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We're from a couple city council meetings we had back in the late winter early spring, where there were some lingering questions and information that needed to make sure whatever decision that city council makes in the end is the best that we have for the city.

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So tonight, how we're going to work this is we're going to have a little presentation from

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Nick Armour of the Zoning Officer to Essebrook, who's our short-term rental supervisor.

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We do have, but we have Patricia Reynolds from Planning to the Screen Resiliency and Sustainability

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in our Deputy City Manager, Mike Carillo, our available for questions.

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As we go through these sections, the City Council here will answer or ask some questions as

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And at the end of the presentation,

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then we'll open up for public comment and questions.

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So we'll start off.

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Mr. Armor.

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I want to start off, please.

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Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

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So just to recap, we,

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we had a resolution that was passed.

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It was resolution 45 to 88.

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So near the last year that requested staff brings some

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ordinance changes around short torrentled in the city.

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We had a first read of some suggested ordinances at the March 4th Council meeting and then at the subsequent meeting on March 11th, there was a motion to continue and to request a workshop. So that's why we are here tonight.

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So I first you know we're looking at this kind of as a educational opportunity here for everyone involved that we have a lot of different types of rentals in the city of Newport.

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So just going through those, we have long-term rentals that are rentals of more than nine months are considered long-term.

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These property owners are not required to register with a city and must comply with the minimum housing standards.

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And these make up approximately 41% of our resident housing stock in the city.

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The next kind of tier is what we refer to often times as seasonal rentals.

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these are one to nine month rentals.

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So anything greater than 30 days, but not

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greater than nine months, they have to file what's called

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a rental welding application.

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And again, these were, are often hundreds of

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her to a seasonal rentals and we're put in place

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many years back primarily around the kind of

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party houses that we have in the city.

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Those are required to register with the city,

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and we have approximately 257 of those registered.

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Then we get into the short term categories, so under our zoning code, under the definitions,

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these are called guest facilities, and they're broken up into four different categories.

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So we have transient guest facilities, which are commonly referred to as hotels or

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bed and breakfast or ends, then we have vacation guest facilities that oftentimes used interchangeably

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with time share properties that has to be a property with hand or more units that can be rented

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on a short-term basis, they can include kitchens in them, which is different than in hotel rooms

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and not a lot to have individual kitchens.

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We have five properties that are technically called vacation guest facilities within the

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city.

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Then we have historic guest houses.

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These are primarily bed and breakfasts and ends, but they have to be in a nationally registered

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historic property, but they can contain up to 18 units within them.

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And then the last category is called guest houses.

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So, these are oftentimes interchangeably used with the term Airbnb or short-term rentals as many people think of them.

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The very last category we have is a home occupation for guest renting up to two bedrooms on a short-term basis,

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but it must be within an owner occupied dwelling as the primary dwelling and while the owner is actually present on the property,

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they can't just leave for the weekend and rent their house. It has to be well there.

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Are there any questions on?

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Do you want to just touch on the, with a home occupation,

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for instance, that could be any, any occupied home in the city?

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So again, it has to be a owner occupied primary residence.

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Only one of those types of uses can occur on a property.

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So if you have a three unit building, only one of the owners

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within that could do a home occupation to rent up to two bedrooms,

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this was put in place to help people offset their mortgage

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on their house and be able to, you know, rent a couple of bedrooms while they're not using them with them.

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Correct.

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And then the guest house, we're talking about as a full unit of house, short-term rental.

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Yes.

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And not be in a residential zone.

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Correct.

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Well, we'll go into that.

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Okay.

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I just want to make sure that we're, does that clarity?

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All right.

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So I just wanted to briefly touch on state regulations around short rentals.

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the state of Rhode Island.

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Now, it requires an annual registration for short torrentals, Airbnb, requires that all the state registration numbers are posted on their advertisements.

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And that state registration numbers actually allowed us to track down some short torrental operators with a new port that were not registered with the city.

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I think there was just confusion with some of those people that they didn't realize they needed to register both the state and with the city.

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The state, unfortunately, does not regulate much beyond someone just registering an applying

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for a short-term rental.

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They don't look at the number of bedrooms, the number of guests in a bedroom zoning district

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that they occur in parking requirements.

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They don't do any property inspections or anything like that.

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So that's why we take on the effort of having people register here and doing those inspections

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and checks for zoning district clients, parking requirements, manager requirements, things

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like that.

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sorry, this slide's a little compact here. So our current ordinance is for guest houses,

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I just want to go through where you're allowed.

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So Mayor Holder referenced that they are not allowed

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in residential zones. So there's no non-owner occupied short-term rentals within residential

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districts except for ones that existed and were approved prior to the zoning change that occurred in

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2022 when this prohibition went into place.

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So those are referred to as a grandfathered property

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as long as they maintain their active registration

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with the city and have not abandoned that use.

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In the general business and waterfront business zones,

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guesthouses are allowed by right,

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but must meet the parking standards of the district.

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And in the limited business,

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guesthouses are permitted through a special use permit

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process, which is approved through the zoning board.

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That also has provide parking and requires an on-site manager, so someone that actually lives on the property to manage the other unit that is unit or units that's being used for short-term rental.

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And then again, home occupations are renting up to two bedrooms and an owner occupied dwelling.

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That's permitted in any district that allows residential services.

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So as long as it's an owner occupied dwelling, that can have up to two bedrooms for home occupations.

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And it has to be the principal residents.

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It must provide the parking for those additional bedrooms for the guest use.

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And then you have to register the same registration process for a full guest house use.

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Just wanted to briefly touch on the previously proposed changes.

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So in 2024, the Council had passed a resolution to ban short rentals entirely to switch

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them to not permitted to use this section from the LB waterfront business and general business

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zone.

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There was some pushback at that time and some threats of legal action and Councillor Combs

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of Warbonne had requested.

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Solicitor input and that effectively died.

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May 2025 we had this new resolution and in 2016 we had the ordinances that were put forward

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that had first passage and then at the second read there was a request for a workshop.

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So, for the process of applying for short-term rental, all guest house applications are submitted digitally through the GavoS system, which was a system that was approved by the City Council, which allows us to, you online registration, it allows us to track all short-term rentals, GavoS also provides an enforcement assistance by scanning all of the short-term rental websites, the common ones at least, and checks advertisements, cross-references them with the

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approve addresses and allows us to kind of identify any properties that are not in compliance

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right now. Then short-term rentals are reviewed by zoning for clients with the zoning district

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that they're in, the parking requirements, managers, requirements, and then they are looked at

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by the building and fire departments for certain health and safety requirements there.

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Again, that starts with zoning because if it's not going to not zoning,

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For properties that can't meet one of the zoning requirements, a variance can be submitted through the zoning border.

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We'll give a little bit of the data on that one.

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So for some basic numbers on short-term rentals, transient guest facilities and historic guest houses.

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So again, these are like hotels, bed and breakfast and ends.

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We have 62 registered hotels in bed and breakfast, and that comes with a $1,000 yearly registration fee.

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And, you know, this encompasses everyone from a six-bedroom transient guest facility or

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historic guest house all the way up to the Marriott that has over 300 units.

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Then again, we, on the Haitian guest facilities, are time-chairs.

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We have, technically, five properties encompassing each registered type.

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Time share properties that have 342 units.

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Those also come with just $1,000 yearly registration for property that's operating.

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Guest houses we have currently 240 registered guest houses in the ones that are the full house that's being used up to five bedrooms of that property.

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They have $1,000 registration fee per units, and for home occupations, we currently have

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94 registered home occupations, those have a $500 yearly registration fee.

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And again, we check that they are not registering more than two bedrooms, that they actually

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have two bedrooms to register, that they have the primary resident that lives there here around

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So in total for 2026, we've had 444 registered guest houses, fancy guest facilities, vacation

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facilities, all those combined 400 and four total products, and fees are that are collected

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to go directly to the, you know, how much the fees are that we've collected.

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I see.

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I guess I think it's going to be on the very last day.

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Right.

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I'm going to pass it up to Drew to kind of go through some of the actual number of the short

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registration.

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Nick?

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The next slide, we just wanted to give a brief overview for the past four cycles of the registration and the fees that have been collected.

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So, in a quick review, the number of applications really has not increased by that much.

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It's kind of level.

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The number of the certificates that were actually issued has increased for a couple of different reasons.

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with the automated system, and then we changed the registration

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process to you pay for your $1,000 here, $500 upon Google's.

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So, the owners were wanting their certificates by June 1st,

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so we were able to process them a little quick and work quickly.

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The fees collected, I don't know what it's down on the bottom.

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So, we started when the fees were increased in 2022.

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started in 269,000, following year went to 359,500, and then this year to date 306,500,500 to date.

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Next slide is the state registration analysis.

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There's been questions asked in the past why the state registration might have,

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well, in this case, 626 people registered for short from rental versus the approximately 400

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that we have registered with us in the city.

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So I didn't analysis, compared everything on down, and the different columns highlighted in blue are the ones that are registering with us to city that hotel time share properties, the home occupation, and the note and non-home occupation.

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So when you add all those up, it comes to 397 that are registered with state.

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The balance of those is Nick mentioned before, Airbnb requires a state registration number on any new advertisement.

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So people who are renting an individual time share week add to register with the state to get the number so they can advertise

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Same with long-term or rental dwelling administrations

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So those numbers are in there, but they skew the overall number of how many people are registered for short term compared to how many are

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Physically short term

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Thank you

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The next page does a very similar comparison

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where people say we have almost 1,000 advertisements out in Airbnb versus the roughly 400 that we have registered with the city.

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This runs along the same lines where the time shares individual time share owners,

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have to put their weeks up for rent through Craigslist, Airbnb,

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so they have to register with the state as well.

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If they do not register with us, time share properties themselves register with us,

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but not the individual owners in it.

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Going down the list again for the Airbnb advertisements,

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the long-term rentals, there was 129 of those,

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because they're advertising on the Airbnb,

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they needed to stay right to string.

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So the numbers are very skewed by time shares,

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long-term rentals, and then the calendar block,

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just that it's an old ad that is out there from years and years

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ago, but has no availability, but the ad is still there.

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But I just ask a question.

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So are we saying that, okay, 47% you're saying compliant?

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Are the time shares compliant?

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The time share associations are compliant.

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Okay.

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Which are included in that 47%.

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Oh.

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But the individual time share owners.

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They do not need to register with us.

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They don't need to register.

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But they're compliant with what it is.

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That they have to do anyway. And then the long-term rentals, they are compliant as well.

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They may be, there's going to be long-term or a rental dwelling.

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Okay. Oh, I think I see what you did. So, the time-share is the long-term rentals.

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That is equals the 468. Is that what you're saying?

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The 468 we have on the blue portion of this pie chart, that's compliant as far as properties

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that we are aware of that have applied and have a certificate to operate within the city.

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Some of those properties have multiple listings on Airbnb because they might have a couple

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different units within their property, but they're compliant as far as number of bedrooms and

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everything like that. So there's 468 total guest house advertisements that only encompass, you know,

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or 104 properties.

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I guess what I'm trying to say is that the time

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shares and the long-term rentals are being compliant.

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They're just not the properties.

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They don't have a certificate of transient gas facility.

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Because they don't need that.

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Right.

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OK.

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So OK.

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But OK.

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Thank you.

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But the other two are not.

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License review for now.

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Yeah, they're OK.

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OK.

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Thank you.

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Any other questions on that side?

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OK.

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Citations to municipal court over the last four years, just wanted to show the increase from 2023 through 2020 to current date to 2026, and we can distribute this to the use of the governmental software by going out and scraping all the ads, attaching them to owners that are properties that are not registered with us, so then we can go forth and site them and bring them into court.

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So a big jump in that, and especially with having more focused staff at the city, being able to focus on this more so than in the past.

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So last year was quite large at 84 citations bringing in close to $70,000.

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This year we have 41 so far to date.

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And probably won't be as high, because we were unable to bring a lot of these properties into compliance.

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Yeah, we actually, these numbers were done last week.

226
00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:32,240
We had a few more on Monday that are resolved that have paid the numbers.

227
00:17:32,540 --> 00:17:33,380
Yeah, another eight thousand.

228
00:17:34,020 --> 00:17:34,020
And

229
00:17:38,120 --> 00:17:49,240
then the question comes up also with the new certificates that are issued versus a new property or what was

230
00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:56,000
not in compliance before. So, for example, in 2025, we had a total of 44 new applications,

231
00:17:56,860 --> 00:18:00,860
not including sale from one owner to another owner that was compliant before this is

232
00:18:00,860 --> 00:18:07,860
fresh out of the box. 27 of those in 2025 were people that had been previously cited

233
00:18:07,860 --> 00:18:12,740
and were able to bring into compliance. Whether that was going through the zoning border review to

234
00:18:12,740 --> 00:18:18,400
get parking or they were able to be certified but just never had in the past.

235
00:18:19,460 --> 00:18:26,280
17 of those for 2025, we're just new property applications, and for 2026

236
00:18:27,180 --> 00:18:33,440
Seven more that had been cited. It had been brought into compliance and seven new properties.

237
00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:39,580
And there's a few more in the pike this year, maybe ten more applications that are in the pike that have not been approved fully approved.

238
00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:48,160
So again, I think just the the efforts with the system and the focus to dedicated staff as a problem.

239
00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:55,220
So it's really helped to get the non-compliance into compliant and kind of get a handle on things.

240
00:18:56,020 --> 00:19:01,360
Were they cited because they weren't registered or were there other issues that were...

241
00:19:01,360 --> 00:19:03,260
This was strictly stopped being registered.

242
00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:04,800
Okay, thank you.

243
00:19:09,870 --> 00:19:10,110
All right.

244
00:19:10,250 --> 00:19:12,830
It's moving away a little bit from the numbers.

245
00:19:13,870 --> 00:19:17,870
There have been some questions around parking variances connected to short-term rentals.

246
00:19:17,870 --> 00:19:26,130
So, one of the common things we see is that someone either that's been cited to court or just wants to start a new short to rental.

247
00:19:27,050 --> 00:19:33,490
They are newly understanding the requirements around zoning and depending on where they live, what their property looks like,

248
00:19:33,890 --> 00:19:39,350
and how much space their property has, they may need to bring parking into compliance.

249
00:19:39,350 --> 00:19:47,650
And so we have had in recent years, I think that's in the last three years, 18 properties that have requested and obtained parking bearings.

250
00:19:47,830 --> 00:19:53,730
There's been a few that have been denied. And that's in order for them to operate their guesthouse or increase their number of bedrooms,

251
00:19:53,810 --> 00:19:59,790
because under the zoning code, every bedroom of a guesthouse requires a parking space to be provided.

252
00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,360
And then there's a space required for the manager.

253
00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:26,260
The way that the way that our code works is that if you are changing the use of a property, you have to look at the original use of the property and what the parking requirement was for that use, and then you look at the new use. So in this case, guest house, and you have to look at the difference in the parking requirement.

254
00:20:26,260 --> 00:20:33,600
So if a house requires two spaces, and a guest house of four bedrooms requires four spaces,

255
00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:35,800
you have to make up the difference of two.

256
00:20:36,500 --> 00:20:40,000
So sometimes that's how the parking variance is coming is that it's for an extra couple

257
00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:42,740
spaces make up that difference here.

258
00:20:43,620 --> 00:20:48,280
So the zoning board has consistently applied the state standards for variances as we're

259
00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:51,000
required to do for either approval or denial of variance.

260
00:20:52,100 --> 00:21:06,180
And recently in order to kind of offset this lack of parking on a property, some of these have been approved by having an applicant obtain a lease for parking spaces within a half mile of the property.

261
00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:20,980
There's nothing in the code that says a half mile is what that number should be, but they felt that that is a reasonable and probably the most extreme distance that someone would park at an offsite location.

262
00:21:20,980 --> 00:21:22,920
and walk to their guest house.

263
00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:26,140
Again, this is when a property cannot

264
00:21:26,140 --> 00:21:28,200
provide the parking on their own property

265
00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:31,980
and meets the standards to approve of variance,

266
00:21:32,660 --> 00:21:35,600
but in order to offset that impact to that direct neighborhood

267
00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:38,660
is instead of having them just try to find parking

268
00:21:38,660 --> 00:21:41,200
on the street around the areas to try to find

269
00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:43,360
parking spaces at a property off sale.

270
00:21:44,100 --> 00:21:48,080
I require the applicant to provide that property to me

271
00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:49,740
in advance of the zoning board meeting

272
00:21:49,740 --> 00:21:55,240
so that I can do analysis about that property itself and whether for those of these spaces,

273
00:21:55,520 --> 00:22:01,320
there are sufficient parking spaces there to provide these extra spaces for this guesthouse.

274
00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:08,280
So if someone provides a site within a half mile and I conduct an analysis to say,

275
00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:13,740
they don't have an parking to provide extra to you, they have to find another location to try to

276
00:22:13,740 --> 00:22:17,160
find those spaces to reach. Mr. Chairman,

277
00:22:19,870 --> 00:22:21,790
Nick, we all know that's nonsense, though, right?

278
00:22:22,990 --> 00:22:33,090
In other words, when the zoning board approves of said quarter mile, half mile, whatever, they are, whatever their

279
00:22:33,090 --> 00:22:35,270
decision might be on that particular request,

280
00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:43,160
we as a city do not monitor to ensure that

281
00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:54,820
license plates of those staying at a short-term rental are, in fact, parking the evening of their

282
00:22:54,820 --> 00:23:01,320
stay or the evenings of their stay, at where they or the owners of the short-term rental told

283
00:23:01,320 --> 00:23:08,020
the city they would be staying. Going back to me saying it's nonsense, we all know what these folks

284
00:23:08,020 --> 00:23:14,920
do is they take up parking spaces which would otherwise be available to newport residents who

285
00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:22,400
do not have driveways. Unless you can tell me that the city somehow has a compliant system

286
00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:28,600
in place which guarantees that they are doing exactly as they said they would. Do we have such

287
00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:35,500
a compliant system in place? Thank you. What I will say though is for each of these again the

288
00:23:35,500 --> 00:23:41,140
only board is applying the state-mandated requirements for a variance. In all of these cases that

289
00:23:41,140 --> 00:23:46,780
they have approved these, they have found that these particular cases meet that requirement

290
00:23:46,780 --> 00:23:52,800
and those standards for a variance, whether or not they had provided any of these off-site parking

291
00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:58,720
spaces for through a lease. So they have been determined that they meet all the standards for hardship

292
00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:06,600
for compliance with the neighborhood character and impact to the neighborhood, but they are attempting

293
00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:09,440
to offset that impact through having lease parking.

