Island mayor Ernie Frie brought up the subject of Airbnb and Vrbo rentals in the island area and said he has received complaints from residents and the town has learned that some tenants are not paying the three percent tax required for such rentals.
City Clerk Jamie Hubbell said it is a state violation to operate this type of rental without a license from the Minnesota Department of Health and that the state has cracked down on those violations in light of the pandemic. “They discovered that a lot of homes were not licensed,” Hubbell said. “Each active property has to be filed with the Minnesota Department of Health, and it’s an annual fee of $ 375. ”
Mayor Frie suggested increasing the interim user fee from $ 100 to $ 250. City attorney Damien Toven said if the City wanted to pass something more restrictive than the state ordinance, it can do so. “The state leaves it to local entities to regulate,” Toven noted.
The motion to increase the interim user fee to $ 250 was passed unanimously.
Isle Airport is about to go public
Don Dahlen, of the Isle Airport committee, addressed the board on the designation of the airport and whether it should remain private or go public. He said the airport has met all the requirements to become an airport for public use.
“At the moment, pilots must be with the Isle Airport Association and must call ahead to land,” said Dahlen. “It would go away. Also, the cards would remove the “R” for restricted, and it would be listed in the manual sent by the state. It must go through the Aeronautics and Aviation Division of the City and the MnDot. As far as we know, we have everything we need to do. And if there is anything else, we will find out through this process. ”
City attorney Damien Toven said the City should get in touch with the state to see what obligations will be placed on the City. Mayor Frie noted: “MnDOT said it could continue to operate as it is and be a public airport.”
Dahlen said: “The Field of Dreams in Hinckley is privately owned but a public airport, and you must have a public airport manager.”
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