From: Fermin Escutia
To: City Council Public Comments
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Aug. 9, 2022 - Santa Rosa City Council STR meeting #15.1 Date: Tuesday, August 9, 2022 8:37:17 PM
City Council,
My name is Fermin Escutia, local Realtor and owner of a couple STR's.
I appreciate the rules/ordinances in place to make everyone feel that they have been heard.
Where we feel there is a disconnect or a lapse in the rules is that there doesn't seem to be fairness in making sure complaints are founded. Complaints can be made anonymously and without proof.
Therefore a STR in good standing can be tarnished because of someone's biased opinion and affect their lives.
Our neighbors have been appreciative as we have improved value to the neighborhoods by enhancing our properties. They are well taken care of and maintained.
My wife Kara Escutia and I work alongside our property manager so that we always have someone available in case any issues arise.
We look forward to working with you to make this work for all of us.
Sincerely,
Fermin Escutia
From: Yeva McCloskey
To: City Council Public Comments
Subject: [EXTERNAL] number #15.1
Date: Tuesday, August 9, 2022 4:52:55 PM
Yeva McCloskey
Agenda item number 15.1
From: YEVA MCCLOSKEY
To: City Council Public Comments
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Making Public common regarding STR"s number #15.1 Date: Tuesday, August 9, 2022 4:52:30 PM
Yeva McCloskey
Agenda item number #15.1
Thanks.,
From: cynthia lozano
To: City Council Public Comments
Cc: Estela Ramirez
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Experiencia positivo
Date: Tuesday, August 9, 2022 4:32:37 PM
Buenas noches mi nombre es Estela Ramirez. Yo soy limpiadora profesional Y tengo mi licencia de negocio con la ciudad de Santa Rosa. Escribo este correo electrónico para ustedes que necesitan oír lo positivo de las casas rentadas a vacaciones. Yo he limpiado más de 700 veces las casas de renta para vacaciones. En mi carrera de limpieza nunca he entrado a una casa destruida por los huéspedes que rentan las casas. Además Yo soy la persona que entra después de los huéspedes se van y también arreglo las casas para que cuando vengan los huéspedes disfruten la casa pero también ellos vienen para disfrutar la ciudad- los restaurantes y las vinieras Yo tengo experiencia positiva. 100% positiva Gracias por leer mi opinión y ojalá que siguen rentando las casas de vacaciones porque esto es mi carrera y esto es lo que hago todos los días.
Estela Ramírez
[email protected]
From: Phebe Anderson
To: City Council Public Comments
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Positive short term rental experience Date: Tuesday, August 9, 2022 4:22:49 PM
Hello my name is Jenifer Anderson. My husband and I started our own gardening business because of short term rentals in the city of Santa Rosa. We had lost our jobs during the pandemic. We launched our gardening business during the pandemic and now we have more than a dozen clients we have focused on short term rentals because we enjoy working with the homeowners. My business is impacting the neighborhood in a positive way. Most of the times when you’re driving through the neighborhoods my home that I’ve landscaped is the most beautiful on the block because the homeowners have taking great care of their short term rental properties.
Today I’m asking the city council members to remember people like myself, my husband and my six-year-old son who often times comes to work with us. We are pro short term rentals and we are pro entrepreneurship.
Thank you for your time
Jenifer Anderson
JP home and garden
Sent from my iPhone
From: Sarah Viall
To: City Council Public Comments
Subject: [EXTERNAL] #15.1
Date: Tuesday, August 9, 2022 4:21:20 PM
City Council
I have an upstanding short term rental. We have complied with all of the current rules and regulations that the city has placed since the emergency ordinance. As a short term rental owner I provide jobs to people in this community such as gardeners, house cleaners and maintenance as well as contribute to the economy and tourism of Santa Rosa by giving people recommendations of Restaurants, breweries, wineries, events, shopping and other wonderful things to do. As part of the short term rental community We are proud to live in Sonoma County and of all of the things that the city represents for tourists and visitors. We stand by the rules of quiet hours, parking, the amount of guests allowed in homes as well as encourage water and energy conservation. Many of our guests are families of 6 or more who do not have the money to rent a hotel room for all family members. This enables larger families to still travel and visit our city. We promote local groceries and organic markets such as the farmers market and fruit stands. I believe that short term rentals that are well-managed have a significant and invaluable role to the economy and job market for Sonoma county.