294
00:24:11,020 --> 00:24:14,700
We can do away with the lease parking, but it doesn't mean that the variance findings

295
00:24:14,700 --> 00:24:15,980
wouldn't still be net.

296
00:24:16,500 --> 00:24:20,900
And so that's where the zoning board felt that this was one way to potentially offset this.

297
00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:29,840
We have been reviewing the parking leases that we were required to be provided to us on a yearly basis,

298
00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:33,160
that these leases are still being provided in order to get their renewal.

299
00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:41,880
And we are monitoring their advertisements that they are referencing these places to park as opposed to just finding parking in the neighborhood.

300
00:24:42,500 --> 00:24:48,520
But again, if they meet the variance findings to not have the parking on their own property, they meet those variance findings.

301
00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:52,240
And so we have felt that this is one way to attempt to offset that.

302
00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:59,420
Nick, do we know how many have these parking issues with thumb?

303
00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:09,800
Parking that's offsite. Through 18 properties that the zoning board has approved with a lease condition for parking. Only 18 out of how many?

304
00:25:11,060 --> 00:25:14,600
We'll add of 240 total guest houses that we have.

305
00:25:15,180 --> 00:25:15,720
Thank.

306
00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:26,620
I'm not going to bore you with this. This is just the variance findings as required by the state.

307
00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:32,260
But essentially, we have to establish that there's a hardship on the property that's unique to that property.

308
00:25:32,260 --> 00:25:44,240
most of the time, it's that the property and question is too small and does not have either a large enough driveway or a driveway at all in order to actually provide the extra parking spaces that they need.

309
00:25:44,740 --> 00:25:52,100
That hardship can have been a result of any prior action of the applicants that they can't have expanded their home and now say that they don't have parking availability.

310
00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:58,720
They have to find that the variants won't alter the general character of the surrounding area.

311
00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:05,400
most of the times they have found that because the entire area doesn't have very large lots

312
00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:11,500
or parking available on their own property. And the last one is what's referred to as more

313
00:26:11,500 --> 00:26:18,960
than a relief sought is minimal to the reasonable enjoyment of that permitted use on the property.

314
00:26:25,210 --> 00:26:31,470
So the possible considerations for improvement and if you're included in the ordinance changes

315
00:26:31,470 --> 00:26:38,690
that were provided to you back in March. The big one was to change the general business and water

316
00:26:38,690 --> 00:26:43,550
front business. Guest houses can do the special use permit category. So that's where we have

317
00:26:43,550 --> 00:26:49,610
limited business zone right now is in special use permit. This would require an onsite manager be

318
00:26:49,610 --> 00:26:54,890
provided for all new guesthouses. But we do see in a sense that a downside would be that many of

319
00:26:54,890 --> 00:27:00,110
these properties couldn't meet the onsite manager because oftentimes they're a single unit on a property.

320
00:27:00,110 --> 00:27:04,550
the on-site manager really requires there to be at least two units so that one of them

321
00:27:04,550 --> 00:27:11,810
can serve as the on-site manager. One of the other suggested changes was that we do away

322
00:27:11,810 --> 00:27:18,130
with the parking credits that we've referred to. So in the definition section and the general

323
00:27:18,130 --> 00:27:24,930
provision section we propose that we're normally for a change of use we do this parking credit

324
00:27:24,930 --> 00:27:29,730
analysis for guest houses we propose that we would do away with that and they would have to

325
00:27:29,730 --> 00:27:32,630
provide all of the parking on the property.

326
00:27:33,810 --> 00:27:40,650
Additionally, we put that in the definition section so that, in a sense, they cannot request

327
00:27:40,650 --> 00:27:47,110
a variance to that parking requirement given it would be how the uses defined you must have

328
00:27:47,110 --> 00:27:48,050
the parking on the property.

329
00:27:48,090 --> 00:27:52,070
If you don't meet the use definition, you can't have that in some of the property.

330
00:27:53,070 --> 00:27:57,150
And the last one was about prohibiting ground floor commercial conversions.

331
00:27:57,150 --> 00:28:02,630
So because we've had these requirements for an on-site manager, we have seen applications that

332
00:28:02,630 --> 00:28:18,470
have proposed to take away a ground floor commercial space, turn it into either part of the guest house or the on-site manager dwelling unit effectively doing the way with the ground floor commercial, which we don't think is appropriate for our city.

333
00:28:18,850 --> 00:28:24,390
So that was part of our proposal was to, was to prohibit these conversions of ground floor commercial spaces.

334
00:28:29,570 --> 00:28:33,490
This next slide, it was just something we were throwing out there as possible.

335
00:28:33,910 --> 00:28:37,870
Considerations is to consider scaling these for different short-term rentals.

336
00:28:38,670 --> 00:28:40,970
This was just an idea thrown out by staff.

337
00:28:41,830 --> 00:28:47,470
We thought that there was some disparity between how much we charge for a individual guest house operator,

338
00:28:48,630 --> 00:28:56,390
which is a thousand dollars per unit for five bedrooms, or it's a thousand dollars for registering an entire property of hotels,

339
00:28:56,390 --> 00:29:01,870
as an engine-bent breakfast, I think that this would need much further consideration on how we

340
00:29:01,870 --> 00:29:05,890
would do something like this input from the solicitors' office, which we did not get prior

341
00:29:05,890 --> 00:29:08,710
to going through with this slide deck.

342
00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:18,080
And then one of the things I wanted to touch on was just about improving our short-term rental

343
00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:18,580
enforcement.

344
00:29:19,460 --> 00:29:25,700
So, again, we have highly improved our short-term rental and recent years with using GoVOS.

345
00:29:26,380 --> 00:29:32,320
Again, scraping all these different websites, understanding who's operating plants with state rules and our local rules.

346
00:29:33,500 --> 00:29:39,520
But we've thought about other things, you know, we have a lot of times that we cite someone in a port,

347
00:29:40,260 --> 00:29:43,240
and they just don't show up for months.

348
00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:45,820
And effectively, they just have it.

349
00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:52,040
They're, they're hearing continued repeatedly until they finally show up and get a judgment of $1,000,

350
00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:59,780
which is the maximum judgment that we can grant or that our judge can, but I think there's some frustration in that.

351
00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:04,740
And if someone doesn't show up to court, it seems fair that someone should be held in default and

352
00:30:04,740 --> 00:30:10,260
at some very judgment, be placed against them. And if the fines aren't paid, then potentially

353
00:30:10,260 --> 00:30:11,840
look into putting a lien on their property.

354
00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:26,070
Mr. Chairman, Nick, are these no-shows, actual no-shows, or as is acceptable? There are many reasons

355
00:30:26,070 --> 00:30:33,050
why a potential or a plate of might not be able to show up are they are they requested by

356
00:30:33,050 --> 00:30:33,510
counsel.

357
00:30:33,850 --> 00:30:37,990
It's a combination we get some that are requested for actual continuances for various

358
00:30:37,990 --> 00:30:38,470
reasons.

359
00:30:38,730 --> 00:30:38,970
Sure.

360
00:30:39,270 --> 00:30:39,790
Sure.

361
00:30:39,870 --> 00:30:43,790
Other people that just don't show up for several rounds and then those scheduling conflicts

362
00:30:43,790 --> 00:30:45,490
are perfectly acceptable.

363
00:30:46,190 --> 00:30:52,570
It happened to all of us to reschedule even twice rescheduling half a dozen times is a

364
00:30:52,570 --> 00:30:59,990
a little bit on the edge, even if requested by Council, but no shows not requested by the client

365
00:30:59,990 --> 00:31:05,590
or by the plaintiff, I should say, or by plaintiff's attorney. Why does the judge not

366
00:31:05,590 --> 00:31:11,350
simply default them on site? I would probably defer to our city solicitor on that. I don't.

367
00:31:11,450 --> 00:31:16,650
Well, he's not the judge. You have any understanding, and I don't mean to put you on the spot.

368
00:31:16,650 --> 00:31:20,710
But I have personal contact with the judge about cases of the municipal.

369
00:31:21,470 --> 00:31:23,730
Is there any talk?

370
00:31:24,190 --> 00:31:29,330
I understand that you can't speak for our municipal court judge or the office.

371
00:31:30,050 --> 00:31:36,370
But is there any discussion in zoning planning or within city hall as to why we simply

372
00:31:36,370 --> 00:31:41,770
let these no shows go for months without being defaulted?

373
00:31:41,810 --> 00:31:43,350
I can comment on that.

374
00:31:43,730 --> 00:31:53,310
So in municipal court, typically if there is a, a no show or formally known as a failure to appear, the municipal court judge will issue a benchmark for a failure to appear.

375
00:31:53,650 --> 00:31:58,290
The bench warrants in the municipal court are a little bit different than in our state courts.

376
00:31:58,730 --> 00:32:08,530
As they, as they do not carry the same, the same sanctions or ground enforcement actions, enforcement actions as the state courts.

377
00:32:08,530 --> 00:32:12,010
But typically what will happen is the bench warrant will be issued.

378
00:32:12,710 --> 00:32:17,450
The clerk of the municipal court will then notify the defendant of their failure to appear,

379
00:32:17,990 --> 00:32:22,830
send them a copy of the bench warrant and inform them that they are required under

380
00:32:22,830 --> 00:32:24,830
or the bench warrant will be executed.

381
00:32:24,910 --> 00:32:26,470
That's the actual process.

382
00:32:27,050 --> 00:32:28,370
I appreciate that explanation.

383
00:32:28,770 --> 00:32:37,870
So then what would need to be done by either the council or what is in place for the judge

384
00:32:37,870 --> 00:32:45,510
at this point, simply after one no show with no explanation, I was standing in the bench

385
00:32:45,510 --> 00:32:53,490
warrant to issue a judgment of the fault and put the property in lean.

386
00:32:54,990 --> 00:33:06,090
If I may, some of this is also dependent on the notice that they get when a lot of people

387
00:33:06,090 --> 00:33:10,770
summoned into court, they receive a summons in hand.

388
00:33:11,490 --> 00:33:15,070
They're served by a constable and so forth.

389
00:33:15,590 --> 00:33:19,370
Some of these defendants might have just gotten noticed by mail.

390
00:33:20,270 --> 00:33:25,330
So you do have to be a little careful initially when there isn't a, when there's a no show.

391
00:33:26,390 --> 00:33:29,150
So after that, I would agree, council of Colin.

392
00:33:30,950 --> 00:33:35,250
After that, once we believe, we have to prop a notice to the defendant

393
00:33:35,250 --> 00:33:44,430
then we can start doing the default and ask for a default judgment, and by the way, and we can

394
00:33:44,430 --> 00:33:49,230
lean these properties with a proper judgment from the court.

395
00:33:49,970 --> 00:33:50,170
So.

396
00:33:50,210 --> 00:33:50,890
Thank you.

397
00:33:50,970 --> 00:33:55,310
I solicit being final follow up question on this subject.

398
00:33:55,650 --> 00:34:03,150
Then a little off the subject, but related does our assistant city solicitor request.

399
00:34:03,150 --> 00:34:10,050
what you just described on a regular basis, if a no-show, if there is a no-show.

400
00:34:11,510 --> 00:34:19,610
If there is a no-show and she is involved in the case at that time initially at a

401
00:34:19,610 --> 00:34:27,350
Raymond's and such, she isn't. Those are handled by the Zoning Officer. Once it becomes a

402
00:34:27,350 --> 00:34:35,190
trial at that stage, then the solicitor steps in on the prosecution. So at that point, yes,

403
00:34:35,530 --> 00:34:44,670
I would I would hope so. And in terms of this, I don't know why this is a problem.

404
00:34:46,370 --> 00:34:53,630
And I don't know the degree of a problem that it is. I'm laying blame. I'm not laying blame.

405
00:34:53,630 --> 00:34:59,950
But to the extent that there is blame, I'm laying it on the council just as much as I am on anyone else involved, but we agree.

406
00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:03,400
That there is a problem with respect to that correct?

407
00:35:06,470 --> 00:35:10,810
No, I'm not going to say that right now because it hasn't been brought to my attention.

408
00:35:11,990 --> 00:35:15,970
And supervised the solicitors that are in that court.

409
00:35:16,970 --> 00:35:28,290
So if there is a no-show problem, then at this point I'll look into it on the following Monday,

410
00:35:28,290 --> 00:35:35,490
but this is a little bit of news to me and I'm that.

411
00:35:35,950 --> 00:35:40,050
Like for example, the net mentioned a few minutes ago

412
00:35:40,050 --> 00:35:42,370
that it's half and half.

413
00:35:42,390 --> 00:35:46,410
Some requested by the plaintiff's attorneys

414
00:35:46,410 --> 00:35:49,970
or a continuance and some simply just don't bother showing up.

415
00:35:49,990 --> 00:35:55,030
Do you know off-hand how many times the city

416
00:35:55,030 --> 00:35:57,690
and either your office or the court system

417
00:35:58,570 --> 00:36:04,670
municipally has with regard to those no shows without requests for a continuous. How many

418
00:36:04,670 --> 00:36:08,790
times have we taken the action? That's what I would consider the problem. If we have not

419
00:36:08,790 --> 00:36:16,830
taken the follow-up action as the Deputy Manager described. I don't know those numbers off top

420
00:36:16,830 --> 00:36:23,070
my head. I know that there's been a handful of them for certain. And then typically, when there

421
00:36:23,070 --> 00:36:28,670
management for $1,000 and so they've continued for three or four months and then they've got

422
00:36:28,670 --> 00:36:29,090
$1,000.

423
00:36:29,330 --> 00:36:29,530
Okay.

424
00:36:29,690 --> 00:36:31,190
I appreciate all the answers in the patience.

425
00:36:31,610 --> 00:36:35,930
Last question, as I said, not directly related, but I've interest.

426
00:36:36,870 --> 00:36:37,930
Can you tell me, Nick?

427
00:36:38,630 --> 00:36:43,850
How was, in first book, congratulations to the, or thank you to the Newport Police Department

428
00:36:43,850 --> 00:36:47,930
and all involved with Yes3's incident on the day before?

429
00:36:48,470 --> 00:36:51,490
How was Dudley Avenue registered with respect to the city?

430
00:36:51,490 --> 00:37:00,030
There are single family house under our ordinance. So there is absolutely no way where or no possibility under our local ordinance

431
00:37:00,950 --> 00:37:06,130
Where the property owner has the right to rent out on a short-term

432
00:37:06,970 --> 00:37:08,490
basis to anybody

433
00:37:09,310 --> 00:37:15,390
That is correct and we have one judgment in our municipal court, which is now on a peole to hear your court

434
00:37:15,390 --> 00:37:22,310
where we prove them guilty of renting more than five individuals that are unrelated and we

435
00:37:22,310 --> 00:37:29,090
hit them on the short-term rental of those units or of the one unit more than the, uh,

436
00:37:29,250 --> 00:37:33,590
I appreciate you clarifying that. I'm again today. We all know that property is a disaster.

437
00:37:34,230 --> 00:37:39,130
It makes us look foolish. I know we've done a great job trying to enforce it, but uh,

438
00:37:39,430 --> 00:37:44,870
I will deal with that, or I will work with my colleagues to follow up on on that particular situation.

439
00:37:44,870 --> 00:37:46,890
I thank you all for your patience.

440
00:37:48,890 --> 00:37:50,970
And just the last note on this page,

441
00:37:51,190 --> 00:37:53,090
you know, it's just to come up with some efforts,

442
00:37:53,230 --> 00:37:55,750
I think when we're going, or especially on appeal,

443
00:37:56,050 --> 00:37:57,870
there's several of these that we get.

444
00:37:58,170 --> 00:38:00,870
We got a judgment from our municipal court judge.

445
00:38:01,070 --> 00:38:02,970
There are attorneys take that up on appeal,

446
00:38:03,370 --> 00:38:08,070
and the primary way that we charge them

447
00:38:08,070 --> 00:38:10,490
and find them guilty is around the advertisement

448
00:38:10,490 --> 00:38:11,810
of these short-term rentals,

449
00:38:11,810 --> 00:38:15,830
And it's been more difficult to get them found guilty

450
00:38:15,830 --> 00:38:19,750
on the actual rental of the units, which seems crazy.

451
00:38:21,270 --> 00:38:24,170
But right now, we primarily have to bring forward evidence

452
00:38:24,170 --> 00:38:27,810
through a firsthand fact witness of someone

453
00:38:27,810 --> 00:38:30,030
that has stayed at one of these units

454
00:38:30,030 --> 00:38:33,510
in order to find that owner guilty of actually renting.

455
00:38:34,790 --> 00:38:38,490
So I think that this listener and I have had a discussion

456
00:38:38,490 --> 00:38:41,230
recently about using or trying to

457
00:38:41,230 --> 00:38:44,870
to pressure the superior court to accept active

458
00:38:44,870 --> 00:38:49,410
advertisements linked with active guest reviews because the guest reviews

459
00:38:49,410 --> 00:38:53,650
really can only be put by people that actually stay there and within a short period of time

460
00:38:53,650 --> 00:38:58,330
after they have stayed there which to me seems like proof of this illegal operation

461
00:38:59,170 --> 00:39:04,050
and to have to get essentially what we call a door knock or knock and talk

462
00:39:04,050 --> 00:39:11,070
and get someone that is willing to testify against the host of Airbnb is very difficult these days.

463
00:39:12,870 --> 00:39:20,490
So, one of the ways that we were able to get, well, Dudley actually convicted was that we had someone who had actually been living there,

464
00:39:20,610 --> 00:39:25,750
and we were able to bring them to the municipal court and have them testify about their living conditions there.

465
00:39:26,430 --> 00:39:30,290
We can't get that with every single short-term rental that we sight into for.

466
00:39:34,900 --> 00:39:42,440
And this is kind of perfectly connected, but the deputy city manager wanted me to bring

467
00:39:42,440 --> 00:39:47,140
kind of a just a clarification regarding the seasonal rentals, so we kind of touched on those

468
00:39:47,140 --> 00:39:53,300
at the very beginning. But, you know, seasonal rentals are the what we call 30 data nine month rentals.

469
00:39:53,500 --> 00:39:59,120
They were seem to have historically been put in place to combat party houses and track

470
00:39:59,120 --> 00:39:59,980
All of the students in Nape.

