By Steve Woods
Malibu’s Short Term Rental ordinance finally went through a fine tooth comb with Malibu City Council last night and addressed many issues brought forward by residents who packed City Hall presenting arguments on both sides of the issue.
After hours of deliberation, it was decided that the STR ordinance will pass a final council vote on September 11th, and will commence in March 2019.
The historic decision drew a huge crowd – and with that crowd, an abundance speaker slips – so many that Mayor Rick Mullen proposed to cut all speaker time in half to a minute, which was not well received by residents who took time to prepare for the meeting, and other council members, leaving Mayor Mullen deciding on 2 minutes max, unless time was donated from another speaker.
To Mullen’s credit, had he not cut the time per speaker, Public Comment alone would have taken 5 hours.
It was a fairly mixed crowd, for and against the regulation of Short Term Rentals, which got heated at times by those who were complaining about the nuisance of short term renters from neighbors in quiet family residential zones.
Understandably, these residents appealed to council not wanting transient commercial traffic in their neighborhoods which has been not only destroying their quality of life, it is also dismantling neighborhoods.
Many “hosts” spoke in front of council claiming they do not allow poorly behaved tenants, and have the right to earn extra income.
One of the biggest disagreements of the night among council members was concerning a septic inspection requirement in order to receive a permit to operate Short Term Rentals.
The “slate”, formerly known as “Team Malibu”, Skylar Peak, Rick Mullen and Jefferson Wagner finally made an appearance, and with the energy they exuded in the last campaign (which resulted in a record number of voters turning out to the polls). The septic issue, was led by Skylar Peak (double surprise!), and much to his credit, along with Mullen and Wagner agreeing, recommended that all permits should require a septic inspection.
On the other side of the coin – or should we say community – was Lou La Monte and Laura Rosenthal who represented the contingency of residents against an outright ban or strict restrictions on Short term Rentals and argued that the inspections would be costly.
Council member La Monte said the cost of his recent inspection cost him about $6,000 dollars and Rosenthal agreed that it would be too much a burden for home owners, but staff and council corrected LaMonte and put the cost more in the neighborhood (pun intended) of $500- $800 dollars. A significant difference to say the least.
Mullen and Wagner agreed with Peak regarding the hazards overloaded septic systems are creating for public health and the environment, and if permit seekers fail an inspection, the property owners may have to fix or replace a failing septic, a substantial cost that could go as high as $150,000
Both sides agreed some regulations and restrictions are required, and council agreed to avoid out of town corporations who are buying up properties at a record pace, without an on-site owner on the property.
Council agreed to hire weekend enforcement and have septic systems inspected as a requirement for a $1000 permit.
Other details and clarifications on restrictions, tip lines to report properties, hefty fines and penalties among other details will be finalized at the September 11th meeting. This will also include additional public comment.
Last night’s meeting was a step in the right direction for both sides, and had major restrictions and regulations not been implemented as directed by the Planning Commission earlier, an outright ban would have been the only recommendation by commissioners who sent the proposed ordinance back to the planning staff twice.
The meeting concluded at 12:10 a.m.
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