Short-term rental community meeting Nov. 10

Wednesday evening, Nov. 10, at 6:30 p.m., a group of concerned citizens has organized a public meeting at Town Hall to discuss the short-term rental situation in Idyllwild, Pine Cove and elsewhere on the Hill.

“The basic premise is to inform the town people of the latest 927 Ordinance draft and what’s in it,” said Joel Feingold, a member of the group. “It’s an information meeting.”

In 2016, with the adoption of Ordinance 927, Riverside County began to regulate STRs. The process, including how to obtain a required certificate, is stated in the ordinance.

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There is a fee for obtaining the certificate. However, many local full-time residents on the Hill and in desert communities, who do not rent their properties on a short-term basis, believe the ordinance does not sufficiently or adequately protect them, their neighborhoods and their property rights.

Those readers who consume the letters to the editor, including this edition, have seen the thoughts and concerns moving through the local community.

On an official level, a county grand jury issued a report in June critical of the program’s operation, especially enforcement.

The effect of STRs is not limited to their impact on neighboring properties. Members of the group also are concerned about STRs reducing the long-term rental market for new community members and local labor.

The local group is preparing a petition with its ideas to present to the county board of supervisors at https://www.change.org/p/riverside-county-board-of-supervisors-short-term-rentals?recruiter=1229119140&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=c80a15de5a9f4e559c32f9c47f45dd66&recruited_by_id=eac11e80-2975-11ec-80d6-cb23a9aad221&utm_content=fht-30984888-en-us%3A0. The group has collected nearly 600 signatures online and another 200 from town.

While it is advocating a one-year moratorium on new STR certificates and time for changes to the ordinance to be implemented, Feingold stressed, “We are not trying to get rid of short-term rentals. We are not anti-business; most in the group are entrepreneurs.”

The local group hopes that supervisors Chuck Washington (District 3) and Manuel Perez (District 4) or members of their staffs will attend the meeting to hear the community’s concerns and discuss remedies.

A year ago, the county Planning Department released a draft of a revised Ordinance 927. But many were still unsatisfied with the draft. The June grand jury Report offered many suggestions to refashion the draft.

In anticipation of the new draft Ordinance 927, the group also hopes members of the Planning Department will attend the meeting to discuss what changes have been incorporated into this version.

They are expecting a representative from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, and the local fire and water agencies.