471
00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:07,520
We need to be housing, all of which seems to have declined in recent years. We only have a little

472
00:40:07,520 --> 00:40:16,000
overhang. It was 240 or so, 246 registered seasonal rentals. There are, we think that there

473
00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:21,680
is likely more than that, but there has never been like a widespread effort to educate people

474
00:40:21,680 --> 00:40:26,040
that if they are wrenching for 30 days or longer that they need to register with the city, so

475
00:40:26,040 --> 00:40:32,560
kind of people volunteering that information, you know, part of us questions what benefit we're

476
00:40:32,560 --> 00:40:40,460
getting from registering just these people as opposed to all rentals. We require minimum housing

477
00:40:40,460 --> 00:40:45,620
inspection for seasonal rentals, which primarily involves, you know, looking at some simple life

478
00:40:45,620 --> 00:40:51,900
safety things as well as the lease is required to be posted on the back of the door of the

479
00:40:51,900 --> 00:40:57,580
seasonal rentals, but we actually don't do regular inspections of long-term rentals,

480
00:40:57,760 --> 00:41:00,900
which is a primary way that people live in Newport.

481
00:41:01,820 --> 00:41:05,660
So, you know, something we thought we'd kind of bring that up as a conversation starter

482
00:41:05,660 --> 00:41:06,300
here.

483
00:41:07,200 --> 00:41:11,000
So, whether we should, you know, proactively be sending letters to all properties and say,

484
00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:16,520
you know, if you rent on a seasonal basis, a month a month, or up to nine months, you

485
00:41:16,520 --> 00:41:21,340
need to register, pushing out maybe communications through communications team to get people

486
00:41:21,340 --> 00:41:29,880
in the compliance here. But as I touch on in the next slide. Providence has drafted an ordinance

487
00:41:29,880 --> 00:41:34,040
to require that all rental properties register within the city regardless of whether you're

488
00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:39,520
short-term mid-term or long-term, near-against it requires that as well. They have to register

489
00:41:39,520 --> 00:41:46,300
with the building inspector for $120 a year and there's late fees, failure to register fees. But just

490
00:41:46,300 --> 00:41:50,840
So that everyone is kind of processed through the same system.

491
00:41:51,960 --> 00:41:57,300
And then we also recently found that there's a state law that requires all rental properties,

492
00:41:58,080 --> 00:41:59,600
must be registered with the state.

493
00:42:00,140 --> 00:42:04,800
What I found when I did a search through their databases, that only 1,400 properties within

494
00:42:04,800 --> 00:42:09,940
new port of the 5,500 rental properties are actually registered with the state.

495
00:42:10,260 --> 00:42:13,520
So I don't know if people don't, aren't aware that they need to register with the state

496
00:42:13,520 --> 00:42:14,120
on this.

497
00:42:14,120 --> 00:42:21,440
It's not that we would get anything out of it, but it is somewhere where the landlords have to report who they are, and so I think that it helps with tenant rights.

498
00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:27,440
Are you saying that every rental in the city would have to register?

499
00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:36,060
Right now, under state law, that appears to be the requirement, is that they

500
00:42:36,060 --> 00:42:41,280
rent to people, you have to register with the state database, and it looks like only 1,400 properties

501
00:42:41,280 --> 00:42:41,760
in Newport.

502
00:42:41,820 --> 00:42:43,220
Because I don't think anybody knows it.

503
00:42:44,460 --> 00:42:49,860
And so again, one of the suggestions is having the discussion whether we're getting a benefit

504
00:42:49,860 --> 00:42:54,320
out of registering the seasonal rentals, whether we would have some benefit of registering

505
00:42:54,320 --> 00:42:58,920
any rental within Newport, whether it's for a fee or not just to understand where

506
00:42:58,920 --> 00:43:04,320
our rental properties are, but it just, it does seem a little bit odd for us that we require

507
00:43:04,320 --> 00:43:11,500
the seasonal rentals register right now for a small fee and we don't track any on the long-term

508
00:43:11,500 --> 00:43:15,560
rentals but again we think that there's probably more seasonal rentals out there that are actually

509
00:43:15,560 --> 00:43:25,650
registered with the city. If we caught any through the two tier tests, I do not know the answer to that.

510
00:43:26,970 --> 00:43:30,210
That's all I really have for you right now, happy to answer any other questions,

511
00:43:30,210 --> 00:43:33,070
Um, other newer members of the community.

512
00:43:34,310 --> 00:43:34,790
Help some of you.

513
00:43:35,870 --> 00:43:36,970
I have a couple of questions.

514
00:43:37,350 --> 00:43:38,570
So please bear with me.

515
00:43:39,030 --> 00:43:46,410
So I just want to clarify that there currently isn't a ban on new short-term rentals outside of the residential zones.

516
00:43:46,570 --> 00:43:46,950
Correct.

517
00:43:46,950 --> 00:43:52,510
We allow them buy right in the waterfront business in general business and through a special use permit for the limited business.

518
00:43:52,970 --> 00:43:53,210
Okay.

519
00:43:53,210 --> 00:44:05,790
And is the state definition and the local or municipal definition of short-term rentals are those in line, or is there any discrepancy?

520
00:44:05,970 --> 00:44:07,330
They're off by one day.

521
00:44:08,030 --> 00:44:13,750
We say that it is less than 30 days, it's considered short-term. They have 30 days or less.

522
00:44:13,750 --> 00:44:14,570
Okay.

523
00:44:16,810 --> 00:44:30,590
And do we know how many applicants in the past year that have come before zoning, planning to increase the bedroom count of their home or to put in an ADU?

524
00:44:31,430 --> 00:44:35,810
Do we know how many of those were then converted to a short-term rental?

525
00:44:40,000 --> 00:44:45,960
I don't think I would have to pull all of our numbers and figure out how many, are you

526
00:44:45,960 --> 00:44:50,340
seeing people that created dwellings and then turn them into short-term rentals?

527
00:44:50,820 --> 00:44:52,980
I would say very few of any.

528
00:44:53,060 --> 00:44:53,200
Okay.

529
00:44:53,600 --> 00:44:58,020
80Us are not allowed to be short-term rented by state law and by our city ordinance.

530
00:44:59,100 --> 00:44:59,860
So, and we've-

531
00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:08,140
Not had a ton of ADU approvals, even fewer that have needed zoning relief to get an ADU, but most

532
00:45:08,140 --> 00:45:13,880
people are not building a brand new house and then converting it to a short-term rental. We've

533
00:45:13,880 --> 00:45:19,640
had a couple applications for vacation guest facilities so that, again, it has to be a minimum

534
00:45:19,640 --> 00:45:27,480
of 10 units within that. Think of it as a kind of like a hotel, but more like a time share. These

535
00:45:27,480 --> 00:45:32,580
properties that contain at least 10 units, they can be 1, 2, or 3 bedroom units, they can

536
00:45:32,580 --> 00:45:38,320
have occasions, and again they could be short-term rented or kind of longer term. We've had

537
00:45:38,320 --> 00:45:43,860
one that was approved, but is still working through the process at 144 themes and another one

538
00:45:43,860 --> 00:45:49,920
at 105 Broadway where the parking pockets. Though we have been actually contacted by the attorney

539
00:45:49,920 --> 00:45:55,740
of that property that they are looking to potentially convert that to residential housing as opposed

540
00:45:55,740 --> 00:46:02,220
to the vacation guest facility. So it may be a sign that there's not enough interest out there

541
00:46:02,220 --> 00:46:05,760
to actually purchase that property to develop it into a vacation facility.

542
00:46:06,780 --> 00:46:11,980
Absolutely. Can I ask you a question, or through you, Asuka, since it was just noted,

543
00:46:12,980 --> 00:46:20,120
you mentioned two properties, which would fit the 10 or more requirement. One of them you said was

544
00:46:20,120 --> 00:46:24,580
244 themes and you said they're working their way through the process. That 144 to 150

545
00:46:24,580 --> 00:46:33,620
themes is, in fact, an existing court case, correct? It's not working its way through our

546
00:46:33,620 --> 00:46:38,880
system. It has been challenged in superior court, correct? As opposed to Broadway. Thank you.

547
00:46:38,880 --> 00:46:39,440
Thank you, Councillor.

548
00:46:39,660 --> 00:46:47,340
You're welcome. So a couple more questions for you. Do we know how many year-long rentals

549
00:46:47,340 --> 00:46:51,580
have been reduced to short-term rentals in the past year?

550
00:46:52,860 --> 00:46:58,600
What given we've only had seven new applications, and then technically 14 if you include

551
00:46:58,600 --> 00:47:02,220
the ones we brought in compliance, I'd say that's the maximum number that we would have

552
00:47:02,220 --> 00:47:03,320
seen that have been converted.

553
00:47:03,620 --> 00:47:04,120
Okay.

554
00:47:04,640 --> 00:47:09,720
I would say many of those are apartments, so I wouldn't call them a whole house.

555
00:47:10,180 --> 00:47:16,120
It's a two-bedroom apartment above a thames street property that has been converted into a

556
00:47:16,120 --> 00:47:16,600
short-term rent.

557
00:47:16,600 --> 00:47:21,160
So it's not most of them are not full properties that are being heard.

558
00:47:21,680 --> 00:47:28,760
Okay. And how many of the general business and and waterfront business guest houses do we have?

559
00:47:30,060 --> 00:47:33,920
We did not poll date a district by district. That's okay. That's okay. That's okay.

560
00:47:34,160 --> 00:47:39,360
Easily do that but we don't. Yeah, I was looking. Yeah, we do have the map.

561
00:47:42,290 --> 00:47:42,370
Okay.

562
00:47:42,370 --> 00:47:51,190
Yeah, Phoenix has the map, anything that has the red house is a short-term rental that includes hotels,

563
00:47:51,730 --> 00:47:58,290
but there is a pretty large red area down in the water from business companies area.

564
00:47:59,210 --> 00:48:09,430
And my last question, so some of the recommended ordinance changes was that to get a handle also on the parking issue,

565
00:48:09,430 --> 00:48:20,230
So that residents aren't continuing to be impacted by not being able to find parking on their street in front of their house,

566
00:48:20,230 --> 00:48:22,290
or especially if they don't have driveways.

567
00:48:23,350 --> 00:48:28,790
Do we know what streets in particular are being more impacted than others?

568
00:48:30,070 --> 00:48:34,710
We would have to look back at every property that we have approved of parking variants on.

569
00:48:34,710 --> 00:48:39,530
it's relatively spread out, I mean, I think we do see a concentration around themes in spring

570
00:48:39,530 --> 00:48:46,070
street. Those are kind of the primary ones, which, again, are in districts that allow this

571
00:48:46,070 --> 00:48:51,950
use, whether it's through the special use, or by right. But back to your kind of initial part of

572
00:48:51,950 --> 00:48:57,110
the question, we did propose this change to the parking, so essentially would, in effect, do a

573
00:48:57,110 --> 00:49:03,290
way with parking variance is being able to be granted, because it would be the use being defined

574
00:49:03,290 --> 00:49:08,410
as requiring the on-site parking for whatever number of bedrooms they have so they can't just

575
00:49:08,410 --> 00:49:12,970
maximize the five bedrooms because the guest house use allows that without being able to

576
00:49:12,970 --> 00:49:19,170
provide the parking maybe they're only able to get a couple of rooms to be used because they have

577
00:49:19,170 --> 00:49:27,030
the parking for a couple of spaces. Okay thank you. Any other questions on the council? Sure.

578
00:49:27,030 --> 00:49:31,230
So I know folks in the audience want to speak as well.

579
00:49:31,270 --> 00:49:33,170
They can speak at the end when we're done.

580
00:49:33,410 --> 00:49:35,350
Okay. I appreciate it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

581
00:49:36,330 --> 00:49:36,490
Nick.

582
00:49:38,070 --> 00:49:41,250
Is the following situation prohibited by ordinance?

583
00:49:43,330 --> 00:49:47,850
A short-term rental goes before the zoning board.

584
00:49:48,490 --> 00:49:51,430
And requests a variance or off-site parking.

585
00:49:51,570 --> 00:49:53,430
Quarter mile half mile would have you.

586
00:49:53,430 --> 00:49:58,530
Because they do not have the appropriate on-site parking for their rental.

587
00:49:59,410 --> 00:49:59,970
They receive.

588
00:50:00,000 --> 00:50:09,840
Receive that variance from the zoning board subsequently seek from the city of Newport, guest passes, guest parking passes.

589
00:50:10,160 --> 00:50:20,960
Do we prohibit issuing those guest parking passes to short-term rentals who are testifying that they have provided?

590
00:50:20,960 --> 00:50:31,060
My understanding is we did change the rules because there was a gap there in our ordinance that that allowed for the guest passage to be provided to a property owner regardless of what the use was.

591
00:50:31,320 --> 00:50:45,380
And, and forgive me, I don't second guess you, but I second guess you and I second guess myself and I second guess the whole ordinance related ordinance is Mr. Deputy manager, do you agree with that?

592
00:50:48,260 --> 00:50:58,580
There was a, so the parking passes in this last overhaul, I'll call it, or the, with the residential parking program.

593
00:50:59,440 --> 00:51:11,060
We did not look at guest passes as a, as a whole, but with the short-term rentals, the short-term rental properties.

594
00:51:11,060 --> 00:51:20,200
the, we did not issue the guest parking passes for properties that were registered as short-term rentals.

595
00:51:20,540 --> 00:51:27,120
But the guest pass property as a whole, where we speak about the transient guest facilities,

596
00:51:28,620 --> 00:51:34,600
we did not remove, we did not remove the guest passes from all properties.

597
00:51:34,760 --> 00:51:36,020
It was very selective.

598
00:51:37,040 --> 00:51:45,220
So, then, according both of your answers, there are likely presumably many short-term rental

599
00:51:45,220 --> 00:51:52,860
facilities, transient facilities, which distribute yes-parking passes to their tenants.

600
00:51:53,440 --> 00:51:53,660
Correct?

601
00:51:53,780 --> 00:51:55,000
That's the potentials there.

602
00:51:55,740 --> 00:51:56,420
Does it exist?

603
00:51:56,560 --> 00:51:57,140
Not the potential.

604
00:51:57,480 --> 00:51:58,000
Does it exist?

605
00:51:58,840 --> 00:51:59,220
Oh, Michael.

606
00:52:00,220 --> 00:52:00,380
Okay.

607
00:52:01,400 --> 00:52:03,140
That, I think, we need to address.

608
00:52:03,140 --> 00:52:03,840
But

609
00:52:07,420 --> 00:52:12,660
I would say the good thing about that is that it's not specifically in the zoning ordinance, which the zoning ordinance, you know, takes

610
00:52:12,660 --> 00:52:21,520
several rounds plus a lot of advertisement to correct if it is in a different section of the ordinance, then we can get that to a lot quicker to make that closing

611
00:52:25,980 --> 00:52:26,420
The

612
00:52:48,440 --> 00:52:51,060
car moving situation, very out of

613
00:52:53,460 --> 00:52:53,660
turn

614
00:52:53,660 --> 00:53:01,700
So just one quick note, so Nick, when when you have these properties that need a variance need parking elsewhere

615
00:53:02,780 --> 00:53:07,920
Those parking spots are inspected just to make sure that they are, I know you have to

616
00:53:07,920 --> 00:53:08,900
see a lease.

617
00:53:09,340 --> 00:53:13,380
But we're double-checking to make sure they're, yeah, so essentially what I do is it

618
00:53:13,380 --> 00:53:20,820
analysis of the uses on that leasing property to determine what their parking requirement

619
00:53:20,820 --> 00:53:21,800
is under the code.

620
00:53:22,360 --> 00:53:25,500
And they have to have an excess of parking is what I call it.

621
00:53:25,620 --> 00:53:30,840
So if that the uses on that property require 20 spaces and they have 25 spaces, they effectively

622
00:53:30,840 --> 00:53:36,480
we have five and they could kind of give out to this lease that is provided to us again

623
00:53:36,480 --> 00:53:37,360
on the basis.

624
00:53:39,060 --> 00:53:43,100
Now, that's a great great question, Mr. Chair, and the zoning officer and I have been

625
00:53:43,100 --> 00:53:50,120
speaking about this for about a year or now, also we're going to be consulting currently

626
00:53:50,120 --> 00:53:55,440
speaking with our superintendent, parking authority, who is also here this evening to talk

627
00:53:55,440 --> 00:54:01,680
about just that fact, some of these commercial lots even by the lots that are entering into

628
00:54:01,680 --> 00:54:06,800
these engagements for these parking variants is to satisfy the parking requirements

629
00:54:06,800 --> 00:54:13,220
that some of these properties, as well as some other contracts, so to speak, with some

630
00:54:14,060 --> 00:54:19,100
of the some of the local, you've seen these parking lots that are coming into town that

631
00:54:19,100 --> 00:54:25,020
are in town engaging with some of the local property owners as a business, and utilizing

632
00:54:25,020 --> 00:54:33,420
in those spaces. So we are aware of that and we are going to be finding ways to seek compliance,

633
00:54:33,980 --> 00:54:38,600
keep it better. I am thanks to make sure that there's no double dipping in these lots and

634
00:54:38,600 --> 00:54:43,460
where these properties are supposed to. They have a minimum requirement for parking in those

635
00:54:43,460 --> 00:54:49,820
spaces yet. They are renting those spaces also, which essentially is displacing those tenants

636
00:54:50,400 --> 00:54:53,680
either commercial or residential properties out onto the streets.

637
00:54:54,340 --> 00:54:59,100
So we are aware that and that will be addressed with these superintendant apartment authority in the zoning officer.

638
00:55:00,000 --> 00:55:16,880
But keep in mind, and I think the zoning officer was trying to emphasize this, is that in these cases, a variance for the parking requirements was going to be granted based on the standards in the state law.

639
00:55:16,880 --> 00:55:30,560
So, this is extra, this is on top of not having them, and they could have easily been a variance in these cases, without even those least spaces requirements.

640
00:55:32,280 --> 00:55:39,540
So, it's fine, everyone to realize that and the zoning office that was trying to emphasize that, that fact.

641
00:55:39,540 --> 00:55:48,100
Well, that's one of the big issues since we were talking about the short-term rental and the zoning aspect of it is the parking.

642
00:55:48,780 --> 00:55:54,380
That's I think that's where I think a lot of the residents have had the issue, especially in the tight neighborhood.

643
00:55:54,960 --> 00:55:57,160
So downtown between faves and spring has been noted.

644
00:55:59,420 --> 00:56:09,500
I mean, anything we can do to.

645
00:56:10,320 --> 00:56:16,560
That program is that going to incorporate the parking challenges that zoning looks over as well?

646
00:56:16,780 --> 00:56:20,320
Are they going to be, yeah, it's definitely part of the conversation.

647
00:56:20,540 --> 00:56:26,360
We're going to be looking at all the properties that are advertising paid at park on a daily basis,

648
00:56:26,360 --> 00:56:28,420
checking that they have client parking.

