city of Pismo Beach
City Clerk's Office
June 19, 2022 JUN 2 0 2022
To the City Council regarding Agenda Item 12.A. Received I am pleased to see the City Council addressing the rules regarding STRs for the City.
The City's regulatory structure is clearly written. The Department granting the permits, however, is not following the Code and seems to have adopted their own set of rules.
Section 17.113 clearly addresses that the property must be the primary residence of the property owner. I personally went up to the Department twice to understand their logic behind granting a permit that clearly did not follow their own guidelines. The Department is granting permits to anyone who inherits or purchases a home in Pismo Beach and merely changes their drivers license, tax filings, or voter registration.
When I told the staff that the new owner of 125 N. Silver Shoals Dr. does not live there, I was told that she does not have to physically live there for more than six months per year, only that she must not rent out the property for more than 182 days in a calendar year. That clearly is not what is stated in your governing regulations.
When we told staff that the owner needs to respond to complaints within 30 minutes, we were told that if they email the owner and she responds within 30 minutes of reading the email then that is acceptable. If this is days or weeks later, then that is also acceptable. The 30 minute clock begins when she opens and reads her email.
When asked how to register a complaint, we were given a number from their website. When we were not getting a response to our complaints, they realized the hotline number was not correct, and the City was not receiving our complaints.
I have found it extremely frustrating in attempting to give the Department information to help them enforce the rules when their messages to the residents have been inconsistent. We were told that information provided to the City prior to the granting of an application could not be used because it is only considered "hearsay." After the permit is granted, however, information provided to the City is "very valuable information."
The owner of 125 N. Silver Shoals Dr. acquired the property with two of her siblings on October 15, 2021, and began to run an illegal and unpermitted STR in October, November, December, and January until the neighbors kept complaining to the City. The City fined her, and then she immediately changed her drivers license on February 14, 2022 and most likely her voter registration at the same time. She discovered what documentation the staff wanted to see to issue her a permit. Staff ignored the most important section that requires that the owner live in and OCCUPY the property for more than 6 months. She clearly has NEVER lived at this address, yet the City granted her a STR permit against the City Code.
The City of Pismo Beach is at a crossroads as to what the City will look like with a mass proliferation of STRs from investors and others who do not actually live in our City.
We have our hotel areas but the residents of Pismo Beach deserve to maintain their residential neighborhoods. Other cities such as South Lake Tahoe and Monterey have protected their residential neighborhoods. Pismo Beach should do the same.
The City Council must vote to impose a moratorium on any new STIR permits and remedy the gross error that was made in granting a STIR to 125 N. Silver Shoals Dr.
Sincerely,
Pismo Beach, CA 93449