[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:04]
COMMISSIONERS AND, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING RIGHT BY TOURISM IN 2024.
UH, WITH THAT SAID, I WANTED TO CALL TO ORDER THIS MEETING
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
IN ADDITION TO WELCOMING ANY PUBLIC COMMENT WE MAY HAVE, UH, AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MEETING, WHICH I'M INFORMED IS IN FRONT OF ME.SO, VERY EXCITED TO HAVE SO MANY FOLKS IN ATTENDANCE.
UH, FIRST UP ON THE LIST, IF WE MAY HAVE, UH, LUIS BONNET OR VNET, UH, COME TO THE PODIUM PLEASE AND DELIVER YOUR COMMENTS PRETTY TALL.
YOU'LL HAVE, UH, I BELIEVE, THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
UH, MY NAME IS LUIS BONNET AND SINCE 2018, MY WIFE AND I HAVE OPERATED AN AIRBNB GUEST HOUSE, BASICALLY AN A DU THAT WE HAVE BEHIND OUR HOUSE, MAIN HOUSE.
AND OUR PROPERTY IS LOCATED ON DISTRICT NINE, AND THE ZIP CODE IS 7 8 7 5 1.
WE LIVE ON PROPERTY AND HAVE HOMESTEAD ASCENSION.
WE'RE FULLY COMPLIANT WITH AUSTIN STR ORIGINS AND HAVE PAID FOR PERMITS AND HOSPITALITY TAX EVERY SINGLE TIME THEY'RE DUE AS A FULLY COMPLIANT STR OPERATOR.
WE'RE VERY FRUSTRATED WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, LACK OF PRIORITIZATION, ENFORCEMENT OF THE STR ORDINANCES.
BACK IN 2022, I WROTE TO MRS. TOVO ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
AND IN 2023 TO MR. CADRE, AND BOTH WITH NO RESPONSE, I HAVE REPORTED NUMEROUS NON PERMITS OPERATOR, AND SADLY, THEY'RE STILL OPERATING WITHOUT MUCH CONSEQUENCE.
MULTIPLE ARTICLES HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED STATING THAT IN AUSTIN, ONLY 10% OF THE SDR OPERATORS HAVE A PERMIT.
IT IS MY SPECULATION THAT IF NON-COMPLIANT SDR DO NOT BOTHER TO GET A PERMIT, THEY'LL ALSO NEVER PAY FOR HOSPITALITY TAXES.
THIS IS A HUGE GAP IN REVENUE FOR THE STATE OF AUSTIN AND WONDER WHY THE COUNCIL IS NOT ADDRESSING IT MORE FORCEFULLY.
I ALSO ANTICIPATE THAT THE NONCOMPLIANT OPERATORS ARE YOUR T CHILD THAT OVER CROPS THEIR PROPERTY WITH EXCESSIVE GUESTS AND CAUSES PROBLEM WITH NEIGHBORS, AND THEY BUY DISRUPT IN THE, THE COMMUNITY DATA FROM AIR DNA SHOWS THAT IN TWO YEARS, THE NUMBER OF SDR LISTING IN 7 8 7 5 1 HAD GROWN FROM TWO 50 TO 3 75, BASICALLY A 50% INCREASE.
AIR DNA ALSO REPORTS THAT TOTAL REVENUE FOR SDRS IN 2023 FOR THE SAME ZIP CODE IS ABOUT $14 MILLION, WHICH TRANSLATES TO A WHILE, 1.5 IN TAXES, MOST OF WHICH IS NOT COLLECTED.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN DATABASE SHOWS THAT OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS THERE HAVE BEEN AN AVERAGE OF 76 PERMIT HOLDERS IN THIS ZIP CODE, WHICH MEANS THAT THERE'S ABOUT 300 NON-COMPLIANT OPERATORS JUST ON THAT ZIP CODE.
THAT'S ABOUT A TWO THIRD NON-COMPLIANCE.
AND THE NUMBERS CREATE GROWING BECAUSE THE LATEST NUMBER IS 4 21 INSTEAD OF 3 75.
SO THE NUMBER OF PERMITS IN THAT ZIP CODE BASED ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS BASICALLY HAS STAYED RELATIVELY FLAT.
THAT TRANSLATES TO ME THAT ANY NEW SDR OPERATOR IS A NON-PERMANENT, NON-COMPLIANT OPERATOR.
FROM OUR VIEW, NON-COMPLIANT OPERATOR WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE AND VIOLATE THE ORDINANCE AS THEY ARE NO SIGNIFICANT CONSEQUENCES.
I TO THIS DAY HAVE TO SEE THE ORDINANCE STATE WHAT ARE REALLY THE PENALTIES THAT WILL BE INCURRED FOR BEING NONCOMPLIANT.
I HAVE BEEN ASKING IF THE ORDINANCES ALLOW FOR BACK CHARGING NONCOMPLIANT OPERATORS FOR PERMITS AND TAXES ARE NOT PAID.
THIS INNOVATION HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS.
NM AMAZED THAT WE'RE STILL NOT ADDRESSING IT IN A MORE AGGRESSIVE WAY.
IN SUMMARY, IT SEEMS UNREASONABLE FOR STR OPERATORS LICENSE OPERATORS TO PAY FOR A PERMIT, PAY HOSPITALITY TAXES WHILE A COMPETITION GETS BY AND NOT BE PENALIZED OR EVEN SHUT DOWN MY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CITY TO EITHER ENFORCE THE ORDINANCE OR ELIMINATE IT ALL TOGETHER.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, NEXT UP TO THE, THE PODIUM WE HAVE VICTORIA GARMENTS.
I'M SORRY, SHE'S ILL AND SHE WON'T BE COMING.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING US KNOW.