649
00:56:29,340 --> 00:56:32,140
You know, we do have our comprehensive plan being worked on right now,

650
00:56:32,200 --> 00:56:36,780
which I think we'll have some recommendations on how to improve our parking situation,

651
00:56:36,780 --> 00:56:41,540
the parking standards were put in place in the 70s, and so some of them are appropriate

652
00:56:41,540 --> 00:56:45,820
and some of them are a little bit outdated in front of figure out if we're requiring the

653
00:56:45,820 --> 00:56:50,400
appropriate number of spaces, whether that's higher or lower, then our standards currently

654
00:56:50,400 --> 00:56:57,620
require, and then things such as shared use parking arrangements between multiple properties

655
00:56:59,140 --> 00:57:03,560
that have uses that take place at different times of the day that maybe utilize the same

656
00:57:03,560 --> 00:57:08,880
market spaces, so we're not kind of putting paid parking lots everywhere in the city.

657
00:57:08,880 --> 00:57:11,100
It's pretty quickly, can't you?

658
00:57:11,560 --> 00:57:19,040
I know, in this conversation, the assumption is that every short-term rental landlord

659
00:57:21,510 --> 00:57:27,970
basically there, their tenants or their visitors are coming by car, every single one of them.

660
00:57:28,390 --> 00:57:29,730
This is the assumption we're going by.

661
00:57:29,730 --> 00:57:43,550
Has there been any conversation or any study or any question of just, you know, of these applicants that come in about how many of their guests are actually driving cars in the town?

662
00:57:44,610 --> 00:57:52,010
We have not done this video on that. I think it would be a good thing to do with, you know, in consultation with people that are operating the short-term rentals.

663
00:57:52,010 --> 00:57:54,450
we would, you know, we have all of their information

664
00:57:54,450 --> 00:57:56,910
and can potentially do some sort of survey to find out.

665
00:57:57,090 --> 00:58:00,050
You know, we require one space for bedroom of a guest house.

666
00:58:01,210 --> 00:58:03,930
You know, I think some people think that that is too high

667
00:58:03,930 --> 00:58:07,650
that people aren't bringing five cars when they have a five bedroom guest house.

668
00:58:07,650 --> 00:58:10,590
If they're bringing a family, they may only have one car or two cars.

669
00:58:11,330 --> 00:58:15,110
So, again, it's kind of stems from this older code

670
00:58:15,110 --> 00:58:18,050
that we have that required this one per bedroom requirement.

671
00:58:18,210 --> 00:58:20,810
I think it actually stems from the requirements

672
00:58:20,810 --> 00:58:26,290
that were put on hotels that required one for unit of a hotel required of a car.

673
00:58:26,650 --> 00:58:35,230
So is there a way to get information as to voters who come in and stay at short-term rentals?

674
00:58:35,510 --> 00:58:39,390
Is there a way to get that kind of information through?

675
00:58:41,090 --> 00:58:47,210
Again, I think it would require us asking our current operators of guest houses,

676
00:58:47,210 --> 00:58:50,190
It's probably to ask for their service,

677
00:58:50,910 --> 00:58:53,050
the people that are renting from them,

678
00:58:53,250 --> 00:58:54,750
how they're getting there every time.

679
00:58:55,190 --> 00:58:58,050
I know that some of them put on their advertisement

680
00:58:58,050 --> 00:59:00,190
that they only have one on site parking space,

681
00:59:00,370 --> 00:59:01,910
so don't bring more than one car.

682
00:59:03,590 --> 00:59:06,650
I don't know that they can force every one of their clients

683
00:59:06,650 --> 00:59:07,850
to follow that.

684
00:59:08,230 --> 00:59:10,770
I think that there's an economic impact study

685
00:59:10,770 --> 00:59:15,530
on now about races and happening in the harbor.

686
00:59:17,010 --> 00:59:25,630
And the number of people who do business on the land side, you know?

687
00:59:25,790 --> 00:59:29,390
So I don't know, maybe there might be some information through them.

688
00:59:29,390 --> 00:59:30,990
I think it's the maritime alliance.

689
00:59:31,430 --> 00:59:32,070
Any other questions?

690
00:59:35,010 --> 00:59:35,310
All right.

691
00:59:35,890 --> 00:59:38,110
I think we'll take the time now to take turn it over to the public.

692
00:59:38,250 --> 00:59:40,810
Anyone that would like to come up with any comments.

693
00:59:41,150 --> 00:59:41,550
Questions?

694
00:59:42,230 --> 00:59:43,210
Please come up to the podium.

695
00:59:43,430 --> 00:59:44,290
State your name and address.

696
00:59:46,680 --> 00:59:46,940
No, no.

697
00:59:46,940 --> 00:59:47,780
sort of once.

698
00:59:48,240 --> 00:59:48,980
No, no.

699
00:59:52,410 --> 00:59:54,850
I think they're all looking at me since I go.

700
00:59:55,070 --> 00:59:55,350
Of course.

701
00:59:55,510 --> 00:59:56,810
I'll do it first.

702
00:59:58,090 --> 00:59:58,910
Good evening.

703
00:59:59,050 --> 00:59:59,970
My name's Mitch Edward.

704
01:00:00,000 --> 01:00:09,760
Words have had the privilege of appearing before you before representing the Rhode Island short-term rental association and the new board property rights association.

705
01:00:09,900 --> 01:00:23,040
And I'll be brief, but I just wanted to focus on the last issue that we were all talking about parking, because it's important to you and it's important to everyone back here and it's important to the residents of Newport.

706
01:00:23,880 --> 01:00:29,940
And I think one thing that a survey, which you were talking about might help, is to really

707
01:00:29,940 --> 01:00:35,400
understand what would the impact be on these short-term rentals in the commercial zone

708
01:00:35,400 --> 01:00:42,060
if you were to require what I understand to be the proposal of one, you have to have

709
01:00:42,060 --> 01:00:43,780
a parking space for every bedroom.

710
01:00:45,640 --> 01:00:55,360
And some of these have four or five bedrooms, and they don't have four or five spots or even possibly two or three.

711
01:00:55,860 --> 01:01:03,100
Because they do anticipate what was suggested, which is one car with a family coming in part.

712
01:01:03,940 --> 01:01:11,700
And my concern, and I think the concern of many short-term rental owners, is if this was imposed, it would essentially just be like,

713
01:01:11,700 --> 01:01:13,560
don't have a short-term rental anymore.

714
01:01:15,240 --> 01:01:21,040
And that is probably the concern you'll hear from others, among, among, I'm sure, other

715
01:01:21,040 --> 01:01:21,660
concerns.

716
01:01:22,660 --> 01:01:28,140
So, excuse me, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Edwards, and I'll bring the solicitor in on this.

717
01:01:28,280 --> 01:01:33,960
You are aware that that concern regarding your existing clients' mood, since this would

718
01:01:33,960 --> 01:01:41,520
not affect should the proposed ordinance changes as adopted on first round be adopted as

719
01:01:41,520 --> 01:01:47,520
second round and becoming new board ordinance, your clients are protected. Mr. B&M I correct?

720
01:01:50,850 --> 01:01:57,430
Yes. So, in other words, if there's an existing legal use registered at present and we

721
01:01:57,430 --> 01:02:03,450
change those requirements, they'd be grandfathered in. I believe the attorney ed was known.

722
01:02:04,090 --> 01:02:10,230
I fully aware of it. I appreciate the comment. Indeed, that was something that the council

723
01:02:10,230 --> 01:02:16,290
emphasize back in the spring. And I get, just so you understand where I'm coming from

724
01:02:16,290 --> 01:02:23,630
on that, the Rhode Island short-term rentalization isn't just, and the new poor property rights

725
01:02:23,630 --> 01:02:28,850
association isn't just concerned about those who currently have short-term rentals, but those

726
01:02:28,850 --> 01:02:35,810
that will get the prospect of which this law or ordinance potentially could impact depending

727
01:02:35,810 --> 01:02:43,510
how you all decide to go. And that concern is, well, I won't be able to get the short-term

728
01:02:43,510 --> 01:02:50,890
rental that fair point that I want to get in the future or one that I planned on getting

729
01:02:50,890 --> 01:02:57,650
or one that I've invested and don't have approval yet, but I've invested all my resources in

730
01:02:57,650 --> 01:03:02,470
and this ordinance comes out while I'm doing that, right? Like folks who are sort of caught

731
01:03:02,470 --> 01:03:09,810
taught in the middle. And so, I think if you're going to go down the road, which I think is a good

732
01:03:09,810 --> 01:03:15,430
road to go down, survey some folks to find out information. I think it's a very good idea. One

733
01:03:15,430 --> 01:03:22,090
I was going to suggest, but didn't need to because you all in your wisdom came up with it on your own.

734
01:03:22,170 --> 01:03:29,570
There's probably more questions that you want to know. And I know the folks might

735
01:03:29,570 --> 01:03:36,150
I apply it and those who I represent in terms of being members of the association, I'm sure

736
01:03:36,150 --> 01:03:40,650
would be happy to give you information because it's actually something to buy there all

737
01:03:40,650 --> 01:03:46,170
here and I suspect I can stop talking and you can hear from them directly, but I appreciate

738
01:03:46,170 --> 01:03:46,950
the time.

739
01:03:47,490 --> 01:03:51,950
Attorney Edwards, the panel of the question was Chairman, if I might, I appreciate your answer

740
01:03:51,950 --> 01:03:58,630
to that in the clarification from solicitor B and would you be satisfied if the council

741
01:03:58,630 --> 01:04:05,670
should we enact the ordinance, amended, or the proposed ordinance, amended the proposed

742
01:04:05,670 --> 01:04:11,610
ordinance to, in fact, ensure the same type of guarantees that are given to existing

743
01:04:13,150 --> 01:04:19,590
properties to those properties which are legitimately in the process, the concern you

744
01:04:19,590 --> 01:04:25,550
raised three minutes to so go, of becoming such a registered property. I'm not suggesting

745
01:04:25,550 --> 01:04:31,710
that we ensure such for six months, 12 months, a year or two years, five years down the road,

746
01:04:32,190 --> 01:04:36,430
but those which are legitimately in the process of seeking such registration.

747
01:04:38,070 --> 01:04:42,250
So, Councilman Carl, and I think what I would say is that would be a great improvement,

748
01:04:44,190 --> 01:04:53,370
but it wouldn't satisfy all of our concerns. Understanding we're probably not going to

749
01:04:53,370 --> 01:04:59,970
don't think that the parking should be based on how many bedrooms and we might...

750
01:05:00,000 --> 01:05:09,400
We'll never be able to bridge that gap. But I do think it would be a great improvement. So those who are in the process are caught up in that issue.

751
01:05:09,840 --> 01:05:12,680
Thank you very much. Thank you Mr. Chairman.

752
01:05:13,080 --> 01:05:13,320
Thank you.

753
01:05:13,820 --> 01:05:16,060
Can I ask a

754
01:05:21,790 --> 01:05:22,230
question?

755
01:05:23,930 --> 01:05:25,850
I wanted to ask a question.

756
01:05:26,010 --> 01:05:27,830
This is a state-of-name address.

757
01:05:27,830 --> 01:05:31,990
Yeah, I'm Sarah Adams, and I own nine good ones tree.

758
01:05:33,770 --> 01:05:37,190
How many of you have actually rented a short-term rental before?

759
01:05:39,390 --> 01:05:44,550
I was just curious, because I do think that there's some misunderstandings

760
01:05:44,550 --> 01:05:49,290
about what it offers that's different from a lot of people put us in the same category

761
01:05:49,290 --> 01:05:54,270
as hotels or B&Bs and kind of what set us apart.

762
01:05:54,270 --> 01:06:04,390
So I just was curious how many had actually gone through the process of going on the website, searching, saying in one and all that.

763
01:06:06,070 --> 01:06:16,150
I wanted to thank you for acknowledging the inflation of that 1,000 Airbnb short-term rental number that's been thrown around three years.

764
01:06:16,150 --> 01:06:19,390
that has really, really bothered most of us,

765
01:06:19,410 --> 01:06:21,390
because we know that we've worked really hard

766
01:06:21,390 --> 01:06:24,850
on making sure we're in clients and following all the rules.

767
01:06:25,530 --> 01:06:28,170
And we've always known that those numbers are not accurate,

768
01:06:28,570 --> 01:06:31,850
and I actually like deep dove the websites myself

769
01:06:31,850 --> 01:06:35,170
and saw the different properties that are actually

770
01:06:35,170 --> 01:06:37,650
that in breakfast that are listing per bedroom

771
01:06:38,210 --> 01:06:41,770
on the same sites that we're listing our whole rentals.

772
01:06:42,230 --> 01:06:44,130
And if you're on more than one site,

773
01:06:44,130 --> 01:06:49,390
It's all being duplicated at the end of the day, the numbers that are registered are still

774
01:06:49,390 --> 01:06:57,010
the same numbers, and there's not a thousand short-term rentals. It's less than 2% of the entire

775
01:06:57,010 --> 01:07:07,150
housing stock of the city, and we are in a business so I wanted to talk since this is like a workshop

776
01:07:07,150 --> 01:07:12,930
and I know we like maybe have a little bit more time. I really do not understand why the parking

777
01:07:12,930 --> 01:07:21,190
requirement is different. When my house is rented for less than 30 days, then it would

778
01:07:21,190 --> 01:07:31,010
be if I rented for 30 days, or if I rented for two months, or why I can't rent my house

779
01:07:31,010 --> 01:07:39,010
to my own family. I have three children. We have a 30-foot-long driveway, but because it's

780
01:07:39,010 --> 01:07:46,770
back to back parking as a short term rental I have not is what I'm told. I don't know if

781
01:07:46,770 --> 01:07:53,330
you're aware of that. We went for our variance and it was denied. I could go and rent

782
01:07:53,330 --> 01:08:01,330
spots. Well why would my tenants want a park half a mile when I have a 30 foot long driveway?

783
01:08:02,930 --> 01:08:30,210
You did take my hang tag away from me, so you're parking rules, they are working, just so you know, I was not given my hang tag, they are enforcing it, and my neighbors were also not given their hang tags, so we live in a very harmonious street, everyone talks to each other, we have a mix of long term residence, short term residence, and short term rentals on our street.

784
01:08:30,210 --> 01:08:36,350
We all respect each other, no one has any issues because they know that it's our choice.

785
01:08:37,130 --> 01:08:40,810
Everyone on the street knows that they have a right to do it.

786
01:08:41,070 --> 01:08:45,350
We have a right to do it as long as we're falling the rules and we're respecting each other.

787
01:08:45,650 --> 01:08:47,030
There hasn't been any issues.

788
01:08:47,750 --> 01:08:53,210
What I don't like what has been in the conversation is if you pass this,

789
01:08:53,990 --> 01:09:02,210
The select houses on our street that are not currently short-term renting can never, but they have to be surrounded by other homes that can.

790
01:09:03,050 --> 01:09:04,470
It doesn't make any sense.

791
01:09:05,470 --> 01:09:07,910
It's only going to cause segregation on the street.

792
01:09:08,090 --> 01:09:10,850
It's going to cause animosity and it's going to affect property values.

793
01:09:11,470 --> 01:09:14,570
It makes no sense. It also doesn't make any sense.

794
01:09:14,950 --> 01:09:19,250
While I on the proposed ordinance changes, I can change my house to be a daycare.

795
01:09:19,250 --> 01:09:23,330
I can be a church, apparently I won't rather turn it into a boat marina.

796
01:09:24,730 --> 01:09:27,870
And I just have to go and apply, I don't need a variance,

797
01:09:28,610 --> 01:09:32,090
but you're honing in on guest houses as being a problem,

798
01:09:32,770 --> 01:09:35,430
but you're not, I think there's like 15 other businesses

799
01:09:35,430 --> 01:09:40,810
or more that I can run out of my home without asking for a variance.

800
01:09:40,850 --> 01:09:44,250
So I just don't understand all of these.

801
01:09:44,250 --> 01:09:47,610
It just, not a bit makes any sense for frustrating,

802
01:09:50,430 --> 01:09:52,950
I also want to talk about why the Max

803
01:09:52,950 --> 01:09:57,010
Fine is a thousand dollars when someone is illegally renting.

804
01:09:58,230 --> 01:09:59,870
I pay that just in my registration.

805
01:10:01,380 --> 01:10:23,860
I'm sorry. Never mind the filing fee. I also lost my hang tag sticker, which, by the way, I wasn't even using my rentals, because I wouldn't, I don't have the energy to chase it down if someone leaves with it. So it was non, it wasn't relevant, but it was taken. And so when my family comes to see us and we're here, I don't have one to offer to them, but it's okay.

806
01:10:25,900 --> 01:10:48,040
I just a lot of these things don't make any sense if what you're proposing is supposed to encourage for housing and more long-term rentals than a three-better house that was renting as a two-better rental, which is what I currently have, could turn around and rent as a three-better and long-term rental with three cars.

807
01:10:48,040 --> 01:10:55,520
But I only have a driveway that can fit two and there's no regulations on that in regards to a long-term rental.

808
01:10:56,080 --> 01:10:57,180
So where does that other cargo?

809
01:10:58,440 --> 01:11:02,080
I just, I don't understand how this helps anyone.

810
01:11:02,680 --> 01:11:04,540
I don't understand how this would create housing.

811
01:11:05,080 --> 01:11:11,420
I don't understand why we're trying to segregate streets in a very small district where this is allowed to say,

812
01:11:11,420 --> 01:11:16,480
OK, well, those five homes that are currently registered, they can keep doing it.

813
01:11:16,480 --> 01:11:21,940
But that one and that one and that one that are in the middle of those homes, they can't do that.

814
01:11:22,040 --> 01:11:23,880
That we're taking that purpose away from them.

815
01:11:24,840 --> 01:11:27,240
I just, I don't think that's good for the neighborhoods.

816
01:11:27,580 --> 01:11:29,420
I don't think that's good for the climate of the city.

817
01:11:29,580 --> 01:11:32,200
I think there's something important about choice.

818
01:11:32,640 --> 01:11:35,820
And I think that it's a small, small area.

819
01:11:36,480 --> 01:11:43,480
We shouldn't be touching the business districts in regards to restricting the businesses that they can run as long as we're following the rules.

820
01:11:43,480 --> 01:11:51,740
We're registering. I just, I guess that's kind of all I want to say. Thank you, Ms. Adams.

821
01:11:52,580 --> 01:11:58,600
Mr. Chairman, it's my day. Thank you. First of all, excellent excellent points.