There are several people in our community who rent their homes out as short term rentals in order to make ends meet and to continue to live a good lifestyle here in Sonoma County. Job losses, Covid and other life incidents can leave people in precarious situations. Having the option to use your house to be able to make income should not be held against you as long as people follow the ordinance there should not be an issue with someone renting the home that they own.
As short term renters we also provide income to the city with funds in permit fees, TOT taxes and intermittent fines. While it makes sense to fine homes or managers who are not following the ordinance rules I feel that there should be a difference between certain issues. For example if someone forgets to put a TOT number or miss-words Their short term rental ad that should be viewed differently from another owner who allows their house to be used as a party place or continues to make noise past 9 o’clock at night. Those should be fined on different levels of severity. A warning for miss wording on a short term rental ad or not putting a tot number seems far more sufficient to me than a monetary fine. While it is understandable to give a more serious punishment to a rental who is disturbing Neighborhoods and the surrounding environment.
In conclusion I asked that we continue to allow short term rentals to grow in Santa Rosa with an ongoing permit process and that we re-examine how we manage or reprimand short term rentals who need assistance with current rules and regulations.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sarah
Sent from my iPhone
From: Megan Finaly
To: City Council Public Comments
Subject: [EXTERNAL] STR limits
Date: Tuesday, August 9, 2022 12:59:55 PM
To the hard-working council members for the city of Santa Rosa, Please consider the following points when making your decision:
Caps on Vacation Rentals limit the supply of homes for all types of visitors to Santa Rosa. When you limit supply, costs only rise. Our city has already become a very expensive place to visit, but a whole family can stay in a four bedroom VR for less than the price of four rooms in a hotel, in many instances – and have more amenities.
Jobs and Wages: A cap on STR's is a cap on businesses, jobs and wages. Short-term rentals create jobs, providing a living wage job to housekeepers / landscapers / pool cleaners / electricians / plumbers / waiters, and other restaurant and hospitality workers.
Effects on the Economy: Caps also make it harder for middle-class and working-class people to share in the economic benefit of sharing their home sometimes. By placing a cap on the number of non-hosted rentals, you will create a situation where only the wealthy will be able to own a vacation rental and only the wealthy will be able to stay in a vacation rental.
Limiting the number of non-hosted rental permits one owner can be issued, is a limitation on its own. If we do this, there is no need for caps or radius limits, and it will allow everyone who wants to take part in this economic activity. One never knows when some unexpected event in their life (i.e., loss of a job, care of a loved one, divorce or death of a spouse) and they find themselves needing to earn extra income – offering a home short-term could be the only way to make ends meets.
Enforcement and Penalties: Focus instead on noise, nuisance and safety issues. Our main concern regarding penalties, is that it seems to us that all infractions are treated the same. Forgetting to include your TOT# in a listing – is not the same infraction as letting a wild house party rage on until 3 am. If our goals are to stop noise and nuisance problems, why would we give these very different infractions the same weight?
From: Cheryl Quist
To: City Council Public Comments
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Public Comment re: Agenda Item #15.1 Date: Tuesday, August 9, 2022 12:27:50 PM
I own and manage a non-hosted STR in Santa Rosa. It is located on Bryden Lane and I applied for and have received my STR Permit. I purchased the property in the fall of 2019 and immediately applied for a TOT/BIA number. Since the purchase I have collected and submitted over $18,000 to the City of Santa Rosa for TOT/BIA.