UM, FOR THE RECORD, UH, VICTORIA GARMENT IS, UH, ILL AND NOT ABLE TO SPEAK TODAY IN PUBLIC COMMENT.
[00:05:06]
HI.LET THE, UH, RECORD REFLECT THAT COMMISSIONER CHANIN HAS JOINED THE DIOCESE.
COULD YOU PULL THE MIC CLOSER TO YOU PLEASE? SO WE CAN, SORRY.
IS THAT BETTER? YEAH, THAT'S OKAY.
I MOVED TO AUSTIN IN 1997 AND, UM, I LIVE AND OWN IN MY HOME IN, UH, DISTRICT ONE SINCE 2013.
UM, NEXT DOOR TO ME IS A SHORT-TERM RENTAL THAT IS OWNED AND OPERATED BY HEIRLOOM, WHICH I THINK YOU'RE GONNA HEAR SOME OTHER PEOPLE DISCUSS.
BUT THIS IS ESSENTIALLY, UM, A REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT FUND THAT OWNS HOMES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY THAT ARE OPERATED AS SHORT TERM RENTALS.
UM, MY PROPERTY AND THE ONES SURROUNDING IT ARE ZONED SF THREE.
SO THERE ARE TWO HOUSES ON EVERY LOT ESSENTIALLY, UM, INCLUDING THE SHORT TERM RENTAL NEXT TO ME.
AND MY HOUSE, OF COURSE, IS JUST LIKE A THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT BUN ON A LOT.
SO,
BUT, UM, THERE'S REALLY MORE EGREGIOUS BAD BEHAVIOR.
LIKE I'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, UNATTENDED LIKE SIX TO EIGHT UNATTENDED KIDS.
THERE'S A BALCONY ON THE THIRD STORY NEXT DOOR TO ME WHERE THEY'RE SHOOTING SKITTLES AT ME AND MY DISABLED CAT FROM AN AIRSOFT GUN.
UM, THEY HAVE GRILLS JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE FOR ME, AND I CAN SEE WHERE, UH, ONE OF MY LANDSCAPING TREES CAUGHT ON FIRE AT SOME POINT FROM THE GRILL THAT THEY HAVE.
SO THERE'S REALLY A LOT OF NEGLIGENCE THAT GOES ON.
BUT, UM, I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT REALLY THE LARGER IMPLICATIONS OF TURNING OUR RENTAL AND OTHER HOUSING INTO WHAT ESSENTIALLY OPERATE AS HOTELS.
UM, BECAUSE WE'RE TAKING OUR HOUSING OFF OF THE RENTAL MARKET AND OFF OF THE SELL, YOU KNOW, THE MLS, THE SALES MARKET THAT'S BEING PURCHASED BY REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT FUNDS AND OPERATED AS A HOTEL.
UM, AND SO OBVIOUSLY IT'S CREATING COMPETITION.
UM, IT'S RAISING THE COST TO RENT.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT ONE OF THE INTERESTED PARTIES OR SOME OF THE INTERESTED PARTIES AND THE HOT TAX THAT'S NOT BEING COLLECTED IS THE ARTS AND MUSIC, UH, COMMISSIONS.
UM, AND THEY'RE ONE OF THE PEOPLES, ONE OF THE GROUPS THAT WANT TO COLLECT THAT TEXT.
BUT IF YOU'RE REALLY INTERESTED IN, YOU KNOW, THE LIVELIHOODS OF ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS, YOU NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY.
UM, SO, UM, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA GET AN ARTICLE FROM STEPHANIE THAT CAME FROM TEXAS MONTHLY, WHICH YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY SEEN, UM, A FEW MONTHS AGO.
I HAD READ IT BACK THEN, BUT THEY HAD A STATISTIC THAT IN 7 8 7 0 2, WHICH IS NOT EVEN MY ZIP CODE, I'M IN DISTRICT ONE, I'M IN 7 8, 7 2 1, THAT THERE WERE 13,000 AT THE TIME OF PUBLICATION, 13,000 AIRBNB LISTINGS AND ONLY 270 LONG-TERM HOUSING UNITS FOR RENT.
UM, FINISH YOUR SENTENCE PLEASE.
UM, SO I HAD A LOT MORE TO SAY, BUT ESSENTIALLY WHAT I LIKE TO SAY IS, I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO BAN SHORT-TERM RENTALS AND ALL HOUSING, WHETHER IT'S SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING, MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING, APARTMENT HOUSING IS ONE OF OUR SUPPOSED TO BE OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, AND PRIORITIZE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK IN THE CITY OVER TOURISTS.
UH, MOVING ON IN OUR PUBLIC COMMENT, WE HAVE PRO, UH, LUMEN.
AND IF I'M MESSING UP ANYONE'S NAME, PLEASE STATE IT FOR THE RECORD SO WE HAVE THAT CORRECT FOR THE, FOR THE MINUTES.
IT'S A TOUGH ONE FOR A LOT PEOPLE.
I LEARNED HOW TO PRONOUNCE IT A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
I, I LIVE ON A SHORT LHA STREET CONNECTING TWO SIDE STREETS.
WE HAD VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC UNTIL THE RECENT ADVENT OF STR.
WE RECENTLY COUNTED 215 PEOPLE IN ONE MONTH AT THE STR TWO DOORS DOWN.
TYPICAL STAY INCLUDES TWO TO FOUR OR MORE CARS EACH DAY THAT MAKE FREQUENT TRIPS AROUND THE CLOCK IN OUR STREET.
54 PEOPLE A WEEK IN A 1500 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE.
THAT SAME HOUSE HAS TWO CITY RECYCLING BINS, ONE COMPOST BIN, AND ONE LARGE TRASH CAN.