822
01:11:59,180 --> 01:12:10,820
Particularly when you mentioned the parking situation for longer than short-term rental facilities, residences, whatever you'd like to call them.

823
01:12:10,820 --> 01:12:17,840
I have heard plenty of complaints, particularly on streets like Carol Avenue, Thames, Spring,

824
01:12:18,900 --> 01:12:21,100
Narraganset, Harris, you name me.

825
01:12:21,420 --> 01:12:25,700
I could stay here until next Tuesday in name all the streets, where there are those type

826
01:12:25,700 --> 01:12:28,160
of concerns with respect to parking.

827
01:12:29,000 --> 01:12:29,400
Why?

828
01:12:30,140 --> 01:12:36,180
Shame on this Council, shame on me for not proposing an ordinance, which would restrict the amount

829
01:12:36,180 --> 01:12:43,000
parking do for not just short-term or entitled to or not entitled to, not just short-term rentals,

830
01:12:43,380 --> 01:12:53,140
but others, not in specific terms 12-month parking because those tend to be folks who have

831
01:12:53,140 --> 01:13:00,200
decided to live if not live and work here in Newport, but I'm thinking in particular of, for example,

832
01:13:00,200 --> 01:13:05,800
survey, regaining university parking, at houses that are not short term rental, excellent

833
01:13:05,800 --> 01:13:06,620
excellent points.

834
01:13:06,920 --> 01:13:11,820
Tell me please, when your family comes to visit, why can't you use one of your three entitled

835
01:13:11,820 --> 01:13:13,080
parking stickers?

836
01:13:14,480 --> 01:13:17,200
Do you not reside in vote in Newport?

837
01:13:18,930 --> 01:13:20,150
Do you reside in Newport?

838
01:13:20,530 --> 01:13:20,690
I do.

839
01:13:23,010 --> 01:13:24,050
I do.

840
01:13:26,290 --> 01:13:27,170
I do.

841
01:13:27,170 --> 01:13:27,230
I do.

842
01:13:27,230 --> 01:13:27,510
I do.

843
01:13:30,430 --> 01:13:31,190
I do.

844
01:13:31,190 --> 01:13:31,650
I do.

845
01:13:32,610 --> 01:13:36,670
underlying, I don't want to get into it. I don't want to get into it back and forth here,

846
01:13:36,890 --> 01:13:42,470
but the underlying ordinances that have a lot to do with how we define what we will

847
01:13:42,470 --> 01:13:50,230
allow in the city are governed by who lives here, for example, for tax purposes, and for

848
01:13:50,230 --> 01:13:57,550
two tiered tax purposes specifically, who lives here full time, and who doesn't. And so there

849
01:13:57,550 --> 01:14:00,590
There's a reason why you do not have the tag.

850
01:14:01,510 --> 01:14:04,810
And I just want to make sure that we are being clear that the city is going to stick around

851
01:14:04,810 --> 01:14:05,350
my car.

852
01:14:05,670 --> 01:14:08,810
I am, I have a property here, sir, but that doesn't go.

853
01:14:08,870 --> 01:14:12,930
So why don't you have three tags, Mr. Deputy Manager?

854
01:14:13,310 --> 01:14:20,710
She entitled to three tags as a property owner here in Newport under the recently adopted

855
01:14:20,710 --> 01:14:29,870
with new parking regulations, she would qualify as an R2 resident or a non-resident but

856
01:14:29,870 --> 01:14:35,130
property owner and so entitled to a single three correct, three stickers she's allowed.

857
01:14:35,230 --> 01:14:39,830
I don't think you should like devalue what I'm saying. I have not devalued anything you

858
01:14:39,830 --> 01:14:45,490
said. In fact, I am trying to make a case for you to get the parking stickers back if you're

859
01:14:45,490 --> 01:14:52,190
your cars on your street. I only need one. You said when your family comes to visit. Me. You can't. They don't

860
01:14:52,190 --> 01:14:59,230
live here. Everything you're telling me based on the ordinances we just passed. You're months ago.

861
01:15:01,860 --> 01:15:11,020
A little bit of a different, a little bit of a different scenario. I appreciate you taking the time, thank you.

862
01:15:11,020 --> 01:15:19,300
can I just say I mean you're not a resident and you pay the non-resident tax so you pay more taxes

863
01:15:19,300 --> 01:15:25,600
than it would if you were to be a resident. I actually was going to forget I have in I have a

864
01:15:26,420 --> 01:15:33,180
suggestion. A suggestion is along with the parking and the stuff we've talked about. While I can't

865
01:15:33,180 --> 01:15:38,060
we have an option when we register our short term rental to select if we are rented by room

866
01:15:38,060 --> 01:15:44,800
for a full home rental. I think that makes a big difference in how you perceive our properties

867
01:15:44,800 --> 01:15:51,620
who we're renting to and how many cars are being brought to this property. A whole house rental

868
01:15:51,620 --> 01:15:59,020
is not the same as someone who is renting a bedroom. I have three children and per your standards

869
01:15:59,020 --> 01:16:05,680
I would not be allowed to rent my own house. And my children don't drive cars. So I just want to

870
01:16:05,680 --> 01:16:13,720
that clear. Airbnb requires us to acknowledge what type of rental we are. It's a filter in Airbnb,

871
01:16:14,340 --> 01:16:18,960
but when we're registering with the city, you're not asking us to stipulate a difference between

872
01:16:18,960 --> 01:16:24,340
our rental to a different one. And there is a difference. Thank you. Thank you.

873
01:16:25,100 --> 01:16:30,840
True, is that is the state? Ask that if there's a full, if it's a whole house or a room, not just

874
01:16:30,840 --> 01:16:31,680
Okay,

875
01:16:38,700 --> 01:16:42,740
my name is Shane Cooper, I'm actually currently a resident of Berington, I'll now

876
01:16:42,740 --> 01:16:49,100
I spend good 16 hours of my day here, and eventually we'll be here full-time

877
01:16:49,100 --> 01:16:54,700
trust me about that, I really hate that this issue is what brings together to divide

878
01:16:54,700 --> 01:16:55,460
us.

879
01:16:55,920 --> 01:17:01,280
It's, we waste so much time on it, when we really could be getting to the root cause

880
01:17:01,280 --> 01:17:05,040
of the problems, every one of you guys are here because of Parker.

881
01:17:05,040 --> 01:17:10,800
We have, that's our wish, but we don't do anything to actually solve them, because what

882
01:17:10,800 --> 01:17:16,740
we both, if you even been future Airbnb's or short-term rentals, it's not going to create

883
01:17:16,740 --> 01:17:19,840
new parking out of thin air to take cars off the street.

884
01:17:20,520 --> 01:17:23,780
What we need here is to solve the root cause of the problem.

885
01:17:24,260 --> 01:17:30,400
I had a conversation with a council member who likely won't be returning this year, and

886
01:17:30,400 --> 01:17:35,940
indicated to me that there was a lot of just fear among council members to do what is

887
01:17:35,940 --> 01:17:41,380
going to be hard. To deal with nimbees, to deal with the few people that really

888
01:17:41,380 --> 01:17:49,900
want or like prevent progress in this city. What we need is parking and there are lots

889
01:17:49,900 --> 01:17:53,560
that you guys are aware of. I don't need to go into each and every one of them.

890
01:17:53,560 --> 01:18:01,600
that could be expanded either, you know, vertically or underground. And there are methods in place

891
01:18:01,600 --> 01:18:07,980
that you guys could come up with such bonds or whatnot to create the funds to build these,

892
01:18:09,500 --> 01:18:14,920
than charge people to park there. I bet it could be a bit of a generated for the city. I mean

893
01:18:14,920 --> 01:18:21,360
nine months later, the city people are driving around circles looking for a park and if you could

894
01:18:21,360 --> 01:18:23,940
get people off the roads, they're looking for parking,

895
01:18:24,340 --> 01:18:26,340
it would drastically reduce the congestion.

896
01:18:27,320 --> 01:18:31,160
It's in, and if there's streets where it can just in,

897
01:18:31,200 --> 01:18:33,780
people could find parking, we wouldn't be here today.

898
01:18:33,880 --> 01:18:37,020
I mean, facet, I think that the number of units

899
01:18:37,020 --> 01:18:40,140
are going to be short-term or are essentially what they are.

900
01:18:40,220 --> 01:18:43,200
They may go up or down a few every year,

901
01:18:43,580 --> 01:18:46,820
but it's not going to be a drastic swing one way or another.

902
01:18:47,160 --> 01:18:50,860
At the end of the day, I think taking us a lot like Mary Street

903
01:18:50,860 --> 01:18:56,640
and expanding its capabilities, especially in those districts that have all the red there that

904
01:18:56,640 --> 01:18:57,860
were worried about.

905
01:18:58,760 --> 01:19:02,780
I mean, we all know that there's going to be no more short-term rentals in the areas that

906
01:19:02,780 --> 01:19:09,020
aren't either general business or waterfront for the most part limited business to a degree,

907
01:19:09,260 --> 01:19:14,480
but it's such a tiny little fraction because the limitations there, the obstacles are already

908
01:19:14,480 --> 01:19:15,100
falling.

909
01:19:16,180 --> 01:19:20,380
And in those areas there, those are the areas that are suggested that everybody hates to

910
01:19:20,380 --> 01:19:27,600
down because parking is difficult. Why is difficult again? Because there's no parking spots.

911
01:19:29,300 --> 01:19:34,480
And, you know, I think that we just have to as a city and, you know, come together and say,

912
01:19:34,580 --> 01:19:39,500
you know, there are a select view that don't want to increase the size of a lot like Mary.

913
01:19:40,120 --> 01:19:46,180
But it's for the public, you guys come together and say, listen, you know, I know and I understand

914
01:19:46,180 --> 01:19:51,620
your position, but I think increasing and doing what is right for the overall city as a whole

915
01:19:51,620 --> 01:19:52,960
is going to be needed.

916
01:19:53,460 --> 01:19:58,060
Mr. Chairman, excuse me. I appreciate your comments. A select few, more than a select few,

917
01:19:58,120 --> 01:19:59,640
would be.

918
01:20:00,050 --> 01:20:17,410
Deeply opposed to the expansion of the Mary Street Lot, and to an intrusion of physical infrastructure. Well, you should ask the folks, perhaps, who oppose that, but how many of these type of facilities that you are suggesting for Newport did they have in Barrington now?

919
01:20:17,990 --> 01:20:27,350
How many of these underground parking lots, existing parking lots being expanded into neighborhood infrastructure, et cetera? How many of these did they have in Barrington?

920
01:20:27,350 --> 01:20:33,810
It's a simple answer that a variant in is not a tourist destination and it never will be it doesn't have t-shirt shops

921
01:20:33,810 --> 01:20:39,010
It's got like I bet if you I could count the number of restaurants the entire town on one hand

922
01:20:39,010 --> 01:20:42,950
There it is not a place the only reason you go to barring to this because it's got good schools

923
01:20:44,010 --> 01:20:48,670
full stop. I mean, you know doctors move there because it's close enough to Rhode Island

924
01:20:48,670 --> 01:20:53,350
Hospital that they could be within 20 minutes, but they're kid in a good school and that's essentially it

925
01:20:53,350 --> 01:20:57,850
it is not Newport and never will be, it's just, it's a different way of light.

926
01:20:58,250 --> 01:21:03,850
So as long as Barrington feels comfortable in their quality of life, it's all right to impose

927
01:21:03,850 --> 01:21:08,430
on the quality of life of Newport residents who oppose the expansion of these type of things.

928
01:21:08,510 --> 01:21:15,950
Colonel, is, do you ever see Newport abandoning its tourism industry and going to something like

929
01:21:15,950 --> 01:21:22,750
tech or industry? Are we going to become a manufacturing hub? What is the goal?

930
01:21:22,750 --> 01:21:29,510
You should ask our council candidate, Beth Cohen, who has many ideas about that, which I support.

931
01:21:29,650 --> 01:21:34,230
You were, you were for getting rid of terrorism in Newport.

932
01:21:34,610 --> 01:21:34,650
All right.

933
01:21:34,750 --> 01:21:36,730
We're getting off the topic here.

934
01:21:37,110 --> 01:21:41,070
We're just talking about our short-term mental situation here to workshop not,

935
01:21:41,110 --> 01:21:43,490
not revenue and development of the city.

936
01:21:43,570 --> 01:21:44,710
It is the root cause.

937
01:21:45,130 --> 01:21:47,450
And there are solutions, guys, if we work together,

938
01:21:47,450 --> 01:21:53,590
that I think that, you know, it's just going to take some brave council members to get it done.

939
01:21:53,770 --> 01:22:02,670
Because there is going to be headwinds, but if you guys ban and understand what is good with the long term for the city, it is part.

940
01:22:03,590 --> 01:22:11,250
And then we can stop all this argument all this time that we waste gear, this particular matter, over and over again.

941
01:22:11,250 --> 01:22:18,030
I mean, if you were to add up the number of hours wasted on this, I'm sure it would take

942
01:22:18,030 --> 01:22:22,450
less work, honestly, to get the parking in as opposed to what it takes to get this stuff.

943
01:22:22,730 --> 01:22:23,090
Thank you.

944
01:22:23,090 --> 01:22:23,810
Thank you Mr. Cooper.

945
01:22:24,490 --> 01:22:27,530
You know, we have worked on the parking issue.

946
01:22:27,690 --> 01:22:30,370
We've changed the parking rules.

947
01:22:31,650 --> 01:22:37,350
We've tried to reduce the number of parking stickers that we give out.

948
01:22:37,350 --> 01:22:42,890
we certainly ban short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods.

949
01:22:43,190 --> 01:22:46,770
We've done a lot of that work, but I agree with you,

950
01:22:46,910 --> 01:22:49,630
that billifying tourism is not helpful.

951
01:22:50,510 --> 01:22:54,310
And this is the bread and butter of our city.

952
01:22:55,250 --> 01:22:58,730
And I can hear people laughing, but the fact of the matter

953
01:22:58,730 --> 01:23:02,170
is that it's been that way for a very long time.

954
01:23:02,270 --> 01:23:04,530
And it's one of the reasons why we're so resilient.

955
01:23:04,530 --> 01:23:14,850
Um, you know, if, uh, let's say, um, the toy, what the one in Patucket, the Hasbro leaves

956
01:23:14,850 --> 01:23:18,430
Patucket, it's a huge blow to that area.

957
01:23:18,670 --> 01:23:20,630
I mean, that, that's just the way it is.

958
01:23:20,750 --> 01:23:25,570
We are resilient because people want to come here and they spend a lot of money and people

959
01:23:25,570 --> 01:23:30,270
who don't live here and own property pay a lot of taxes more than I do.

960
01:23:30,270 --> 01:23:36,150
So, you know, I understand what you're coming from, but we have been looking on these issues.

961
01:23:36,230 --> 01:23:43,950
Just so, you know, we have been, we've taken some dramatic steps, but, you know, and I don't agree with this.

962
01:23:43,950 --> 01:23:44,450
I don't agree.

963
01:23:45,030 --> 01:23:50,530
I mean, I think the difference between you and what you guys have done, implicitly, I'm not criticizing

964
01:23:50,530 --> 01:23:51,710
what I have done.

965
01:23:52,050 --> 01:23:56,590
I'm just saying it needs to go a step further, is that you guys have done the restriction

966
01:23:56,590 --> 01:23:58,190
that that can only go so far.

967
01:23:58,190 --> 01:24:01,730
Ultimately, we need really more part of it.

968
01:24:01,730 --> 01:24:06,990
I mean, look at other towns, coastal towns that have population draws, go to Portland

969
01:24:06,990 --> 01:24:12,570
or places that, you know, other spots in New Hampshire, Maine, along the water, they

970
01:24:12,570 --> 01:24:13,310
build garages.

971
01:24:13,990 --> 01:24:20,230
Are they ugly, they can't be, or you can do things to make them look somewhat attractive

972
01:24:20,230 --> 01:24:23,610
in, ultimately, they solve a big issue.

973
01:24:24,210 --> 01:24:24,750
And Mr. Knight.

974
01:24:25,170 --> 01:24:26,950
Mr. Cooper, thank you so much.

975
01:24:26,950 --> 01:24:29,350
I appreciate the time. We have all the time.

976
01:24:30,830 --> 01:24:40,650
I would just like to comment that I partially agree with what he has said, parking is an issue.

977
01:24:40,870 --> 01:24:44,450
It's an issue for residents, it's an issue for visitors.

978
01:24:45,090 --> 01:24:48,610
We need a system, a transportation system.

979
01:24:48,610 --> 01:24:59,970
We have lots that, certainly, we have a lot outside of what everybody considers the city coming in right off Pano High.

980
01:25:01,380 --> 01:25:29,980
We have the gateway center. There are other places where we could put lots, but we need a transportation system. So people can get out of their cars if their big cities have figured this out. You go into a hotel, they grab your car and they take it elsewhere. You don't see it anymore. That's the way it should be a new port in terms of the city council.

981
01:25:29,980 --> 01:25:38,600
time where they can walk or if they had and I have mentioned this smaller buses. I hate

982
01:25:38,600 --> 01:25:46,380
the 60 foot buses, do the jittneys, have a fleet of jittneys. I just think there's a

983
01:25:46,380 --> 01:25:52,200
different way that we need to travel around Newport so everybody can enjoy it. Not only

984
01:25:52,200 --> 01:25:54,580
the people that live here but the desert.

985
01:25:56,590 --> 01:25:59,750
I just wanted to add that so we do have to work on

986
01:25:59,750 --> 01:26:07,370
expectation system. Hi, I hope you enable five, five, three, Bill, if you have any of them.

987
01:26:07,410 --> 01:26:16,590
Nick and Drew, I have questions about page nine. I got a little confused about how Airbnb has

988
01:26:16,590 --> 01:26:24,070
993 advertisements, but that's hard to figure out because they're multiple advertisements for

989
01:26:24,070 --> 01:26:29,410
the same property. I understand that and there's different types of properties. But in this

990
01:26:29,750 --> 01:26:34,670
In this page, you say that 468 are compliant.

991
01:26:35,390 --> 01:26:37,590
Are those only short-term rentals?

992
01:26:40,970 --> 01:26:43,770
Those 468 advertised, specific, and compliant,

993
01:26:44,170 --> 01:26:46,290
have a certificate of strengthening guest facility.

994
01:26:47,130 --> 01:26:48,630
Short-term, short-term, and less.

995
01:26:51,720 --> 01:26:54,160
How many people,

996
01:26:56,320 --> 01:26:58,760
so you're saying the rest of that,

997
01:26:59,120 --> 01:27:01,840
is what you've the long-term, the time shares.

