reidel 3125 Alta Laguna Blvd Laguna Beach, CA 92651 949-463-8206 Stanley, Jane From: Donna Buono <farmstay@morningsongfarm.com> Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2017 2:39 PM To: CityhallMail Subject: Short Term Rentals on Palm Desert Attachments: farmstay.vcf Dear City Council of Palm Desert, I am saddened to hear you are considering revoking Short Term Rental permits in Palm Desert. It's the ONLY way we as a family travel, and we'll go elsewhere if this passes. Additionally, when a landlord finances considerable upgrades after paying for your city's STR permit, they should be able to do that with the bedrock assurance that they are not being played. Paying for a permit, then upgrades, then being revoked... disgraces the concept of Rule of Law in your beautiful community, and is a disservice to both home owners and vacationers. -- Occasionally disputes arise between neighbors, because of a Short Term Rental in a community, 1 strongly believe that those disputes can best be handled individually, not with the heavy hand of destroying a STR homeowner's livelihood. Quite frankly, if I had to live next door to a nuisance tenant, I sure would prefer that that nuisance had NO tenancy rights and was there only briefly. We can always find things to complain about, and we can always seek unjust ham-handed solutions that infringe on others' property rights. It's the job of the clear sighted decision - makers at the helm to refuse to be swayed by emotions and unsubstantiated claims of neighborhood nuisances that are often veiled attempts from the hotel/motel industry to eliminate competition that brings an entirely different guest into a welcoming community. Sincerely, Donna Buono M�RNINO sac iw CERTIFIED MAW FARM 2120 Rainbow Glen Road Rainbow, California 92028 760-468-8583 1 Stanley, Jane From: Wendy Nelson <miss-wendy@shaw.ca> Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2017 2:58 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: Short Term Rental Ordinance City of Palm Desert Attention: City Council Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I understand that the City of Palm Desert is considering a ban on existing short-term rentals in the R1 and R2 zones as of January 1, 2020. I am writing to express my concern over this ban for the whole of Palm Desert. I am particularly concerned that the City would consider not allowing existing, permitted short-term rentals to be grandfathered, as one would expect. My family and I have stayed in short-term rental homes in south Palm Desert on several occasions in the past few years. We particularly enjoy the area because of the amenities, for shopping and dining that are within walking distance. We prefer to stay in a home so that we have sufficient room, privacy and areas for us to be together in a relaxed setting. We do not wish to stay in hotels as they do not provide a large space for our extended family vacations. We also do not like to stay in communities away far from commercial amenities. Therefore, if this ban goes into effect, I do not see us visiting Palm Desert as a tourist in the future. We prefer to stay in homes near shopping and dining amenities, which is what drew us to the El Paseo area. When we come to Palm Desert, we walk along El Paseo for breakfast, lunch and dinner several times per stay. We buy groceries nearby and we use various services. We spend thousands of dollars per trip between our accommodations, food and beverage, recreation and shopping. We will choose to stay elsewhere, perhaps in Palm Springs, where short-term rental homes are not prohibited. I strongly believe that Palm Desert will suffer a sizable economic decline if this ban is put into place. It likely will be unable to recover from such a decline. I urge you to reject this ban as it will substantially reduce tourism in the area, which as you know is a critical component of the local economy. While I understand that the residential neighborhood around El Paseo accommodates long-term residents, Palm Desert is a tourist destination where residents must expect a certain degree of visitor traffic. I suggest that the City of Palm Desert turn its attention to enforcing noise by-laws across all of Palm Desert as noisy, disruptive people should be penalized for their behavior. Please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. Thank you for considering my position. Sincerely, Wendy Nelson 97 Mt. Douglas Circle SE Calgary, Alberta, Canada Tt '-86: I — /CC JJ5 1 Swartz, Kevin From: Aylaian, Lauri Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2017 1:49 PM To: Swartz, Kevin; Klassen, Rachelle Subject: FW: Short Term Rentals NOTE: The members of the City Council are blind copied on this message. Kevin and Rachelle, I received this email message, and cannot tell if it was sent to you as well. The message should be considered public comment for the second reading of the Short Term Rental Ordinance, which is scheduled for the Council meeting on December 14. Will you make sure that it is made a part of the public record and distributed appropriately? Thank you, Lauri A. Lauri Aylaian City Manager Ph: 760.346.0611 Direct: 760.776.6481 Iaylaian@cityofpalmdesert.org From: Brad Sherman jmailto:bradmix2000Pgmail.comi Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2017 10:31 AM To: Aylaian, Lauri <Iavlaian@citvofpa►mdesert.org> Subject: Short Term Rentals City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Members 1 Dear Honourable Mayor Harnik, Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan and Honourable City Council Members: My name is Brad Sherman I have a three bedroom home in the residential section of Palm Desert on Shadow Mountain Drive. I bought the house two years ago so I could in the future retire there. I could never have bought the house without being able to rent it out until my retirement. Of course I prefer long-term rentals but many times I'm renting from 1 to 3 weeks especially in the off-season. I myself like coming out in the off-season as well. I enjoy the vibrancy which these vacation rentals bring to the community. I have a property manager who vets my guests and we have to this date had no problems. For the most part my guests are