THEY FILL UP ALL FOUR OF THOSE WITH TRASH EVERY WEEK.
[00:10:01]
DRIVERS OR THE CITY, UM, RESOURCE.THEY SAID WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO PICK THOSE UP, BUT WE DO.
THEY'RE NOT JUST GONNA LEAVE TRASH LAYING AROUND ON THE STREET.
THE, THE AUSTIN UNIVERSAL RECYCLING ORDINANCE REQUIRES COMMERCIAL BUSINESS OWNERS TO FILL OUT A RECYCLING PLAN EACH YEAR.
VIOLATIONS BEING A CLASS C MISDEMEANOR PUNISHABLE VA FINES OF $2,000 A DAY PER OFFENSE.
WHICH BRINGS ME TO THE COMMERCIAL USE.
BOTH THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN DEFINE SHORT-TERM RENTALS AS COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS AND OR HOTELS.
THE STATE OF TEXAS 6% HOT APPLIES NOT ONLY TO HOTELS AND MOTELS, BUT ALSO TO BED AND BREAKFAST CONDOMINIUM, APARTMENTS AND HOUSES.
AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN, 11% HOT APPLIES TO EVERY PERSON OWNING, OPERATING, MANAGING, OR CONTROLLING ANY HOTEL OR COLLECTING PAYMENT FOR OCCUPANCY.
AND THE HOT SPECIFIES ST EXPLICITLY IN THE LANGUAGE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE DEFINES AN STR AS A COMMERCIAL LODGING ESTABLISHMENT.
THE AUSTIN ZONING GUIDE INCLUDES HOTEL, MOTEL AND COMMERCIAL USAGE IN THE CITY.
CODE AND S ARE HOTELS ACCORDING TO THE HOT CODE.
SO SDRS, THEREFORE ARE BY DI BY DEFINITION.
COMMERCIAL HOTELS AND MOTELS AND SUCH HAVE NO PLACE IN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS.
I'VE COUNTED 24 HOTELS WITHIN ONE MILE OF THE Q2 SOCCER STADIUM, WHICH IS, I LIVE A MILE AWAY.
THE CITY WANTS TO RIGHTLY CAPTURE ALL THE HOT THAT'S DULY OWED.
YOU CAN COLLECT HOT FROM HOTELS, COLLECTING HOT AND RECYCLING FINES FROM 15,000, WHAT IS IT? 419 STR IN AUSTIN IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE AND ENFORCEMENT NIGHTMARE.
AS LUIS SAID, ACCORDING TO THIS, IS THE FACT THAT ADDING TO THIS IS THE FACT THAT BOTH LICENSED ST TYPE ONE THAT I CAN SEE FROM MY FRONT PORCH ARE OWNED BY OUT OF TOWN INVESTORS WHO NONETHELESS HAVE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS ON THEIR SDRS, AVOIDING PROPERTY TAXES AS WELL.
TOURISM BELONGS IN HOTELS, NOT HOUSES.
UM, LAST UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
MY NAME IS PATTY AARONS AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE STRS AND UH, POINT BLANK, HOW THEY'RE JUST RUINING NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND, UM, MY CONCERN IS IT'S MY HOME, YOU KNOW, AND YOU HAVE A FEELING FOR YOUR HOME.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE, I HAVE THREE STR RIGHT ON MY STREET.
I LIVE ON A LITTLE STREET ALSO, BUT IT'S A VERY CURVY STREET ON BULLOCK HOLLOW ROAD.
AND THESE SDRS NOW HAVE TAKEN OVER MY NEIGHBORHOOD, THEREFORE MY HOME.
AND THEY ARE, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HOME AND A RENTAL PROPERTY.
AND SO IT'S ALMOST A POINT TO HOW THEY TAKE CARE OF THE RENTAL PROPERTIES TOO, BECAUSE IT'S NOT THEIR HOME.
UM, MY MAIN CONCERNS, I'M HAVING TO CONSTANTLY KEEP UP WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE RENTING FOR MORE PEOPLE THAN ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THERE, WHICH, LIKE WE'VE SAID BEFORE TOO, IS MORE VEHICLES, MORE TRAFFIC.
I HAVE 'EM COMING ON MY PROPERTY TO EVEN TO URINATE, UM, TO THROW UP, YOU KNOW, AND JUST DISRESPECT OF MY OWN PROPERTY AND THE NOISE THAT THEY MAKE AT NIGHT, YOU KNOW, AND I'M ALWAYS HAVING TO GO IN ON A THREE ONE ONE AND CALL IT IN.
SO IT, IT'S, IT'S ANXIETY AND STRESS ON ME TOO, HAVING TO CONSTANTLY KEEP UP WITH IT.
AND I CALL THE CODE DEPARTMENT.
I HAVE MY INSPECTOR, MY INVESTIGATOR THAT COMES OUT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CODE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO HE KNOWS 'EM ALL REAL WELL TOO.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S HIS TIME TOO THAT HE'S HAVING TO GO CONSTANTLY OUT THERE TO FOLLOW UP ON THEM.
AND SOME OF THESE, LIKE, PARTICULARLY THIS ONE RENTAL PROPERTY, SDR, HE KNOWS THE PROCEDURE.
HE KNOWS THAT THE INVESTIGATOR HAS TO FOLLOW THESE RULES AND THE PROCEDURES TO GO AND THEY UNDERSTAND IT.
THEY'LL SAY, OKAY, I'LL VOLUNTARY COMPLY.
WELL, THEY HAVE TO CLOSE THE CASE.
I HAVE TO OPEN UP ANOTHER ONE BECAUSE THEY DON'T.
AND SO IT'S JUST A CONSTANT THING.