998
01:27:02,280 --> 01:27:03,780
And how many times share buildings

999
01:27:03,780 --> 01:27:07,860
do we have in the community? Do you know? There's actually five time share of buildings

1000
01:27:07,860 --> 01:27:17,620
comprising okay associations which total up to the 3342s a month. Rooms. So like the wellington?

1001
01:27:17,860 --> 01:27:23,720
Find a bigger time share. No, no, but I mean like them. Yes. Okay.

1002
01:27:23,720 --> 01:27:33,840
I'm working on the harbor. And then so you really think there are only 468 short-term rentals

1003
01:27:33,840 --> 01:27:39,100
and maybe there's a few that are operating in the dark that you may not know, but just a handful.

1004
01:27:39,780 --> 01:27:42,200
Yes, there's a small handful that are being gone.

1005
01:27:42,240 --> 01:27:47,360
You'd repeat these and then everyone's going to want to pop up and look over research at the

1006
01:27:47,360 --> 01:27:53,300
the advertisements are 468. There's four hundred and four that are actually registered.

1007
01:27:54,040 --> 01:27:57,120
Okay. So four or four registered, four six-jade ads.

1008
01:27:57,860 --> 01:28:04,680
big picture of a home that has two bedrooms, they'll have one ad for one bedroom, another

1009
01:28:04,680 --> 01:28:08,220
ad for the second bedroom, and they can have a third ad saying I have two rooms right

1010
01:28:08,220 --> 01:28:13,800
from both. So one property can have three ads. Okay, and then in a municipal citations,

1011
01:28:14,840 --> 01:28:21,600
how much can you talk about the fees or the penalties or how that works because it's

1012
01:28:21,600 --> 01:28:32,720
little confusing and then I do agree with you that $1,000 for short-term rental, like if you

1013
01:28:32,720 --> 01:28:39,540
have a home, you pay $1,000 a year, but a hotel with 500 rooms is also paying $1,000. That seems

1014
01:28:39,540 --> 01:28:45,760
completely unfair and wrong and I think that the council, if that's within the council's purview,

1015
01:28:45,760 --> 01:28:50,000
should be addressed, because that's a loss of income,

1016
01:28:52,040 --> 01:28:55,040
which is a big problem for the city,

1017
01:28:56,080 --> 01:29:02,460
and it should be come into some kind of realistic fee,

1018
01:29:04,830 --> 01:29:06,670
so that's those are the two questions I have.

1019
01:29:07,250 --> 01:29:13,090
So, thanks for your first question on the citations and penalties, so we are essentially

1020
01:29:13,090 --> 01:29:16,710
limited by state law about how much we can find people.

1021
01:29:17,310 --> 01:29:19,450
It's a thousand dollars for a violation.

1022
01:29:20,170 --> 01:29:25,110
It's very difficult to get a multi-day violation.

1023
01:29:25,730 --> 01:29:28,530
We essentially send a citation in and we say,

1024
01:29:28,850 --> 01:29:32,430
you are being notified that you are not in compliance with either

1025
01:29:32,430 --> 01:29:34,510
the advertisement requirement or the renting

1026
01:29:34,510 --> 01:29:37,350
compliant of the actual rental operation.

1027
01:29:38,430 --> 01:29:40,170
And we take them to court and again,

1028
01:29:40,170 --> 01:29:46,890
can take months, two months, several months to get them held to be found guilty, and then they

1029
01:29:46,890 --> 01:29:53,390
are typically fine to thousand dollars. Sometimes for a first time, the judge can use his

1030
01:29:53,390 --> 01:29:58,690
best judgment and decide whether that fine is too high. But we are limited by state law.

1031
01:29:58,690 --> 01:29:59,970
over how much we can find people.

1032
01:30:01,170 --> 01:30:13,730
Thank you. Yes, sir. Good evening. My name is Barton Fisk. I own a Franklin Unit 1 and 2. I grew up in Newport from 1969.

1033
01:30:14,070 --> 01:30:22,410
Graduated Projects High School 1983, left to pursue higher education and stay away from Newport because I couldn't afford it until about five years ago.

1034
01:30:22,410 --> 01:30:29,070
So our work and effort could be the opportunity to come back and one of the ways that I wanted

1035
01:30:29,070 --> 01:30:37,050
to come back was to be able to offer a business or a short-term rental as I finished my career

1036
01:30:37,050 --> 01:30:42,750
and made plans to retire here. One particular question I'm interested in is this notion of grandfather

1037
01:30:42,750 --> 01:30:51,590
because as far as I can see anywhere in Ordinance or city code, there's no discussion of what

1038
01:30:51,590 --> 01:30:52,710
that actually means.

1039
01:30:53,450 --> 01:30:56,010
So the fact that I may be a registered owner,

1040
01:30:56,490 --> 01:31:00,250
if I discontinue my continuous registration

1041
01:31:00,250 --> 01:31:01,950
for some reason I get sick, right?

1042
01:31:01,950 --> 01:31:03,350
Is that I don't want to do it this year?

1043
01:31:03,890 --> 01:31:06,110
Do I have to stay continuously registered?

1044
01:31:07,030 --> 01:31:09,970
Is the property essentially always allowed

1045
01:31:09,970 --> 01:31:12,290
to be a short terminal of my allowed to pass that on

1046
01:31:12,290 --> 01:31:13,030
to another owner?

1047
01:31:13,130 --> 01:31:14,390
Do I lose that privilege?

1048
01:31:15,270 --> 01:31:17,030
These are topics that I was really hoping

1049
01:31:19,890 --> 01:31:25,170
for the council to say, yep, or grandfather, if you're good, that's a blanket statement.

1050
01:31:25,570 --> 01:31:28,090
I'd really like to know more about that.

1051
01:31:28,370 --> 01:31:29,890
So I'll table that for a second, please.

1052
01:31:30,590 --> 01:31:35,270
I guess what I'd ask the city to consider is the spirit of air baby in the first place.

1053
01:31:35,590 --> 01:31:36,810
The idea was home share.

1054
01:31:37,450 --> 01:31:42,290
Somebody who haven't dealt with hand their bells, they want to be able to cover their costs

1055
01:31:42,290 --> 01:31:45,170
and take advantage of the extra room, maybe their kids moved out.

1056
01:31:45,170 --> 01:31:49,670
I see no segmentation of their registration so far.

1057
01:31:49,810 --> 01:31:54,010
I can't tell whether one person who has a single bedroom

1058
01:31:54,010 --> 01:31:57,210
and is trying to meet their bills from the data

1059
01:31:57,210 --> 01:32:00,050
is no different from someone who has 10 properties.

1060
01:32:00,850 --> 01:32:02,390
And clearly isn't hurting for money.

1061
01:32:02,490 --> 01:32:03,910
They have 10 properties in Newport.

1062
01:32:04,710 --> 01:32:06,730
And probably isn't living off of that income.

1063
01:32:07,630 --> 01:32:09,270
That kind of segmentation would be helpful

1064
01:32:09,270 --> 01:32:11,410
in trying to determine how to actually award

1065
01:32:11,410 --> 01:32:12,690
renewals or to award.

1066
01:32:13,390 --> 01:32:14,870
And there could be a process

1067
01:32:14,870 --> 01:32:20,390
for doing that. So I guess my concern is whether or not you're unintentionally not serving

1068
01:32:20,390 --> 01:32:24,690
your constituency. And I watched last year or two years ago when the price of their

1069
01:32:24,690 --> 01:32:30,570
registration went from 102,000. And there was a very well-meaning citizen here who basically

1070
01:32:30,570 --> 01:32:36,950
probably got forced out of being able to do their own short-term registration because they didn't

1071
01:32:36,950 --> 01:32:43,150
have the money. I mean, as it is, I have to pass a $30 per day increase to all my guests just

1072
01:32:43,150 --> 01:32:48,330
cover that $1,100 fee that was just magically created, I would like to see some accounting

1073
01:32:48,330 --> 01:32:54,430
of where that million and a half dollars that's been raised, I'm sure we're not paying

1074
01:32:54,430 --> 01:32:57,910
our short-term rental people, unfortunately people at much.

1075
01:32:59,670 --> 01:33:03,930
So I guess those are the major questions, the other one that I think doesn't get raised

1076
01:33:03,930 --> 01:33:08,650
and doesn't get looked off enough is a existence of zombie houses, meaning people who are

1077
01:33:08,650 --> 01:33:11,970
so wealthy, they can have a house in Newport, and they don't have to live in it except

1078
01:33:11,970 --> 01:33:13,290
for three months of the year.

1079
01:33:13,710 --> 01:33:14,510
And there is no enforcement.

1080
01:33:14,770 --> 01:33:16,170
There's no change in tax action.

1081
01:33:16,230 --> 01:33:19,970
There's no looking at those folks who are probably taking

1082
01:33:19,970 --> 01:33:22,210
up a sizable amount of the housing stock

1083
01:33:22,990 --> 01:33:25,090
and no consideration for that.

1084
01:33:25,130 --> 01:33:27,190
And there are other cities that have dealt with non-resident

1085
01:33:27,190 --> 01:33:29,290
long-term owners that aren't living there.

1086
01:33:29,530 --> 01:33:30,950
So there are solutions for that as well.

1087
01:33:31,070 --> 01:33:31,950
Those are my thoughts.

1088
01:33:32,110 --> 01:33:32,770
Thanks for the opportunity.

1089
01:33:32,930 --> 01:33:33,730
Mr. Chairman.

1090
01:33:34,170 --> 01:33:34,650
I was wrong.

1091
01:33:34,910 --> 01:33:35,470
Thank you.

1092
01:33:35,630 --> 01:33:38,410
I appreciate the comments of four things that you mentioned.

1093
01:33:38,910 --> 01:33:40,910
And I will certainly leave it to our solicitor

1094
01:33:40,910 --> 01:33:48,330
to address the legal portion, but first of all, our owner, occupied residents, do not pay a thousand

1095
01:33:48,330 --> 01:33:56,370
dollars for a short term rental registration fee. Second, you mentioned a key word earlier

1096
01:33:56,370 --> 01:34:01,310
in the beginning of your comments and that is to say business. You mentioned the word specifically

1097
01:34:01,310 --> 01:34:07,090
business as it relates to what you're doing and others are doing. You all are running a business.

1098
01:34:07,090 --> 01:34:14,570
This is not something, let's face the facts, but the most part, this is not something that helps you as a full-time

1099
01:34:14,570 --> 01:34:19,990
Newport resident pay the taxes, sustain your lifestyle here in Newport. You're running a business.

1100
01:34:20,790 --> 01:34:27,690
Third, with respect to what you said regarding grandfathering, my proposal, which I put forth an ordinance,

1101
01:34:28,090 --> 01:34:33,330
or put forth, I should say, by resolution, and which was passed the four to three on the first,

1102
01:34:33,330 --> 01:34:40,250
hearing of the proposed ordinance change with the help of the city solicitor's office

1103
01:34:40,250 --> 01:34:48,250
and the zoning and planning offices included a what would be statutory guarantee if in fact

1104
01:34:48,770 --> 01:34:54,970
the ordinance were to pass that is to say you would be grandfathered in by ordinance

1105
01:34:54,970 --> 01:34:59,970
effectively by statute, and we did.

1106
01:35:00,000 --> 01:35:23,900
Didn't do that because we had to do that. We did that because there were concerns raised and your concern tonight was, where do we see that in existing statute and existing ordinances? Well, I think the solicitor would say if this was, if that were not included hypothetically and if the ordinance proposals were to pass and it were to be challenged in court.

1107
01:35:23,900 --> 01:35:28,880
My understanding from multiple discussions with the solicitors office and others is that the

1108
01:35:28,880 --> 01:35:34,560
court very likely would guarantee you're existing right to do business the way that you're

1109
01:35:34,560 --> 01:35:35,400
doing business.

1110
01:35:36,560 --> 01:35:42,840
So we didn't need to grandfather it in by the amendment offered to the ordinances, but we did.

1111
01:35:43,140 --> 01:35:46,960
You have solid guarantees in state law as I understand it.

1112
01:35:46,960 --> 01:35:54,460
And then the fourth question that I wanted to answer, not because I am a lawyer, I only play

1113
01:35:54,460 --> 01:35:55,340
one at council meetings.

1114
01:35:56,080 --> 01:36:02,900
But I understand that so long as the business is registered or so long as the property is

1115
01:36:02,900 --> 01:36:09,660
registered in a certain way, it continues at infinitum until it's changed, until you as the

1116
01:36:09,660 --> 01:36:15,360
property owner or a future property owner decides to change the nature of the property.

1117
01:36:15,360 --> 01:36:23,140
that is to say, if you decide to go from a short-term rental, and it's existing guarantees

1118
01:36:23,140 --> 01:36:30,140
by state law and by ordinances, to, for example, a residence in only a residence.

1119
01:36:31,600 --> 01:36:36,440
Then that is the only way, as I understand it, that certain guarantees and protections

1120
01:36:36,440 --> 01:36:39,860
can be taken away from you, and that's what I'm trying to understand.

1121
01:36:39,860 --> 01:36:42,180
And I appreciate your time and thank you Mr. Chairman.

1122
01:36:42,480 --> 01:36:42,920
It's the opposite.

1123
01:36:43,660 --> 01:36:48,980
Or am I allowed to stop actually listing and does by virtue of stopping the listing?

1124
01:36:49,320 --> 01:36:49,940
Does that disqualify?

1125
01:36:51,260 --> 01:36:56,120
Because I'm now wedded to this notion and I have to do it until such a time.

1126
01:36:56,400 --> 01:36:57,340
If that's the case.

1127
01:36:58,260 --> 01:36:59,680
And if that could be it?

1128
01:36:59,680 --> 01:37:00,740
Nick, do you want to take that?

1129
01:37:00,820 --> 01:37:01,120
Yeah, absolutely.

1130
01:37:01,220 --> 01:37:05,540
So we have a section in the zoning code called our non-conforming uses and structures section.

1131
01:37:05,540 --> 01:37:19,440
And it refers to properties that have uses on them that have either been changed like the allowance in the code has changed or has been prohibited later, such as short-term rentals,

1132
01:37:19,960 --> 01:37:25,560
guest houses that were approved in residential zones prior to the 2022 change that prohibited them.

1133
01:37:25,560 --> 01:37:32,080
those are allowed to continue to operate. There is a section in there that refers to an abandonment

1134
01:37:32,080 --> 01:37:37,660
of the use. So, as Councillor Conrad mentioned, if you were to outright come to us and say,

1135
01:37:37,780 --> 01:37:42,580
I am no longer going to operate this use, then we would essentially say it reverts to the last

1136
01:37:42,580 --> 01:37:50,600
legal use prior to that. If you were to stop operating and for what the code says is that least

1137
01:37:50,600 --> 01:37:57,560
one year and you don't intend to continue to use it, we can consider it to be abandoned.

1138
01:37:57,840 --> 01:38:02,700
But most of the time the right stays with you and if you prove that you were not attempting

1139
01:38:02,700 --> 01:38:08,540
to abandon it, that used routines on that property and it does pass to future owners.

1140
01:38:08,840 --> 01:38:14,000
So if you have an operation right now and it's a legal operation prior to this code changing

1141
01:38:14,000 --> 01:38:16,240
and you sell the property, it runs with the property.

1142
01:38:16,240 --> 01:38:20,640
It runs with the property, but as so long as I own it, this tells me that I still have to register

1143
01:38:20,640 --> 01:38:25,680
pay my registration for every year continuously and have at least one rental a year.

1144
01:38:25,920 --> 01:38:26,960
Is that what you're saying?

1145
01:38:27,720 --> 01:38:32,900
I would say, it wouldn't even say that you have to rent it at all.

1146
01:38:32,900 --> 01:38:34,760
If you register with the city, I think that that's it.

1147
01:38:34,760 --> 01:38:37,960
I'm not getting to continue registering and continue to list with Airbnb.

1148
01:38:39,240 --> 01:38:41,360
What I'm looking for is where the evidence stops.

1149
01:38:42,180 --> 01:38:42,400
Yeah, so.

1150
01:38:42,460 --> 01:38:44,460
Why do you think that's not available?

1151
01:38:46,100 --> 01:38:46,780
You

1152
01:38:51,580 --> 01:38:55,680
know, it's really not the forum to give out legal advice here.

1153
01:38:55,680 --> 01:39:02,480
You have, I mean, some of this is your own private dealings, your business dealings

1154
01:39:02,480 --> 01:39:06,360
that you consult with your own legal counsel.

1155
01:39:06,820 --> 01:39:15,320
But what the zoning officer said is accurate is that as long as you don't abandon youth

1156
01:39:15,320 --> 01:39:22,740
and as long as the useful stay with the property, not the owner, it's not owner,

1157
01:39:22,980 --> 01:39:31,200
Senator, that goes with the property, as long as there isn't a abandonment. What you need to do

1158
01:39:31,200 --> 01:39:35,880
left to, I guess I'd like to see some specificity on what's up. Well, that's not the

1159
01:39:35,880 --> 01:39:41,140
increase. I don't want to wake up one day and find out that I didn't rewrite this during now.

1160
01:39:44,780 --> 01:39:45,300
I'm

1161
01:39:45,300 --> 01:39:53,880
please Madam Clerk and thank you for my many questions to you by email as well as the

1162
01:39:53,880 --> 01:39:56,040
solicitors office and zoning and planning.

1163
01:39:56,980 --> 01:39:59,980
Madam Clerk, if a...

1164
01:40:00,660 --> 01:40:07,500
Let's use a pizza restaurant. A pizza restaurant in Newport doesn't

1165
01:40:09,830 --> 01:40:14,190
sell one pizza or one item to the public in the course of a year.

1166
01:40:14,470 --> 01:40:18,570
Are they still required to register with the city of Newport as a business?

1167
01:40:23,300 --> 01:40:27,780
If they're not selling any pizza, is that what your question is?

1168
01:40:27,780 --> 01:40:31,900
No, it should have phrased that a lot better.

1169
01:40:33,140 --> 01:40:36,480
It is a restaurant or any other retail operation,

1170
01:40:36,760 --> 01:40:39,060
regardless of whether they do any business,

1171
01:40:39,580 --> 01:40:42,140
if they would still like to be classified as a business,

1172
01:40:42,500 --> 01:40:45,140
do they still need to register with the city of Newport

1173
01:40:45,140 --> 01:40:48,100
each and every year to maintain their victim in license?

1174
01:40:50,480 --> 01:40:51,140
Does I know they do?

1175
01:40:51,140 --> 01:40:52,280
I would say yes.

1176
01:40:52,900 --> 01:40:54,620
Of course, you need to register.