older folks that sometimes invite their families to join them. They don't want to spend their time in a hotel even for the short term. Cutting off short term rental say 3 to 4 night minimum would hurt me financially I'm not sure if I would be able to keep the house. I feel instead of a sunset clause banning all short-term rentals it would be better to make a Min of 1 week stays permitable. Of course I prefer long-term rental more but for the off-season and those odd months the short term fills in the gaps. I also think short term rentals offer a lot to the economy of Palm Desert restaurants, shops etc. I agree that if noise is an issue action should be taken; there are laws against that and I approve of them. Let's enforce the laws on the books rather than trying to gut the vibrancy and economy of Palm Desert. Thank You, Brad Sherman 73200 Shadow Mountain Dr. Palm Desert, CA. 92260 2 Swartz, Kevin From: Brad Sherman <bradmix2000@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2017 10:26 AM To: CityhallMail Cc: Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Members Dear Honourable Mayor Harnik, Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan and Honourable City Council Members: My name is Brad Sherman I have a three bedroom home in the residential section of Palm Desert on Shadow Mountain Drive. I bought the house two years ago so I could in the future retire there. I could never have bought the house without being able to rent it out until my retirement. Of course I prefer long-term rentals but many times I'm renting from 1 to 3 weeks especially in the off-season. I myself like coming out in the off-season as well. I enjoy the vibrancy which these vacation rentals bring to the community. I have a property manager who vets my guests and we have to this date had no problems. For the most part my guests are older folks that sometimes invite their families to join them. They don't want to spend their time in a hotel even for the short term. Cutting off short term rental say 3 to 4 night minimum 1 would hurt me financially I'm not sure if I would be able to keep the house. I feel instead of a sunset clause banning all short-term rentals it would be better to make a Min of lweek stays permitable. Of course I prefer long-term rental more but for the off-season and those odd months the short term fills in the gaps. I also think short term rentals offer a lot to the economy of Palm Desert restaurants, shops etc. I agree that if noise is an issue action should he taken; there are laws against that and I approve of them. Let's enforce the laws on the books rather than trying to gut the vibrancy and economy of Palm Desert. Thank You, Brad Sherman 73200 Shadow Mountain Dr. Palm Desert, CA. 92260 (818)421-3933 2 Swartz, Kevin From: Brad Sherman <bradmix2000@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2017 10:30 AM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: Short Term Rentals City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Members Dear Honourable Mayor Harnik, Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan and Honourable City Council Members: My name is Brad Sherman I have a three bedroom home in the residential section of Palm Desert on Shadow Mountain Drive. I bought the house two years ago so I could in the future retire there. I could never have bought the house without being able to rent it out until my retirement. Of course I prefer long-term rentals but many times I'm renting from 1 to 3 weeks especially in the off-season. I myself like coming out in the off-season as well. I enjoy the vibrancy which these vacation rentals bring to the community. I have a property manager who vets my guests and we have to this date had no problems. For the most part my guests are older folks that sometimes invite their families to join them. They don't want to spend their time in a hotel even for the short term. Cutting off short term rental say 3 to 4 night minimum would hurt me financially I'm not sure if I would be able to keep the house. I feel instead of a sunset clause panning all short-term rentals it would be better 1 to make a Min of 1 week stays permitable. Of course I prefer long-term rental more but for the off-season and those odd months the short term fills in the gaps. I also think short term rentals offer a lot to the economy of Palm Desert restaurants, shops etc. I agree that if noise is an issue action should be taken; there are laws against that and I approve of them. Let's enforce the laws on the hooks rather than trying to gut the vibrancy and economy of Palm Desert. Thank You, Brad Sherman 73200 Shadow Mountain Dr. Palm Desert, CA. 92260 2 Swartz, Kevin From: Trish and/or Bert <trishbert@shaw.ca> Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2017 5:51 PM To: CityhallMail; Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmail.com; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: Short Term Rental Ordinance - Palm Desert December 5, 2017 VIA EMAIL City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Dear Honourable Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I understand that the City of Palm Desert is considering a ban on existing short-term rentals in the R1 and R2 zones as of January 1, 2020. I am writing to express my concern over this ban for the whole of Palm Desert. I am particularly concerned that the City would consider not allowing existing, permitted short-term rentals to be grandfathered, as one would expect. My family (ages 25 - 80) and I have stayed in short-term rental homes in south Palm Desert 3x in the past 5 years for 10 days each stay. In the past 30 years, we have visited the Palm Desert at least 10 times. We particularly enjoy the area because of the amenities, for shopping and dining that are within walking distance. We prefer to stay in a home so that we have sufficient room, privacy and areas for us to be together in a relaxed setting and great for Mom who has limited mobility. We do not wish to stay in hotels as they do not provide a large space for our extended family vacations. We also do not like to stay in communities away far from commercial amenities. Therefore, if this ban goes into effect, I do not see us visiting Palm