AND THEN IT GETS TO THE POINT, WELL, THEY GET CITED, THEY GET THE NOV, THEY'RE FINE, THEY'LL PAY THE FINE 'CAUSE IT'S NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT THEY'RE GETTING ON THE RENT.
AND THEN WE HAVE ISSUE TOO WITH THE TRASH, UM, BECAUSE HERE AGAIN, IT'S MULTIPLE TRASH CANS FOR RECYCLE AND FOR TRASH, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE STANDING THERE, THEY DON'T KNOW IT.
EVEN THE PEOPLE THAT COME TO CLEAN IT AND THEY LEAVE IT OUT ON THE STREET, THEY DON'T PUT IT BACK IN.
LIKE I SAID, I LIVE ON A VERY CURVY ROAD.
I'VE ALREADY HAD TO CALL IN TWO TIMES THIS PAST FALL OF SOMEONE HITTING THE TRASH CANS AS THEY'RE DRIVING DOWN THE CURVY ROAD.
WELL, TO THE POINT WHERE IT EVEN THE
[00:15:01]
WHEEL BROKE OFF THE TRASH CAN AND THE LID BROKE OFF AND TRASH IS GOING EVERYWHERE AND IT'S ALL OVER THE PLACE AND IT LOOKS TRASHY.SO IT'S JUST VERY HARD TO TO DEAL WITH.
AND THEN THEY DON'T WANNA COME OUT AND CLEAN IT UP.
AND I HAVE TO KEEP SUBMITTING A 3 1 1 REQUEST TO HAVE SOMEONE GET ON IT.
AND FINALLY WHEN THEY GOT AHOLD OF THE OWNER, THE OWNER'S LIKE, IT'S JUST TOO MUCH TROUBLE TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY OUT THERE AND BRING THE TRASH CAN IN, YOU KNOW, HERE AGAIN, BUSINESS VERSUS YOUR HOME.
UM, WELL, AND BACK TO THIS PARTICULAR ONE TOO.
HE HAS NOW LEARNED HOW TO CIRCUMVENT THINGS TOO.
SO INSTEAD OF, WELL, WE'RE ADVERTISING ON VRBO.
HE CREATED HIS OWN AUSTIN VACAY.COM AND IT EVEN SAYS, AVOID THE FEES FROM VRBO AND AIRBNB AND WHATEVER, AND JUST DIRECT BOOK IT WITH ME.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY THOSE EXTRA FEES.
SO THEY KNOW HOW TO CIRCUMVENT THE ISSUES TOO.
ANOTHER OWNER, UM, HE FINALLY GOT HIS PERMIT LAST MARCH OF 2023, UM, BECAUSE HE WAS ABLE TO, UM, SUBMIT HERE AGAIN, CODE DEPARTMENT HAS TO FOLLOW THEIR PROCEDURES.
HE DOESN'T LIVE IN TEXAS, HE LIVES IN WASHINGTON, THE STATE OF WASHINGTON.
AND YOU GO OUT AND LOOK ON HIS PROPERTY TAXES, IT SHOWS THE ADDRESS OUT THERE, STATE OF WASHINGTON.
AND HE'S ALSO GETTING A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
SO IT'S JUST MY FRUSTRATION WITH ALL THIS THAT'S GOING ON.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, UHHUH,
UM, WITH THAT LAST COMMENTER, WE NOW CONCLUDE THE PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, PORTION OF THE MEETING.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
WE NOW MOVE ON TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM NOVEMBER 8TH, 2023, THE LAST MEETING OF 2023 FOR THE TOURISM COMMISSION.DO I HAVE A PROPOSAL TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? UH, COMMISSIONER CHANIN, I MOVED.
SO MOVED BY COMMISSIONER CHANIN.
IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER POSI.
SO, SECONDS DISCUSSION, ANY EDITS? ADDITIONS, CORRECTIONS, HEARING NONE.
UH, WE MOVE FOR A VOTE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
MOVING TO, UH, DISCUSSION ITEM
[2. Presentation by Stephanie Ashworth with the Texas Neighborhood Coalition regarding neighborhood concerns on short-term rentals (STRs)]
NUMBER TWO.WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY STEPHANIE ASHWORTH WITH THE TEXAS NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION REGARDING NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, TOPICS, UH, AND CONCERNS REGARDING SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
WELCOME MS. ASHWORTH FOR HAVING ME.
IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I'VE BEEN STANDING HERE
JUST FOR, UM, THE GOOD OF THE ORDER.
WE BUDGETED ABOUT 20 MINUTES FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, ABOUT 10 MINUTES IN QUESTIONS.
WELL, MY NAME IS STEPHANIE ASHWORTH.
I'M WITH THE TEXAS NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION, BUT I'M ALSO A RESIDENT OF AUSTIN LIVING IN DISTRICT 10.
AND, UM, THROUGH NO FAULT OF MY OWN, GOT INVOLVED IN THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL ISSUES.
IN 2013 WHEN ONE OF THESE HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE SHORT-TERM RENTAL HOTELS OPENED UP IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I, I HAVE TO CHIME IN WITH EVERYONE ELSE, IT REALLY DESTROYED OUR PEACEFUL ENJOYMENT OF OUR HOMES.
IT CREATED AN UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR CHILDREN.
SO HOW DO WE DO THAT? SO WE STARTED INVESTIGATING, HAD THE SHOCK OF OUR LIVES WHEN WE FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS LEGAL, THAT THE YEAR BEFORE IN THE SUMMER OF 2012, THE AT LARGE CITY COUNCIL THAT WE HAD PRIOR TO TEN ONE VOTED, ONE HOT SUMMER NIGHT, REALLY LATE, UM, TO ALLOW THESE ENTITIES THAT PROVIDE TRANSIENT LODGING FOR A FEE IN RESIDENTIAL ZONES.
