It's time again to speak out on Short-Term Rentals!
As you have probably noticed, it has been quite a while since the Fredericksburg Neighborhood Coalition has sent out an email. This is largely because the Mayor and City Council stated that they wanted to give the 4/1/22 STR ordinance a six month “break-in period” to evaluate its effectiveness before they considered whether changes to the STR regulations are needed. While we wanted faster action on the STR issues, we thought we should honor the Council’s wishes and stand back and wait for the City to gather data, receive the Affordable Housing Study findings, observe operations under the new ordinance, attempt to get the new STR software (Granicus) in operation, and work the multitude of other issues that the new City Council was facing. It has been six months.
And, if you have seen this past Wednesday’s Fredericksburg Standard, you are aware that Mayor Hoover has kept his word and the City Council is now focusing its attention on the issues of STRs and available housing for residents. In the October 4th Council work session, the Mayor presented a summary of actions that he wants to work with the Council to implement in order to address the STR and housing issues. In the Standard’s front-page article, managing editor Samuel Sutton, does an excellent job of outlining Mayor Hoover’s presentation. We encourage you to read the article.
We are now asking for your assistance in sending an email to the City Council and City Manager because, as they say, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. But we haven’t been squeaky lately and, as requested by the Council, neighborhood residents have kept a low profile during the past 6 months. However, we do not want the fact that we have patiently waited “our turn” during the 6-month period to be incorrectly interpreted by Council members and the City Manager as evidence that the STR matter is no longer a “big deal” to the neighborhoods. This is of course wrong. And it is important that we let them know that we are not satisfied with the current ordinance and its implementation; the same concerns that drove neighborhood residents to turn out to vote in record numbers still exist. We feel it is past time for corrective action.
Request for Assistance – This Is a Pivotal Moment
We request that you send a separate email to the Mayor’ each of the Council members, and the City Manager (6 emails). We believe that a separate email to each is much more effective than a form letter being sent to all parties at once. It is important that our emails are as effective as possible because those who make money from the STR business are already contacting the Council and want to see the ineffective ordinance stay as it is.
Mayor Jeryl Hoover jhoover@fbgtx.org
Council Member Bobby Watson bwatson@fbgtx.org
Council Member Emily Kirchner ekirchner@fbgtx.org
Council Member Tony Klein tklein@fbgtx.org
Council Member Sharon Joseph sjoseph@fbgtx.org
City Manager Clinton Bailey cbailey@fbgtx.org
Your email can be short, but please express in your own words that you support the goals that Mayor Hoover set out in his presentation to:
Halt new permits in R1 and R2.
Revise the ordinance to make existing STR permits expire upon a change of ownership.
Take all actions needed to achieve more effective enforcement of the ordinance.
Ask that each Council member and the City Manager support the Mayor and take timely action to implement those goals.
The next City Council meeting is at 9 AM on Oct 9th. Please try to send your emails in advance of that meeting.
If you wish to send a longer note, you might also consider mentioning:
Enforcement has not been effective; violations of the ordinance continue and many provisions of the ordinance are simply being ignored.
You support an immediate cessation/moratorium of new STR permits in R1 and R2 so that no further homes are lost to STR development.
A faster penalty process is needed, so that STR owners get quick feedback that violations will not go unpunished.
Changes are needed to the advertising and signage provisions so that renters know in advance what is permitted and expected of them.
Please send emails and show your support for our neighborhoods at this pivotal time!
Town Hall Meetings Coming to the Neighborhoods
The City is planning to coordinate a Town Hall Meeting in each of 24 residential neighborhoods they have notionally divided the town into. There will likely be 2 Town Halls per month, hosted by one of the residents in the neighborhood. The City Manager, some City staff, and the Mayor and/or some Council members will attend for the purpose of communicating directly in an informal setting with the residents who live in the neighborhood. More details, a schedule, and a request for residents to volunteer to host will be announced in the coming weeks. Consider offering to host (email the City Manager), and when your neighborhood is scheduled, please take advantage of this opportunity to attend and express your thoughts on the issues that are important to you.
