Pell City residents attended Monday’s city council meeting to discuss the issue of short-term rentals. According to city zoning ordinances, short-term rentals, such as Airbnb and other vacation rentals, are not permitted except in certain circumstances that have been discussed with the city.
A resident asked council to change the zoning ordinances to be more permissive. Other residents also came to communicate the same request.
No action has been taken because the planning commission must study and make recommendations before anything can be voted on.
“I understand that short-term rentals are quite popular. In our town, we’ve had this stuff for a long time because of the lake and that’s why the zoning ordinance is the way it is,” said the City Manager Brian Muenger.
Muenger said on these rental websites, owners are generally suggested to check with their local counties and cities before they begin operating.
“We cannot guide people if we are not consulted. You can’t just start doing something and then ask people to do it right.
He said the majority of the concerns are that most residents who live here don’t want to live next to a single-family home that has been converted into a commercial-like space with different people every day.
“People buy houses because they have the right to enjoy their property quietly.”
According to Muenger, it’s a legitimate discussion to have, but people haven’t been actively communicating with the city about those concerns. This discourse is not due to an expired prescription, but rather to what the expectations of certain individuals are.
“The first thing I would like them to understand about this is for the city to recognize that this has become important over the years. We keep up to date with what other communities are doing and what issues they are having or not having,” Muenger said.
“Our first obligation is to protect our residents and ensure that they can enjoy their property peacefully.”
At present, no action is planned on this element to modify any of the regulations in force.
In other matters, the council approved the revision of the salary scale for city employees. Muenger said this action is crucial in recruiting and retaining employees. The new system will have “significantly higher” entry level salaries.
This is largely due to cost of living adjustments and rising inflation.
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