1177
01:40:54,800 --> 01:40:55,700
You're running a business.

1178
01:40:56,200 --> 01:40:56,740
That's my point.

1179
01:40:56,740 --> 01:40:58,820
You need to register, regardless of whether,

1180
01:40:58,820 --> 01:41:06,880
whether you have any tenants who you rent to, it's a requirement within our ordinances

1181
01:41:06,880 --> 01:41:07,780
that you register.

1182
01:41:08,520 --> 01:41:10,080
I have to meet the country for a year.

1183
01:41:10,380 --> 01:41:11,360
Am I able to run my business?

1184
01:41:11,980 --> 01:41:13,920
You know, you can, this is the problem.

1185
01:41:14,180 --> 01:41:16,760
Coming up with these hypotheticals.

1186
01:41:16,760 --> 01:41:19,040
I'm giving out advice like this.

1187
01:41:19,660 --> 01:41:25,480
You can't fit every circumstance out there that could come up for the what is.

1188
01:41:25,480 --> 01:41:45,300
So at some point, I think what's been said here tonight is good guidance, and you have to take it from there, and the abandonment is a fact intensive fact finding issue for a court.

1189
01:41:45,780 --> 01:41:51,940
So it's going to be, it's not a black and white issue. It's all like, tell you.

1190
01:41:51,940 --> 01:41:54,240
Thank you very much.

1191
01:41:56,950 --> 01:41:59,870
My name is Lynn Sanzo and live on Spring Street.

1192
01:42:01,090 --> 01:42:04,030
First, I do have a question about the numbers.

1193
01:42:05,730 --> 01:42:10,590
So on this slide here, the 404 that you've come up with

1194
01:42:10,590 --> 01:42:14,950
is the sum of the 342 plus 62.

1195
01:42:15,650 --> 01:42:16,410
Is that right?

1196
01:42:17,150 --> 01:42:20,070
No, it's 62 registered hotels and ends.

1197
01:42:20,810 --> 01:42:22,490
Eight registered time share properties.

1198
01:42:22,490 --> 01:42:27,230
two hundred and forty guest houses and ninety four home occupations that equals

1199
01:42:27,230 --> 01:42:31,150
four hundred and four. Okay. So we have two hundred and forty that we would

1200
01:42:31,150 --> 01:42:38,190
refer to typically as an Airbnb. Okay. So the timeshiers don't really figure

1201
01:42:38,190 --> 01:42:43,390
into it. No. Okay. I just wondered where the number came up with the four

1202
01:42:43,390 --> 01:42:46,150
for was to have 62 and 342.

1203
01:42:48,750 --> 01:42:54,310
I have to say I am thrilled to hear the concerns from commercial interest

1204
01:42:54,310 --> 01:42:56,330
about parking in the neighborhoods.

1205
01:42:57,410 --> 01:43:03,530
I have to say that I don't think it's reasonable to support unmanaged

1206
01:43:03,530 --> 01:43:11,970
transient lodgings with insufficient parking in areas that border high density neighborhoods.

1207
01:43:13,630 --> 01:43:18,930
I live on Spring Street and it is gotten so much worse.

1208
01:43:19,350 --> 01:43:27,690
The cars and they have to say they have so many of them still have the hang tags that I know we're working on that.

1209
01:43:27,690 --> 01:43:31,430
But they are not full-time residents.

1210
01:43:32,330 --> 01:43:37,010
I don't understand why they have gas passes to begin with.

1211
01:43:37,230 --> 01:43:49,250
My understanding is, you know, that, yes, if you own property, you get permits, parking permits for your car.

1212
01:43:49,690 --> 01:43:53,570
And you get gas passes, but they're seem to be like multiplying.

1213
01:43:53,790 --> 01:43:56,210
They're seem to be a lot more out there.

1214
01:43:56,210 --> 01:44:19,570
And so in my neighborhood, which, again, is a kind of a densely populated neighborhood, a budding commercial areas, we get cars with hang tags, and we get cars like from Texas with residents stickers on them, and they will park for like five days in a row.

1215
01:44:22,010 --> 01:44:31,830
When I complained, the first time this happened, I was told that, okay, the police department

1216
01:44:32,750 --> 01:44:39,830
would locate the owner and the car could be moved, which it was for one day, and then it

1217
01:44:39,830 --> 01:44:41,910
came back for another five days.

1218
01:44:41,910 --> 01:44:45,050
So, that's just one example.

1219
01:44:45,970 --> 01:44:49,830
It happens, you know, I know on all the side streets,

1220
01:44:50,430 --> 01:44:53,870
green street, down spring street, down street.

1221
01:44:54,610 --> 01:44:59,970
So, what has not until now been a problem.

1222
01:45:00,000 --> 01:45:10,820
Problems for some people who are, you know, having this business proposition has been a problem for the neighborhoods for a long time for years.

1223
01:45:11,280 --> 01:45:18,060
So I'm glad that there is some support to do something about it from the commercial interests.

1224
01:45:19,300 --> 01:45:20,800
Thank you.

1225
01:45:22,880 --> 01:45:29,580
I'm Emily Holly, 1-1-9 Ruggles. I am a registered voter in the Newport.

1226
01:45:30,640 --> 01:45:36,600
I'm not really affected by parking where I live. I live on Ruggles. I have a driveway that holds two cars.

1227
01:45:36,920 --> 01:45:39,360
We only have one car between my husband and me.

1228
01:45:40,160 --> 01:45:44,660
But I keep thinking about this lady on next door who's in her 80s.

1229
01:45:44,800 --> 01:45:48,100
And she posted about how she lives on John Street.

1230
01:45:48,100 --> 01:45:54,300
And she comes home with her groceries and there is nowhere to park, nowhere to park.

1231
01:45:55,220 --> 01:45:58,680
And she said she, her property doesn't accommodate a driveway.

1232
01:45:59,040 --> 01:46:02,740
I asked her, can you borrow a neighbor's driveway to unload your groceries?

1233
01:46:03,180 --> 01:46:08,160
No, and apparently there's a short term rental on that street that's taking up a lot of the parking.

1234
01:46:08,820 --> 01:46:14,900
So anyway, you know, a lot of people use new parties, their playground or their business opportunity.

1235
01:46:14,900 --> 01:46:23,840
But we really have to think about the residents and when you guys think about these parking issues, please think about that eighty-three-year-old lady, thank you.

1236
01:46:24,060 --> 01:46:25,020
Thank you.

1237
01:46:29,070 --> 01:46:29,290
Hi.

1238
01:46:30,230 --> 01:46:31,850
Linda Stevenson, Dickson Street.

1239
01:46:32,770 --> 01:46:39,530
First I want to say through some great information here and I think Nick and Drew did an awesome job putting all this together.

1240
01:46:39,530 --> 01:46:43,930
I'm really very pleased with the enforcement.

1241
01:46:44,170 --> 01:46:49,690
It seems like it's definitely gone in a much better direction now.

1242
01:46:50,230 --> 01:46:56,110
I am aware that the fine for people who get cited,

1243
01:46:56,130 --> 01:46:59,690
I don't think it's enough, especially if there's multiple sightings.

1244
01:46:59,730 --> 01:47:02,370
I know I've spoken with Representative Carson about this,

1245
01:47:02,910 --> 01:47:05,110
but I've said this before, you know,

1246
01:47:05,170 --> 01:47:07,370
overhearing people who own short-term rentals,

1247
01:47:07,370 --> 01:47:12,250
who say I make $3,000 in a weekend. They find me a thousand bucks a summer that's part of

1248
01:47:12,250 --> 01:47:18,630
doing business. So I would like to see if somebody gets cited multiple times that there's some

1249
01:47:18,630 --> 01:47:23,890
increase in that fee of City Council could look at anyway working with their state reps to address

1250
01:47:23,890 --> 01:47:30,510
that issue. I'm very much in favor of scaling the fees that was also discussed in this

1251
01:47:31,050 --> 01:47:39,810
work sheet here, and doing away with the parking credits, I'm also in favor of that, and

1252
01:47:39,810 --> 01:47:46,290
the guest-pass parking situation, it is an issue on my street. The house of the bottom

1253
01:47:46,290 --> 01:47:51,910
of the street, that was just converted to a short-term rental, has a guest-pass that they use.

1254
01:47:53,390 --> 01:47:57,710
For those people that think the short-term rental, our only issue is parking, it's not just

1255
01:47:57,710 --> 01:48:05,370
parking. There's trash. There's safety issues. Five years ago we had a murder a block from my house

1256
01:48:05,850 --> 01:48:12,070
in a short term rental. And it's less availability of housing options, which equals higher

1257
01:48:12,070 --> 01:48:15,150
rents or higher listings on your houses.

1258
01:48:17,670 --> 01:48:21,050
The property at the bottom of my street that was converted

1259
01:48:21,050 --> 01:48:26,630
used to have a storefront no longer does. I thought that was another good point that the zoning

1260
01:48:26,630 --> 01:48:32,590
officer made that we should perhaps stop allowing that to be converted, another one of

1261
01:48:32,590 --> 01:48:38,090
block away has also been converted also used to be my dry cleaner that no longer has a

1262
01:48:38,090 --> 01:48:46,410
business there and there's another short-term rental being has an application for the September

1263
01:48:46,410 --> 01:48:56,610
zoning meeting which is across from the one at the bottom of my street. I would like to see

1264
01:48:56,610 --> 01:49:04,190
is it's intent was to have businesses that are compatible with the residential district, and

1265
01:49:04,190 --> 01:49:10,250
are myth and need of the neighborhood. Short-term rentals do neither of those things in limited

1266
01:49:10,250 --> 01:49:17,250
business. So I would like some extra consideration given for that. I used to have great neighbors

1267
01:49:17,250 --> 01:49:21,290
at that house that's been converted. It used to be a young couple. She was a nurse and new

1268
01:49:21,290 --> 01:49:26,850
hospital he was in grad school at the time. My family went to his dissertation. He

1269
01:49:26,850 --> 01:49:30,290
got a job at Newark. I mean it was great. We shared dinners together. We shared

1270
01:49:30,290 --> 01:49:35,130
milestones together. He took in our trash. I took in theirs. We shoveled snow together.

1271
01:49:36,210 --> 01:49:39,950
It just changes the fabric of the neighborhood because now I don't have those

1272
01:49:39,950 --> 01:49:44,550
neighbors. Now I have guests. Hotel guests. So it's not just a parking

1273
01:49:44,550 --> 01:49:48,350
issue. It is changing the fabric of the neighborhood.

1274
01:49:51,000 --> 01:49:52,200
It's a decline in the quality

1275
01:49:52,200 --> 01:49:56,200
life and I've heard that from a lot of my neighbors because they're like, you know,

1276
01:49:56,300 --> 01:49:59,680
Joe doesn't live here anymore. Susie's gone, you know, it just changes.

1277
01:50:00,020 --> 01:50:02,360
The way people feel about the neighborhood.

1278
01:50:05,340 --> 01:50:17,960
The reduction of short-term rentals, I'm going to try and snap this up because it's late, points me to, is there a housing crisis in Newport?

1279
01:50:17,960 --> 01:50:20,840
And that's what I keep hearing that there is.

1280
01:50:21,520 --> 01:50:28,060
So, I think having some guardrails, some prohibitions is a good idea at this point.

1281
01:50:28,380 --> 01:50:32,300
We prohibit a lot of other things in limited business, manufacturing.

1282
01:50:34,040 --> 01:50:36,460
There's a number of businesses that are prohibited.

1283
01:50:36,900 --> 01:50:40,020
I don't see why short term rentals can't be another one.

1284
01:50:40,940 --> 01:50:43,160
Do you care about the quality of life for your constituents?

1285
01:50:43,160 --> 01:50:48,540
If so, then I think banning short-term rentals and limited business should be pursued.

1286
01:50:49,080 --> 01:50:52,060
But overall, I think we've moved in a really positive direction.

1287
01:50:52,200 --> 01:50:55,300
I want to thank the team on that, everybody who's involved in that.

1288
01:50:55,400 --> 01:50:59,360
I appreciate this workshop and city council addressing it as they do.

1289
01:51:00,960 --> 01:51:06,520
But it really is a problem when you're destroying neighborhoods and you're doing a way

1290
01:51:06,520 --> 01:51:09,900
with potential homes that families could live in year-round.

1291
01:51:09,900 --> 01:51:15,040
that house of the bottom of the street used to be three bedrooms for a family and two bedrooms

1292
01:51:15,040 --> 01:51:20,480
on the back apartment. It was year-round and they had a total of three cars, all which

1293
01:51:20,480 --> 01:51:26,800
they had parking, a guest. Just last week, went to my neighbor and said, hey, we're renting

1294
01:51:26,800 --> 01:51:33,700
across the street. We don't have enough parking passes. Can I borrow yours? Okay. So don't

1295
01:51:33,700 --> 01:51:39,020
tell me everyone's not coming with a car. They're coming with cars. There may be other instances

1296
01:51:39,020 --> 01:51:44,300
with or not, but for the majority of people, they are coming with the cars and there's no place to park them.

1297
01:51:44,580 --> 01:51:46,380
Thanks for your time. Thank you.

1298
01:51:50,430 --> 01:51:55,230
Hi, Linda Pereira. It's a good win straight and I just wanted to share some insights as a

1299
01:51:55,230 --> 01:52:01,350
registered voter for 30 years and property owner as well in Newport for the entire time I've lived here.

1300
01:52:02,350 --> 01:52:10,170
I have started to Airbnb my home for the last eight years to supplement my income to live in our

1301
01:52:10,170 --> 01:52:13,730
house since the costs have drastically gone up here.

1302
01:52:14,470 --> 01:52:18,450
A couple insights I'd like to share is most of my guests that come, our families.

1303
01:52:18,790 --> 01:52:21,530
Most of them are international.

1304
01:52:21,730 --> 01:52:23,750
My last guest was from Hong Kong.

1305
01:52:23,770 --> 01:52:26,110
They came in with their children, their nanny.

1306
01:52:26,450 --> 01:52:27,610
They were here for wedding.

1307
01:52:28,210 --> 01:52:31,970
90% of my rentals are families that come in for weddings.

1308
01:52:32,790 --> 01:52:37,510
I'm kind of dubbed as the bridal cottage because the bride's family rents my home.

1309
01:52:37,510 --> 01:52:42,130
and usually she and her parents and some of her siblings are there getting ready.

1310
01:52:42,510 --> 01:52:46,630
Everyone is very respectful as my neighbors have shared. We all share

1311
01:52:47,550 --> 01:52:53,050
responsibility of helping each other when needed. We are always compliant. We've always done

1312
01:52:53,050 --> 01:52:58,450
everything to the letter of the law and I feel that you know what Shane had mentioned earlier.

1313
01:52:58,610 --> 01:53:03,550
Perking is the real issue and I agree with Councillor Napolitano. We have to come up with

1314
01:53:03,550 --> 01:53:17,250
solution for that, whether there is a trolley that circles longer than 9 p.m. that provides a real solution when people are out and about spending a lot of money in our town and supporting many of us that live here.

1315
01:53:17,850 --> 01:53:26,470
I think that, you know, those are the issues. Another comment. I've lived here for 30 years. I never have a problem parking my car during high season ever.

1316
01:53:26,470 --> 01:53:30,950
The problem is, when salve comes in, I cannot park on my street.

1317
01:53:31,350 --> 01:53:36,610
There's nowhere to park, it's always a hassle, and I feel like if we're going to be held

1318
01:53:36,610 --> 01:53:40,030
to the letter of the law, long-term rentals have to be held as well.

1319
01:53:40,290 --> 01:53:41,990
It is total discrimination.

1320
01:53:42,530 --> 01:53:47,930
I feel like we're constantly being targeted, it is completely unfair, and we are, we're

1321
01:53:47,930 --> 01:53:49,010
all wasting a lot of time.

1322
01:53:49,370 --> 01:53:53,990
I'm very appreciative and grateful that we're finally spending some time discussing this

1323
01:53:53,990 --> 01:54:00,190
who are in matter because it's just been one big circle that never really has any real resolution.

1324
01:54:00,510 --> 01:54:04,550
So I appreciate, you know, this being actually addressed properly.

1325
01:54:04,610 --> 01:54:09,330
And I hope that at some point we can come together as a community and figure this out.

1326
01:54:10,970 --> 01:54:13,770
And, you know, these are the realities.

1327
01:54:13,870 --> 01:54:20,770
And I would say most of my guests, Uber to my home, most of them are flying in our street on Goodman Street.

1328
01:54:20,770 --> 01:54:27,690
I can park in front of my house most days during high season, as soon as Sally comes in, forget about it. That's not going to happen.

1329
01:54:28,550 --> 01:54:35,950
So I just wanted to share a couple of realistic insights as our voting resident in the third ward as well as, you know,

1330
01:54:36,650 --> 01:54:41,290
having the experience of what it is to actually be a part of this community and be responsible.

1331
01:54:42,570 --> 01:54:42,970
Thank you.

1332
01:54:43,010 --> 01:54:43,310
Thank you.

1333
01:54:45,070 --> 01:54:47,030
Anyone else want to?

1334
01:54:47,170 --> 01:54:47,270
Hi.

1335
01:54:48,270 --> 01:54:59,730
Hi, I'm Karen Pennelly, 39 Toro Street. I am a voter in Newport. I live in my building, and I have two Airbnb rentals when I, and there's three apartments in the building, the third one is my primary residence.

1336
01:55:00,020 --> 01:55:10,380
When I purchased the building and there was commercial space on the first floor, it was never my intention to have year-round tenants. It was always my intention to have short-term rentals.

1337
01:55:11,140 --> 01:55:22,480
And I renovated the building and turned the two into short-term rentals. I have on-site parking, so I have three bedrooms on-site parking. I will tell you, and I'm very happy to hear that you're going to look at some statistics.

1338
01:55:23,600 --> 01:55:31,640
In the last probably month, I would say 20% of the time my spaces were not full.

1339
01:55:32,600 --> 01:55:39,100
So people were coming in by plane, by train, I would have people check in and no cars

1340
01:55:39,100 --> 01:55:39,680
out there.

1341
01:55:39,800 --> 01:55:43,600
So it's not always that they're bringing cars and I think, and often they just leave the

1342
01:55:43,600 --> 01:55:44,140
cars there.

1343
01:55:44,440 --> 01:55:50,540
As I see them, they travel around, they walk around, they take the buses so they're not

1344
01:55:50,540 --> 01:55:52,380
driving around looking for parking.