SO, OKAY, WELL, OKAY, WE DON'T WANT IT.
SO HOW DO WE FIX IT? WE CHANGE THE LAW.
SO WE GOT ORGANIZED, WE HAD REPRESENTATION FROM ALL 10 DISTRICTS.
AND TO MAKE A VERY, VERY LONG STORY SHORT, IN FEBRUARY OF 16, WE GOT THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE AMENDED TO DISALLOW THE NON-OWNER OCCUPIED SHORT-TERM RENTALS IN RESIDENTIAL ZONES.
NO
AND SO EASY PEASY FOR ME TO GO DOWN AND TELL EVERYBODY HOW AWFUL IT WAS.
'CAUSE IT WAS, AND BILL FAILED.
AND I'VE BEEN THERE EVER SINCE.
SO BETWEEN THE 2017 SESSION AND THE 2019 SESSION, TWO SUPER
[00:20:01]
SMART LAWYERS, ONE SUPER DUPER SMART TECH GUY AND ME CO-FOUNDED THE TEXAS NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION.AND OUR GOAL IS TO PREVENT PREEMPTION AT THE STATE LEVEL.
BUT WHEN WE'RE NOT DOWN AT THE CAP FIGHTING OFF PREEMPTION, WE ARE HELPING RESIDENTS FROM ALL OVER TEXAS, ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES AND SOME A LITTLE BIT, TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE INTERNATIONALLY BECAUSE THE RESISTANCE, THE PUSHBACK ON THIS IS HUGE.
AND TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THAT, THE TEXAS NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION STARTED OUT WITH THE FOUR OF US, THE MEMBERS IN OUR THREE CITIES, AND NOW WE HAVE 21 CHAPTERS, EACH ONE REPRESENTING A CITY IN TEXAS, DALLAS, FORT WORTH, CEDAR PARK, I CAN'T NAME 'EM ALL, BUT YOU CAN LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE, TEXAS NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION.COM.
AND NOW WE HAVE 21 CHAPTERS, THOUSANDS OF MEMBERS, AND WE ARE A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH AT THE LEGISLATURE.
SO I'M TELLING YOU ALL THIS, NOT, YOU KNOW, TO BORE YOU WITH MY LIFE STORY, BUT TO LET YOU KNOW WHERE I GOT MY EXPERTISE ON THIS MATTER.
SO I KNOW YOUR GOAL IS SOLUTIONS TO RECOMMEND TO CITY COUNCIL ON HOW TO GET CONTROL OF THIS BECAUSE IT'S CLEARLY OUT OF CONTROL.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE FIRST PAGE THAT I GAVE YOU THAT IS INSIDE AIRBNB DATA.
AND MURRAY COX IS AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED EXPERT ON THIS.
HE'S BEEN HIRED BY THE EU AND I KNOW HIM BECAUSE HE WAS HERE IN AUSTIN IN 15 AND 16 WHEN WE WERE FIGHTING TO GET OUR NEIGHBORHOODS BACK.
AND HE GAVE US THE DATA WE NEEDED TO REFUTE THE CLAIMS FROM THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL INDUSTRY.
SO WE'VE GOT 15,419 LISTINGS ON AIRBNB ALONE VERSUS LAST THURSDAY WE HAD 2,257 LICENSED SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
YOU KNOW, SO CLEARLY THEY'RE RUNNING, I WOULD CALL IT A CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE, BUT CLEARLY THEY'RE OPERATING ILLEGALLY IN OUR TOWN.
THE, I CAN'T DO MATH IN MY HEAD, BUT I DON'T KNOW 95% OF THEM.
SO THE WAY TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM IS TO IMPLEMENT PLATFORM ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND PLATFORM ACCOUNTABILITY HAS THREE CRITICAL COMPONENTS.
THE FIRST ONE IS TO MAKE IT ILLEGAL FOR THE PLATFORMS, NOT THE OPERATORS AND THE OWNERS, BUT THE PLATFORMS TO PROFIT FROM ILLEGAL TRANSACTIONS.
NOW, THIS WAS THE FIRST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES THAT THIS WAS INSTITUTED IN, WAS SAN FRANCISCO.
AND OF COURSE AIRBNB USED THEIR CORPORATE PRIVILEGE, THEIR MONEY AND THEIR LAWYERS, AND THEY SUED THE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO, COST OF TAXPAYERS, BUT THEY LOST, IT WENT ALL THE WAY UP TO THE EIGHTH, EIGHTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS FEDERAL LEVEL.
THEY LOST, THEY AGREED TO COMPLY.
AND LISTINGS IN SAN FRANCISCO DROPPED BY 70%.
SO WE'RE NEVER GONNA GET THERE WITH THAT KIND OF ENFORCEMENT GOING ONE BY ONE WITH 15,000 LISTINGS.
I MEAN, I'LL BE DEAD BEFORE ANY OF IT HAPPENS.
SO I THINK, UM, I HEAR THE PHRASE SO OFTEN, IT'S JUST A FEW BAD ACTORS, YOU KNOW, USE YOUR NOISE ORDINANCES TO GET CONTROL OF THEM.
IF WE HAVE 15,419 LISTINGS ON AIRBNB, AND THEY'RE OVER 13,000 OF THEM ARE OPERATING ILLEGALLY, WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF BAD ACTORS.
NOT TO MENTION THE IRRESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR THAT IS FOISTED ON US IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE WE LIVE AND MAKE OUR HOMES.
SO I KNOW WE HAVE SOME ISSUES WITH COURT CASES, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A MINUTE, BUT WE, WE GOTTA GET CONTROL OF THIS BECAUSE IT IS GONNA DESTROY OUR TOWN IF WE DON'T.