Over the last two and a half years, I’ve hosted fire-victims, guests who are visiting their Santa Rosa- based family members, and tourists who want to visit our local businesses. I’ve also upgraded the property with a new roof, improved landscaping, converted a wood-burning fireplace to a gas- burning fireplace, installed a new more-efficient heating system, completed earthquake retrofitting and implemented many more upgrades to improve the property. I’ve not had a single complaint about parking or noise or parties as I live close by and closely monitor the property for any issues.
I specifically chose Santa Rosa as the place to invest retirement funds in a short-term rental. If short- term hosting was no longer possible, my husband and I would be devastated. The income I derive from this is critical to our being able to live in Santa Rosa; without it, we would have to move. Please do not impose unreasonable restrictions on STR owners.
Respectfully,
Cheryl Quist
From: Susanne Lake
To: City Council Public Comments
Cc: Susanne Lake
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Item #15.1 STR
Date: Tuesday, August 9, 2022 12:21:02 PM
To Whom It May Concern:
Upon reviewing the Urgency Ordinance I would like to provide the following comments:
Short term rentals should be limited to one (1) permit per operator regardless if hosted or non-hosted. No other limitation is needed including caps or radius.
To reduce staff labor, permits should be automatically renewed annually with fees unless there is a need to review the STR based on complaints or violations.
Please specify that “paid” events may not be held. It is acceptable for homeowners/hosts to have personal events such as BBQs, birthday parties, etc. A homeowner should still be able to hold personal events.
The daytime hours should coincide with the Noise Ordinance of 10pm and 7am instead of 9pm to 8am.
Sincerely,
Susanne Lake
(707) 583-5993
From: Sandy Metzger
To: City Council Public Comments
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Agenda Item #15.1
Date: Tuesday, August 9, 2022 10:54:13 AM
We are the owners and hosts of a small 350sf cottage rented through Airbnb since 2014. It’s immediately behind our house and we are present 100% of the time when guests rent it. (1) We are against an annual STR permit and renewal fee. We regularly pay the quarterly TOT and BIA fees.
Adding another fee on top of that would make it not worth our time and energy renting our cottage. Is that your intention? (Our cottage is not appropriate for long term rental and certainly not as housing stock.) (2) We do think there ought to be a cap on the number of STRs in the city. Too many ruin the neighborliness and friendliness of neighborhoods and practically turn them into hot sheet hotels with no one knowing anyone. (3) We definitely feel you should limit the number of non-hosted STRs in the city. Many are owned by corporations and many turn into party houses. Noise and rowdiness have been a problem, according to reports. Having the hosts on-site for a small Airbnb rental is definitely a plus.
As hosts, we are ambassadors for the city and county and positively promote all that is good in the area. We are friendly, gracious, and hospitable. Our guests return. Non-hosted STRS add none of that.
Sandy and Bud Metzger
Santa Rosa
Wine Country Historic Town Cottage
From: Sonoma County Coalition of Hosts
To: City Council Public Comments
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Public Comment - City Council item 15.1 STR Urgency Ordinance Date: Tuesday, August 9, 2022 9:51:07 AM
Attachments: image.png
Dear City Council Members,
Below is an email sent to SCCH hosts regarding item #15.1, for today's City Council meeting.
Dear SCCH Hosts,
The Santa Rosa City Council will act on a proposed Zoning Code text amendment urgency ordinance and fee adoption resolution during its regularly scheduled public meeting on August 9, 2022, at or after 5 p.m.
As currently drafted, the Zoning Code text amendments would:
set a maximum number of 215 non-hosted STR permits to be issued citywide; (THIS CAP IS
THE MOST EGREGIOUS AND IMPORTANT TO STOP)
clarify the enforcement penalties that apply to permit holders and operators in good standing.
The Fee adoption resolution would:
establish an STR Permit annual renewal fee.
Items for this council meeting are posted at here, Official Notice of Public Hearing Caps on Vacation Rentals limit the supply of homes for all types of visitors to Santa Rosa. When you limit supply, costs only rise. Our city has already become a very expensive place to visit, but a whole family can stay in a four bedroom VR for less than the price of four rooms in a hotel, in many instances – and have more amenities.