1345
01:55:53,080 --> 01:55:57,360
I think it's important that we do take a study and look at

1346
01:55:57,360 --> 01:56:00,100
people coming into the Airbnb and whether or not they are

1347
01:56:00,100 --> 01:56:03,240
bringing cars and I think it enforcing the parking is very

1348
01:56:03,240 --> 01:56:03,640
important.

1349
01:56:04,360 --> 01:56:08,360
Now, the other thing about my building, I would want to make sure

1350
01:56:08,360 --> 01:56:11,160
at some point, I'm in the business district.

1351
01:56:11,340 --> 01:56:14,000
So at some point, I may want to turn my apartment

1352
01:56:14,540 --> 01:56:18,180
into a short-term rental and move to another location,

1353
01:56:18,180 --> 01:56:25,600
myself probably a private home in Newport. So I do not want to be restricted in my building

1354
01:56:25,600 --> 01:56:32,040
to just keep these two and say the third one I can not turn into a short-term rental. My

1355
01:56:32,040 --> 01:56:37,900
apartment I have one car three bedrooms. Now another statistic I want to throw out with the three

1356
01:56:37,900 --> 01:56:44,840
bedrooms and the two rentals I can have up to six cars if people were renting on long-term basis

1357
01:56:44,840 --> 01:56:50,540
because each bedroom could share it have two people living in the bedroom so there could be six

1358
01:56:50,540 --> 01:56:55,940
cars. So I'm only required to do three parking spaces so take a look at that and these people

1359
01:56:55,940 --> 01:57:01,280
would be driving around. So I think it's important and I'm really happy that you're looking at the parking

1360
01:57:01,280 --> 01:57:06,840
situation but I think you look at looking at it thoroughly is very important and looking at all of these

1361
01:57:06,840 --> 01:57:14,480
aspects. Love the idea of trolley also. The last thing that I will make a comment on at some point

1362
01:57:14,480 --> 01:57:19,160
I do not, when I, if I do sell the building or at some point, I will sell the building.

1363
01:57:20,660 --> 01:57:22,280
The first floor is commercial space.

1364
01:57:23,160 --> 01:57:30,580
I do not want to be restricted and not be allowed to pass that along to whoever buys the building.

1365
01:57:30,620 --> 01:57:38,820
I renovated the whole building with the intention of it being a business with three rentals, potentially, and the commercial space.

1366
01:57:38,820 --> 01:57:43,620
So I would never want to lose that right by the same token I wouldn't want to, as mentioned,

1367
01:57:43,820 --> 01:57:49,600
lose the right to turn my third apartment, my primary residence into a short term rental.

1368
01:57:50,260 --> 01:57:52,220
So these are more comments than anything.

1369
01:57:52,960 --> 01:57:54,240
Anybody has any questions?

1370
01:57:54,480 --> 01:57:55,360
I'm happy to answer those.

1371
01:57:55,360 --> 01:57:55,900
Mr. Chairman.

1372
01:57:56,300 --> 01:57:57,040
Yeah, thanks, Mr. Chairman.

1373
01:57:57,120 --> 01:57:57,820
Thank you very much.

1374
01:57:58,340 --> 01:58:00,400
Your business is tremendous as we all know.

1375
01:58:00,520 --> 01:58:04,140
Provence a mile for anybody who does not know, a wonderful location.

1376
01:58:04,920 --> 01:58:14,780
And you, thank you, have worked so tremendously well with our friends and neighbors on Clark Street and beyond in the neighborhoods.

1377
01:58:15,100 --> 01:58:18,520
I'm extremely happy for you and the success of your business.

1378
01:58:19,360 --> 01:58:24,900
When I worked with the solicitors office and other offices on the resolution,

1379
01:58:25,400 --> 01:58:34,000
it was never my intent nor would I support anything that since you are already established with respect to the commercial space.

1380
01:58:34,000 --> 01:58:41,140
that would restrict either you using that or when you sell to an owner who would like to use

1381
01:58:41,140 --> 01:58:48,100
the same from doing so, nor, as I understand, the proposed ordinances would there be a restriction

1382
01:58:48,700 --> 01:58:53,120
as it relates to what you said with regard to turning your personal home, if you will, your personal

1383
01:58:53,120 --> 01:59:00,120
living space into a short-term rental either now, when, hopefully, you're not selling the business any

1384
01:59:00,120 --> 01:59:11,480
soon or or to someone who would like to purchase that right from you. So we can look at whether such is is

1385
01:59:11,480 --> 01:59:17,480
guaranteed and the solicitor offered good advice that legal advice is best kept

1386
01:59:19,060 --> 01:59:26,620
from those who have your own dealings with your own lawyers in the city council has has our solicitors

1387
01:59:27,240 --> 01:59:37,620
But I would not support something which took away those two rights that you highlighted in any post ordnance change. Thank you again, Karen. Thank you.

1388
01:59:40,160 --> 01:59:47,100
All right. Well, we're going to about to wrap up. So anyone else that wants to come up and speak to you and I'm pleased. Yes, sir.

1389
01:59:47,100 --> 01:59:51,360
See your name at address please. Yeah, hello everybody. Can I move this by chance?

1390
01:59:52,040 --> 01:59:54,740
Yes, I've already fallen down, but look

1391
02:00:00,480 --> 02:00:07,380
Yeah, I'm plugged in. You just broke it. What about now? There you go.

1392
02:00:08,240 --> 02:00:10,880
Sometimes this height just really gets in the way.

1393
02:00:11,900 --> 02:00:27,200
Club everybody, Casey Horton here, four good ones for you don't want to just want to make a clear that I do not live here. I live in Boston. I love living in Boston. I also love visiting Newport. My place in Newport. I rent it out. I'm just a four bedroom house. I can only rent it out as a two bedroom, do the parking stuff.

1394
02:00:27,200 --> 02:00:33,220
I didn't really want to touch on the parking stuff too much, but I just wanted to mention it's going to have been such a hot topic.

1395
02:00:33,720 --> 02:00:40,740
Our little harmonious pocket of Goodwin Street where we got people that ran short-term and long-term, and we all got along somehow some way.

1396
02:00:41,520 --> 02:00:44,840
I don't really think parking is much of an issue in our little pocket, a neighborhood.

1397
02:00:45,340 --> 02:00:50,940
I typically always find street spaces. My guests come. They're not allowed to park on the street.

1398
02:00:52,100 --> 02:00:55,780
They we have one on-site space. I have a lease for two other ones on the block.

1399
02:00:56,280 --> 02:01:05,260
Nobody ever even brings three cars, but if they do, it's usually actually me when I use it with my friends and family members, where we have three cars and we use the spaces that I lease

1400
02:01:05,260 --> 02:01:14,100
And no one on the parks in the street except for me because I have kind of the ownership password ever to. So either way, very happy to help out in the survey that we're all thinking to do.

1401
02:01:14,100 --> 02:01:19,700
You can I can give people my information or whatever it is, but on some of our partners notes really quickly

1402
02:01:19,700 --> 02:01:26,580
I just want to urge you to sort of pivot away from the proposed amendments. We're we're considering here and we focus on

1403
02:01:26,580 --> 02:01:29,200
Zoning or a form that actually promotes housing production

1404
02:01:29,900 --> 02:01:34,580
various places the resolution the housing chapter of new ports copy answer plan

1405
02:01:34,980 --> 02:01:37,520
short-term rentals are sort of deemed as a you know

1406
02:01:37,520 --> 02:01:42,120
significant factor in the lack of housing supply, but the data supporting that is really just

1407
02:01:42,120 --> 02:01:49,000
murky at best. Even in the comprehensive plan itself, a user's phrase is like, it can be assumed

1408
02:01:49,640 --> 02:01:54,860
when looking at census data and claiming that 19% of the new ports households are either seasonal homes,

1409
02:01:55,200 --> 02:02:02,060
or short-term rentals. Why are we assuming? Just because that specific household didn't respond to the

1410
02:02:03,420 --> 02:02:06,320
that it's likely being used as a short-term rental.

1411
02:02:06,720 --> 02:02:09,320
What I'm getting as we don't really have the data,

1412
02:02:10,200 --> 02:02:12,780
and by the way, the comprehensive plan actually admits that outright

1413
02:02:13,520 --> 02:02:17,240
that we don't really have clear data on like what's going on here

1414
02:02:17,240 --> 02:02:18,560
with a short-term rental situation.

1415
02:02:19,240 --> 02:02:21,200
So why are we using this weak and subjective data

1416
02:02:21,200 --> 02:02:24,660
to justify decisions that are as impactful to people

1417
02:02:24,660 --> 02:02:25,760
as they're going to be?

1418
02:02:27,700 --> 02:02:30,140
So suppose with that 19% that I just mentioned before,

1419
02:02:30,140 --> 02:02:35,000
figure is actually correct, right? And a significant portion of that 19% is short-term

1420
02:02:35,000 --> 02:02:40,000
rental housing that's really eating into our long-term housing stock, right? How are we so

1421
02:02:40,000 --> 02:02:45,740
certain that there's been such an aggressive ramp up in people converting long-term housing

1422
02:02:45,740 --> 02:02:51,120
to short-term housing? Over the past 15 years, right, that housing crisis really started

1423
02:02:51,120 --> 02:02:55,820
getting talked about in 2018 here a little bit later, but how are we so certain that over

1424
02:02:55,820 --> 02:03:01,760
kind of 15-year period, there's been so many conversions that have contributed to contributed

1425
02:03:01,760 --> 02:03:09,560
extremely to newport specific housing crisis. Sure, there's Airbnb and VRBO listing data,

1426
02:03:09,580 --> 02:03:14,560
but how can someone whose job it is because I know we probably do it and thank you guys for

1427
02:03:14,560 --> 02:03:18,340
always policing and doing the things that you do to make sure everyone's doing the right things.

1428
02:03:18,600 --> 02:03:23,720
But how can someone whose job it is to count up all the little pins on the Airbnb map,

1429
02:03:23,720 --> 02:03:30,960
right year by year say 2021 to 2022 and see an increase in those pens, how can you determine

1430
02:03:32,200 --> 02:03:36,980
that that there's specifically the result of a long term housing being taken offline in favor

1431
02:03:36,980 --> 02:03:41,000
of sort of terminals. What seems a lot more likely in my opinion is that people who are

1432
02:03:41,000 --> 02:03:46,180
already renting short term for years either informally or through a broker simply got a little bit

1433
02:03:46,180 --> 02:03:51,040
more text savvy. It's happened to a lot of us here because platforms simply make it easier.

1434
02:03:51,040 --> 02:03:54,640
So, if you're pointing to the apps and saying, and you're reading the data and saying,

1435
02:03:54,780 --> 02:03:58,560
well, there's just such an aggressive uptick in short-term rentals, and we've got to figure

1436
02:03:58,560 --> 02:04:03,460
out something to do here to stop this, it's like, I don't think, I think it's very misleading

1437
02:04:03,460 --> 02:04:05,140
data to actually reference.

1438
02:04:06,480 --> 02:04:10,540
So, but my whole proposal here is rather than spending time at energy on changes rooted

1439
02:04:10,540 --> 02:04:16,740
in such thin, factual basis, changes that the impact of which we're proposing here, the impact

1440
02:04:16,740 --> 02:04:20,440
of which would actually be extremely difficult to quantify, given how little data exists

1441
02:04:20,440 --> 02:04:26,100
today to help us formulate a meaningful baseline. Right? Let's focus on something we know

1442
02:04:26,100 --> 02:04:30,260
without a doubt could alleviate the housing crisis and that is building more housing.

1443
02:04:32,560 --> 02:04:37,880
It's not really a secret. A lot of the large high profile walkable development sites in the

1444
02:04:37,880 --> 02:04:43,120
general business and waterfront business have gone hotel. Right in the hand, it's hotel

1445
02:04:43,120 --> 02:04:48,240
up in 2020. The beautiful gardener house in 2023. Bellevue under construction set to open

1446
02:04:48,240 --> 02:04:50,800
2.27, weights, width, partial, got to prove.

1447
02:04:50,900 --> 02:04:52,300
They're in a little residential component there,

1448
02:04:52,400 --> 02:04:54,180
which I commend the city for making happen.

1449
02:04:55,000 --> 02:04:56,200
But that will open eventually.

1450
02:04:56,440 --> 02:04:57,240
I want to start its construction.

1451
02:04:58,300 --> 02:04:59,140
Why is that?

1452
02:04:59,740 --> 02:04:59,960
Why are...

1453
02:05:00,000 --> 02:05:10,260
Please all go and go tell. Well, one could say it's because it tells the highest and best to use. Probably right, but in my opinion, there's a lot more to the story when you dig in.

1454
02:05:10,660 --> 02:05:21,760
So in the general business zoning district, hotels at reasonable scale and intensity for references one room or 400 land square feet pretty dense pretty intense use which is great.

1455
02:05:22,180 --> 02:05:28,720
They're permitted as of right, which for anyone in this room who doesn't know the term as of right, it just means the easiest pathway to project approvals.

1456
02:05:28,720 --> 02:05:38,660
No discretionary board findings, relatively administrative and nature, all that's needed is a site plan review and the developer can pull a construction permit and start digging.

1457
02:05:39,340 --> 02:05:45,920
Multi-family by contrast is not permitted as of right anywhere in the general business or water permit.

1458
02:05:46,640 --> 02:05:55,680
The only approval path is actually via special use from a process which on top of site plan review which we already mentioned as a right projects need to deal with.

1459
02:05:56,080 --> 02:06:13,200
On top of that it requires a far more lengthy and stringent municipal review, often involving additional consultant studies, costly redesigns, many times dictated by the municipality and different boards, and approval conditions that can actually render a project pretty unfeasible.

1460
02:06:13,200 --> 02:06:19,440
got in many places throughout the Northeast, this special permit processes is used. It's very common.

1461
02:06:19,940 --> 02:06:25,900
Developers still a lot of times choose to persevere through these promises. These processes,

1462
02:06:26,500 --> 02:06:30,600
that's not really the case here in Newport because regardless of the building envelope,

1463
02:06:30,820 --> 02:06:36,940
the disowning COZO dimensional standards would otherwise allow. There's a catch-all cap on multi-family

1464
02:06:36,940 --> 02:06:42,740
density. Developers can only be a group or one unit for 1500 square feet of land in the general

1465
02:06:42,740 --> 02:06:48,400
business. That is such a load density that is mere existence in the code. Access is structural

1466
02:06:48,400 --> 02:06:52,740
deterrent for multifamily development. For reference, on a one acre site in the general

1467
02:06:52,740 --> 02:06:56,980
business, the code's own height and coverage limits would probably let you construct the

1468
02:06:56,980 --> 02:07:02,100
code for every 100. Thanks, Casey. We got you, you're going on so fast, I don't think anyone

1469
02:07:02,100 --> 02:07:09,800
can even comprehend what you did for a second. But I appreciate it again. We did get your letter

1470
02:07:09,800 --> 02:07:13,620
everything that you're saying. So, okay. But I mostly want to just

1471
02:07:13,620 --> 02:07:17,560
interview my fellow friends who, you know, don't have the privilege of being a developer

1472
02:07:17,560 --> 02:07:22,260
like me and can kind of see this stuff. No, I don't know. So, absolutely. No, and

1473
02:07:22,260 --> 02:07:27,680
there was a lot of great information on that. For me, as of right, multi-family with

1474
02:07:27,680 --> 02:07:32,540
density, everybody's doing it. Look up chapter 40B, Massachusetts. They just

1475
02:07:32,540 --> 02:07:35,960
pass the statewide thing. It's really spurring housing growth. That's how you

1476
02:07:35,960 --> 02:07:38,180
Let's say you alleviate rents, guys.

1477
02:07:38,180 --> 02:07:41,020
Let's say you help people out in a small time.

1478
02:07:41,560 --> 02:07:44,840
Yes, I just want to mention a statement

1479
02:07:44,840 --> 02:07:48,100
that I mentioned on the February meeting.

1480
02:07:48,540 --> 02:07:55,360
Newport is 10 square miles, 7 land mass, 300 water.

1481
02:07:56,360 --> 02:07:57,620
We're built out.

1482
02:07:57,900 --> 02:08:02,820
We are truly built out when you think about it.

1483
02:08:02,820 --> 02:08:12,900
You know, they talk about all these other cities and towns that don't have what we have and we have a very large population of people in need.

1484
02:08:15,840 --> 02:08:20,860
I just, you know, I honestly feel new port is built out.

1485
02:08:21,060 --> 02:08:29,200
Our zoning codes were taken water on this just a lot of issues here.

1486
02:08:29,200 --> 02:08:34,640
And I don't see building in the future for new point.

1487
02:08:35,000 --> 02:08:38,700
Yeah, but I totally understand where you're coming from, but the one thing that I don't

1488
02:08:38,700 --> 02:08:42,880
understand there is we are sort of allowing these, you know, decently done so tells

1489
02:08:42,880 --> 02:08:43,400
to be built.

1490
02:08:44,340 --> 02:08:48,820
So if that's the case, I would say we should amend the zoning code to really pull back and

1491
02:08:48,820 --> 02:08:53,860
make it a lot more challenging for all development to be done, because it's still happening,

1492
02:08:54,240 --> 02:08:55,940
like it's, it's just going to hotel now.

1493
02:08:55,940 --> 02:09:02,180
There's only two spaces in all of Newport that could build a hotel now.

1494
02:09:02,640 --> 02:09:06,580
One is where the highlight was, and the other is the Naval Hospital.

1495
02:09:07,260 --> 02:09:09,120
That's it, Pheneet.

1496
02:09:09,240 --> 02:09:10,840
Oh, I mean, there's no other place.

1497
02:09:10,860 --> 02:09:13,280
I was kind of referring to the past 10 or so years,

1498
02:09:13,460 --> 02:09:15,380
which we know those hotels have been built in our name.

1499
02:09:15,900 --> 02:09:19,140
Absolutely, and they've been at it for about 10 years.

1500
02:09:19,740 --> 02:09:22,880
Paying their attorneys and going to planning and zone.

1501
02:09:22,900 --> 02:09:23,580
Yeah, of course.

1502
02:09:24,160 --> 02:09:24,900
So, I mean,

1503
02:09:24,900 --> 02:09:29,520
That's what we're seeing. I agree. Thank you for your time. Thank you very much.

1504
02:09:32,950 --> 02:09:37,670
Folks, thank you so much for coming tonight, and you know there's a lot of information and we'll

1505
02:09:37,670 --> 02:09:41,200
I'm sure there'll be more discussions as we move forward. So thank you very much.

1506
02:09:42,750 --> 02:09:48,530
Not all the way up. That's a lot of folks. You don't cause a key. I'll figure it out.