SO THE SECOND COMPONENT OF PLATFORM ACCOUNTABILITY IS REQUIRE THE PLATFORMS TO COLLECT THE HOTEL, HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
AND THERE'S NO REASON WHY THEY, I MEAN, WHY, WHY DON'T THEY, THE MARRIOTT HAS TO COLLECT IT.
LITTLE BMBS HAVE TO COLLECT IT, THEY JUST HAVE TO DO IT.
UM, THE THIRD COMPONENT IS REQUIRE THE PLATFORMS TO GIVE US THE INFORMATION WE NEED FOR ENFORCEMENT.
THEY, UM, HAVE HISTORICALLY WANTED TO GIVE US ANONYMIZED AGGREGATE DATA, WHICH IS WHY THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS NEVER ENTERED INTO A VOLUNTARY COLLECTION AGREEMENT WITH AIRBNB BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANNA GIVE US THE INFORMATION WE NEED.
THEY WANNA GIVE US THAT ANONYMIZED AGGREGATE DATA, AND THEY DON'T WANNA PAY THE BACK TAXES THEY OWE, WHICH WOULD BE SUBSTANTIAL.
NOW, I DO, I DO WANNA SAY SOMETHING HERE THAT INDIVIDUAL OPERATORS SHOULD BE PAYING THE HOT TAX NOW, BUT THE DISREGARD FOR OUR LAWS IS, IS BLATANT ARROGANT, ACTUALLY.
SO WE NEED TO REQUIRE THEM TO GIVE US THE DATA.
WE NEED THE ADDRESSES OF THE SHORT-TERM RENTALS, WHO OWNS THEM, WHO'S OPERATING 'EM, UH, HOW MANY NIGHTS THEY OPERATED, HOW MUCH MONEY THEY MADE FOR TAX PURPOSE AUDITING TAX.
OKAY, I'M AN OLD WOMAN, GIMME A MINUTE.
TAX AUDITING PURPOSES, OKAY? SO, AND TO REQUIRE THEM TO KEEP THAT DATA FOR WHATEVER IS COMMON IN THE TAX AUDITING WORLD, THAT IF I THINK MAYBE I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT, BUT SAY THREE YEARS.
[00:25:01]
THE BOOKS ON 2023 AND WE WANNA AUDIT, YOU KNOW, 2022, AND THEY SAY, OH, SORRY, WE DELETED THAT LAST WEEK.SO WE NEED, WE NEED TO REQUIRE THEM TO GIVE US THE DATA WE NEED AND THEY REQUIRE THEM TO KEEP IT FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME AND PUT THE ONUS BACK ON THEM.
I MEAN, THEY, THEY HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AS A, A HUGE MULTIMILLION DOLLAR, MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY, AND THEY HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO, TO TREAT OUR CITIZENS AND OUR CITY WITH RESPECT.
AND TO OPERATE HERE LEGALLY IS JUST, THIS IS JUST NONSENSE.
UM, THE SECOND THING THAT WE NEED IS ADEQUATE SOFTWARE.
WE'RE A TECH HUB AND WE ARE DOING THIS CAVEMAN STYLE ONE BY ONE.
I DO KNOW THAT CODE ENFORCEMENT BOUGHT A TESTER PROGRAM.
UH, THEY SPENT ABOUT $75,000 ON IT.
IT DIDN'T GIVE THEM THE INFORMATION THEY NEEDED.
LIKE IT GAVE THEM THE ADDRESS OF AN APARTMENT BUILDING, BUT NOT THE APARTMENT NUMBER.
BUT WE, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT.
I MEAN, THAT'S JUST ESSENTIAL.
AND IT'S, I'M NOT A TECH PERSON.
I'M, YOU KNOW, JUST AN OLD LADY WAITING TO BE A GRANDMA.
BUT THERE'S GOTTA BE SOMEBODY WHO CAN EVALUATE THIS STUFF AND TALK TO CODE AND TALK TO OUR LAW DEPARTMENT AND SAY, OKAY, YOU GUYS, WE NEED TO GO IN.
IT'S GONNA COST SOME MONEY AND WE NEED TO HAVE IMPLEMENTATION TOO.
WE NEED STAFF FROM THE COMPANY.
WE NEED TO BUY A, A GOOD PROGRAM IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.
AND, AND TAKING A LONG TIME TO GET THERE.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S EVERYTHING THAT I WANTED TO SAY.
I AM VERY HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THIS ISSUE IN AUSTIN COURT CASES, WHAT'S GOING ON IN LEGISLATURE? THERE HAS BEEN NO STATE PREEMPTION.
THE DEATH STAR BILL DOES NOT APPLY TO SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
ANY, ANY, ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NOPE.
SO I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HEARING, I KNOW YOU'RE NOT A LAWYER, BUT THE LEGAL ANALYSIS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT PREVENTS THIS, WHAT, IF ANYTHING, WOULD PREVENT THE CITY FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN THAT YOU JUST KIND OF OUTLINED? THE PLATFORM ACCOUNTABILITY.
NOTHING EXCEPT THE WILL TO DO IT.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A GREAT FEAR OF LAWSUITS AND THEY DID SUE SAN FRANCISCO AIR, AND I'M SPEAKING ABOUT AIRBNB.
RIGHT, I UNDERSTAND THEY DID SUE SAN FRANCISCO.
THAT'S, I KNOW, IT JUST SLIPPED MY MIND.
I'M PRETTY SURE BOSTON IS THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS, BUT IT WENT ALL THE WAY UP TO THE FEDERAL LEVEL THERE TOO.