Desert as a tourist in the future. We prefer to stay in homes near shopping and dining amenities, which is what drew us to the El Paseo area. When we come to Palm Desert, we walk along El Paseo for breakfast, lunch and dinner several times per stay. We love El Paseo - especially sitting outside at Tommy Bahamas! . We shop in the nearly clothing stores. We buy groceries and wine nearby and we use various services. We spend thousands of dollars per trip between our accommodations, food and beverage, recreation and shopping. We will choose to stay elsewhere, perhaps in Palm Springs, Scottsdale or Fort Lauderdale where short-term rental homes are not prohibited. I strongly believe that Palm Desert will suffer a sizable economic decline if this ban is put into place. It likely will be unable to recover from such a decline. I urge you to reject this ban as it will substantially reduce tourism in the area, which as you know is a critical component of the local economy. While I understand that the residential neighborhood around El Paseo accommodates Tong -term residents, Palm Desert is a tourist destination where residents must expect a certain degree of visitor traffic. I suggest that the City of Palm Desert turn its attention to enforcing noise by-laws across all of Palm Desert as noisy, disruptive people should be penalized for their behavior. Please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. i The owners of the homes we have rented have been fabulous - they are very transparent with all of the rules of the house (even going to the point of the sound system automatically shutting down at 10 pm) and the Property Manager is always available 24/7. I must say, when we stayed there in September and there were signs on lawns trying to ban short-term rentals, we felt very unwelcome and uncomfortable. The opposite should be happening, as we are a great asset to the neighbourhood and are great neighbours! Thank you for considering my position. Sincerely, Patricia Flett 2371 Orchard Avenue Sidney BC V8L 1V1 Canada 1-250-886-3428 (cell) 2 Swartz, Kevin From: G. Albertson <g.albertson@wavecable.com> Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2017 7:18 PM To: Swartz, Kevin; sharepalmdesert@gmaiLcom; Aylaian, Lauri; Harnik, Jan; Nestande, Gina; Jonathan, Sabby; Kelly, Kathleen; Weber, Susan Marie; Stendell, Ryan Subject: [SPAM] - palm desert sort term rentals City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Attention: City Council Dear Council Members: Re: Short Term Rental Ordinance I understand that the City of Palm Desert is considering a ban on existing short-term rentals in the R1 and R2 zones as of January 1, 2020. I am writing to express my concern over this ban for the whole of Palm Desert. I am particularly concerned that the City would consider not allowing existing, permitted short-term rentals to be grandfathered, as one would expect. My family and I have stayed in short-term rental homes in south Palm Desert on several occasions in the past few years. We are senior citizens and love to have a location to include our family and friends for a sunny get away. We particularly enjoy the area because of the amenities, for shopping and dining that are within walking distance. We prefer to stay in a home so that we have sufficient room, privacy and areas for us to be together in a relaxed setting. We do not wish to stay in hotels as they do not provide a large space for our extended family vacations. We also do not like to stay in communities away far from commercial amenities. Therefore, if this ban goes into effect, I do not see us visiting Palm Desert as a tourist in the future. We prefer to stay in homes near shopping and dining amenities, which is what drew us to the El Paseo area. When we come to Palm Desert, we walk along El Paseo for breakfast, lunch and dinner several times per stay. We shop in the nearly clothing stores. We buy groceries nearby and we use various services. We spend thousands of dollars per trip between our accommodations, food and beverage, recreation and shopping. We will choose to stay elsewhere, perhaps in Palm Springs, Arizona or Florida where short-term rental homes are not prohibited. I strongly believe that Palm Desert will suffer a sizable economic decline if this ban is put into place. It likely will be unable to recover from such a decline. I urge you to reject this ban as it will substantially reduce tourism in the area, which as you know is a critical component of the local economy. While I understand that the residential neighborhood around El Paseo accommodates long-term residents, Palm Desert is a tourist destination where residents must expect a certain degree of visitor traffic. We are always very careful of noise and are probably much quieter than regular residents. I suggest that the City of Palm Desert turn its attention to enforcing noise by-laws across all of Palm Desert as noisy, disruptive people should be penalized for their behavior. Please reconsider this ban before the economic damage caused by it is irreparable. Thank you for considering my position. Sincerely, Greg Albertson 907 Colchester Dr SE Port Orchard, WA o.albertson@wavecable.com 2 Swartz, Kevin From: Fred Parmakszian <fparmakszian@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2017 5:10 PM To: Swartz, Kevin Subject: Short term rentals Mr.Swartz and council I was made aware that the city of Palm Desert voted 3-2 in the last reading to ban short term rentals. I'm writing you to please reconsider this decision,it would be very sad to see what would happen to El Paseo and the many businesses that are thriving do to the short term rental traffic,I personally frequent Palm Desert and spend a lot of money shopping for various items,if this decision goes ahead I'll be spending my money elsewhere as I'm sure many would. I realize it's hard to make a decision that makes both sides happy,there has to be a compromise such as grandfathering existing rentals,clamping down on unlicensed rentals,and enforcement of your noise by laws. In closing I would like to thank you for your attention on this matter and hope I can continue to walk El Paseo Sincerely Fred Parmakszian 313-14088 Riverport way Richmond BC 1