Jobs and Wages: A cap on STR's is a cap on businesses, jobs and wages. Short-term rentals create jobs, providing a living wage job to housekeepers / landscapers / pool cleaners / electricians / plumbers / waiters, and other restaurant and hospitality workers.
Effects on the Economy: Caps also make it harder for middle-class and working-class people to share in the economic benefit of sharing their home sometimes. By placing a cap on the number of non-hosted rentals, you will create a situation where only the wealthy will be able to own a vacation rental and only the wealthy will be able to stay in a vacation rental.
Limiting the number of non-hosted rental permits one owner can be issued, is a limitation on its own. If we do this, there is no need for caps or radius limits, and it will allow everyone who wants to take part in this economic activity. One never knows when some unexpected event in their life (i.e., loss of a job, care of a loved one, divorce or death of a spouse) and they find themselves needing to earn extra income – offering a home short-term could be the only way to make ends meets.
Enforcement and Penalties: Focus instead on noise, nuisance and safety issues. Our main concern regarding penalties, is that it seems to us that all infractions are treated the same. Forgetting to include your TOT# in a listing – is not the same infraction as letting a wild house party rage on until 3 am. If our goals are to stop noise and nuisance problems, why would we give these very different infractions the same weight?
PUBLIC COMMENTS can be made via Zoom, email, and in person.
ZOOM: HTTPS://SRCITY-ORG.ZOOM.US/J/86208178715
, or 877-853-5257 AND ENTER
WEBINAR ID: 862 0817 8715
EMAIL PUBLIC COMMENT: Public Comments can be submitted by emailing the entire City Council at [email protected]. Please provide your name, the agenda item number #15.1, and your comment.
IN PERSON: City Hall, City Council Chamber – 100 Santa Rosa Avenue From: Wendy Sewell
To: _CityCouncilListPublic
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Santa Rosa Short Term Rental Urgency Ordinance Date: Monday, August 8, 2022 9:36:51 PM
Dear Members of Santa Rosa City Council,
In 2017 I could see flames out of the bedroom windows as I scooped my then 6 and 8 year-olds out of bed and tucked them into their car seats - trying not to let my voice shake as I explained to them we needed to leave our home. It took 2 weeks for us to be allowed to go back. 2019 found us evacuated again - thankfully we got to return just in time to trick or treat in our neighborhood. The following fall, I was so scared to be in my own home I couldn’t sleep. Every gust of wind had me panicking. My kids’ eyes would open wide at the sound of every siren, every breeze. I packed up my house and got it ready to be a short term rental. I promised them we’d come back some time in the future, when it felt safe, and that we could always come back to visit and stay in our home, spend time with our friends and play in our favorite parks.
We left our home September 24th, 2020. September 27th the Glass Fire burned down 13 houses in our neighborhood and charred the beautiful hills surrounding our home.
Our first guest was my friend and her family who lost their home to Glass. They stayed for 7 weeks. A few more guests enjoyed our home before we got a call from friends who are also neighbors. They couldn’t find a place to stay while their home was being repaired from Glass’ smoke damage. Once again our home was able to provide a refuge.
They stayed for several months.
I cannot live in Santa Rosa full time right now. I need time to heal. Time for my home to feel like the sanctuary it was meant to be. But I want to be able to keep the promise I made to my kids - that we can still go home. We can still spend time in our beloved community.
Since we left in 2020 we have been nomadic. When you think of people staying in short term rentals - I want you to think of my family - because that’s where we live. Our guests may not all be nomadic, but they’re looking for the same things we are. A clean place that’s well kept up. A comfortable home. A place to make beautiful family memories.
I really hope that Santa Rosa can continue to be that place for many more families - just as it was for mine. I hope my guests and others’ get to continue to experience what a warm and welcoming community Santa Rosa is. And I hope that one day I will feel safe coming home for good.
Sincerely,
Wendy Sewell