AND THEY LOST, AND BOSTON LISTINGS DROPPED BY, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T WANNA QUOTE ANY NUMBERS, BUT IT'S, UM, WE COULD DO IT, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE COUNCIL BUY INTO IT.
WHAT, WHAT CITIES HAVE IMPLEMENTED PLATFORM ACCOUNTABILITY OTHER IN BOSTON AND SAN FRANCISCO.
UH, SAN FRANCISCO, SANTA MONICA, DENVER, BOSTON, DC NEW YORK CITY JUST IMPLEMENTED IN JANUARY OF 2023.
I KNOW THERE'S MORE, AND I CAN'T THINK OF 'EM OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT IF, IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED IN THIS, WE HAVE TWO, LIKE I SAID, OUR LAWYERS AND, AND WE'RE ALL VOLUNTEERS.
WE DON'T WORK FOR THE HOTEL INDUSTRY.
I DON'T GET A BIG CHECK FROM MARRIOTT.
I'M A, YOU KNOW, I WAS A NURSE AND THEN I WAS A STAY AT HOME MOM.
AND I DO ALL THIS AS A VOLUNTEER, BUT IF ANYBODY HERE IS INTERESTED IN THAT AND HOW THE, IT ACTUALLY WORKS.
I THINK THE SECOND PIECE OF PAPER I GAVE YOU HAS SOME CRIB NOTES ON WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE WITH PLATFORM ACCOUNTABILITY IN, IN THE SMALLEST FONT POSSIBLE.
I DON'T KNOW WHY IT WOULDN'T ENLARGE, BUT IF YOU WANNA TALK TO HIM, IF YOU WANNA HAVE A ZOOM WITH THEM, I CAN DEFINITELY ARRANGE THAT AND MAYBE GET CITY LEGAL ON IT, BECAUSE THAT SEEMS TO BE A REAL HANGUP FOR ALL OF US IS WAITING, WE'VE BEEN WAITING SINCE LAST DECEMBER FOR CITY LEGAL TO COME UP WITH SOME WHAT PLATFORM ACCOUNTABILITY THAT THEY THINK WOULD WORK FOR US.
AND WHAT'S THE, I DON'T KNOW, THIS WOULD BE MY LAST QUESTION.
WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE, THE CITY LEGAL EXCUSE THAT'S TAKING THEM SO LONG TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT? DO, DO YOU KNOW? I'M JUST ASKING.
I, I, I PERSONALLY, WELL, SPEAKING AS A RESIDENT OF AUSTIN, NOT AS A TNC REPRESENTATIVE, WE NEED TO HIRE SOME OUTSIDE COUNSEL BECAUSE THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS HAD MISSTEP EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE KIND OF IN, UH, NOT A VERY GOOD POSITION.
UM, BE WITH THE FIFTH CIRCUIT RULING OUT OF NEW ORLEANS, AND I'LL EXPLAIN THAT IF ANYBODY'S NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
SO WE, WE NEED SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND I THINK OUTSIDE COUNSEL WITH EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA AND SOMEBODY WHO HAS APPELLATE COURT, YOU KNOW, WHO'S GONE TO LITIGATE AND KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO REPRESENT OUR INTERESTS AND TELL US WHAT'S WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO.
BECAUSE WHAT WE GET FROM CITY LEGAL IN MY OPINION IS NO, WE CAN'T DO THAT.
BUT THEY DON'T COME UP WITH, OKAY, HERE'S WHAT WE CAN DO.
YOU KNOW, WE THINK WE COULD DO THIS US.
[00:30:01]
COMMISSIONER SHANNON.I, I SEE YOUR HAND, COMMISSIONER REEDY, BUT WE DID HAVE SOME HANDS ON THE DIA, UH, PREVIOUS COMMISSIONER SHAPEY.
UH, SO I, I JUST WANNA NOTE THAT SHORT TERM RENTAL REFORM IS ON THE DOCKET FOR THIS YEAR.
UM, COUNSEL IN, UH, DEC, THEIR DECEMBER 7TH MEETING PASSED RESOLUTION, UH, DIRECT, DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF TO DO SO THIS YEAR.
UM, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, ONE OF THE BIGGEST BARRIERS TO THAT IS THE, UH, THE LEGAL PROCESS AND, UH, CITY LEGAL.
UM, BUT I, I'M, I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH YOU.
SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE IN ITS CURRENT STATE, DEFINITELY OUTTA CONTROL.
UH, DALLAS, UH, IS UNDER FIRE FOR THE, UH, FROM THE STATE FOR THEIR STRICT STR REFORMS PAST THIS YEAR.
UM, NO, IT'S NOT FROM THE STATE, IT'S FROM THE STR OPERATORS.
UH, AND THIS IS A COMPLICATED MATTER, UM, THAT THE STATE, STATE IS ACTIVELY PLAYING A HAND IN, NOT WITH THE DEATH STAR BILL, BUT WITH COURT DECISIONS.
UH, THERE ARE COURT DECISIONS WHICH DANIEL WARD AND CITY LEGAL ARE WORKING IN THE CONFINES OF.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLICATED THAN CITY JUST DOES SOMETHING.
SO I, I, I JUST, I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT NOTE.
UH, NOW, UH, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU.
IT'S, UH, THE CURRENT STATE IS A NEIGHBORHOOD NUISANCE, UH, PARTY HOUSES, UH, BUT IT'S ALSO 25 TO $50 MILLION IN HOTEL, UH, TAX REVENUE, UH, EVERY YEAR THAT THE CITY'S MISSING OUT ON.
UM, SO I, I GUESS MY QUESTION FOR YOU WOULD BE, WHAT OUTCOMES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN FOR, UH, ESPECIALLY LIKE INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS, UM, WHICH, UM, IS SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A SOLUTION FOR AT THE MOMENT.
UM, WHAT ESCALATION PROCESS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE, UH, FOR ENFORCEMENT? UM, 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S COMPLETELY DYSFUNCTIONAL.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE WORKING WITHIN THE CONFINES OF WHAT THE CURRENT REGULATIONS ARE.
UM, BUT IT DEFINITELY DOESN'T SCALE TO 10,000 PLUS LISTINGS WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
SO AGAIN, WHAT OUTCOMES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE FOR INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS AND THEN WELL ENFORCEMENT? OKAY, IN MY DREAM WORLD, I WOULD LIKE TO GET ST OUT OF RESIDENTIAL ZONES, UM, BECAUSE OF THE HIAL STARK RULING OUT OF THE FIFTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS, WE ARE IN A BI, WE'RE IN A BIT OF A BIND THERE.
THE LAWYERS AT THE TEXAS NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION FEEL BECAUSE OF THE ZARI CASE THAT HAPPENED AFTER WE GOT THE ORDINANCE AMENDED THAT WE MAY BE STUCK WITH ONE, WHICH MEANS BECAUSE OF THE RULING IN NEW ORLEANS, WE MIGHT BE STUCK WITH TWOS, BUT WE'RE NOT HELPLESS.
THE, THE JUDGE, UM, WHO, UH, WROTE THE OPINION IN THE FIFTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS LEFT US SOME STUFF TO DO.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN RAISE TAXES ON 'EM, YOU CAN PUT LIMITS ON 'EM.
I THINK IF YOU GO TO INSIDE AIRBNB AND YOU, YOU CAN WIDEN THAT SCREEN AND YOU CAN SEE THE ZIP CODES, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT 7, 8, 7 3, 1 THAT'S BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF.
AND THEY'RE ALL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A CONCENTRATION AND, UH, GENTRIFICATION AND DISPLACEMENT AND OTHER ISSUES THAT, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED ISSUE.
I DO WANNA BE CLEAR THAT THIS, THERE HAS BEEN NO PREEMPTION BY THE STATE.
I MEAN, WE HAVE TO ABIDE BY LAWS THAT APPLY TO OUR CITY, BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO PREEMPTION AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND THE DEATH STAR BILL DOES NOT APPLY TO SHORT-TERM RENTALS, WHICH I THINK YOU SAID, YEAH, YEAH.
UH, IT'S NOT DEATH STAR'S, SPECIFICALLY COURT DECISIONS THAT ARE LIMITING OUR HANDS.
WELL THAT'S THE ZARI CASE AND THE HIAL STAR CASE.
ARE YOU THINKING OF ANY OTHERS? UH, THERE'S A LIST WHICH DANIEL WARD PROVIDED US.
I DON'T HAVE THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO THAT I KNOW OF.
AND I CAN'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY WOULD BE.
BUT ANYWAY, I WILL ASK DANIEL BECAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, WE STAY ON TOP OF THIS.
WE MEET EVERY TWO WEEKS AND WE'RE DOWN THERE.
I'M, DON'T HAVE ANY BRAIN POWER, BUT I DO LIVE IN AUSTIN, SO I CAN GO DOWN TO THE CAPITOL
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SHEEE.
WE HAD A QUESTION FROM COMMISSIONER BEATTY WHO'S PARTICIPATING VIRTUALLY.
WHAT'S THAT? CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES.
WELL, ONE, I WANTED TO ASK IN GENERAL, WHAT IS YOUR, UH, POSITION ON RESIDENT OR YOU KNOW, ST THAT HAVE LIVE-IN RESIDENCE? LIKE, MY NEIGHBOR HAS AN EXTRA ROOM THAT SHE RENTS OUT OCCASIONALLY.
AND I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THAT.
IS THAT, IS THAT INCLUDED IN YOUR OVERALL DESIRE FOR A BAN? WELL, MY PERSONAL POSITION, I MEAN, I WISH WE COULD HAVE THAT, BUT BECAUSE OF THE RULING IN NEW ORLEANS, IT'S, WE HAVE ONES, WE HAVE TO HAVE TWOS.
SO LIKE DALLAS, AND I WANNA BE CLEAR, DALLAS NEVER BANNED SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
THEY WERE NEVER ALLOWED IN RESIDENTIAL ZONES IN THE FIRST PLACE.
THEY JUST SPENT FOUR YEARS FOOLING AROUND.
[00:35:01]
FINALLY AFTER THE 10TH SHOOTING AT A SHORT-TERM RENTAL IN DALLAS, THEY FINALLY VOTED AND THEY SHORED UP THEIR ORDINANCE TO MAKE IT QUITE CLEAR THAT STR WERE NOT PERMISSIBLE.IN SHORT, SHORT-TERM RENTALS WERE NOT PERMISSIBLE IN RESIDENTIAL ZONES.
AND BECAUSE I THINK THIS RULING OUT OF NEW ORLEANS MAY BACKFIRE ON THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL INDUSTRY, BECAUSE IF THIS DECISION IS WE HAVE TO HAVE ONES AND TWOS OR NONE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE NONE.
AND FORT WORTH DID THE SAME THING.
THEY JUST RECENTLY SHORED UP THEIR ZONING, UM, THEIR ORDINANCE.
AND NO STRS ANY KIND IN RESIDENTIAL ZONES.
PERSONALLY, I THINK IT WOULD BE OKAY, YOU KNOW, ALL MY CHILDREN ARE GONE.
I HAVE FOUR EMPTY BEDROOMS UPSTAIRS.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I WOULD BE THERE.
LIKE WHAT LUIS IS DOING, HE'S ON SITE, BUT, YOU KNOW, BUT AUSTIN HAS, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, MADE SOME SERIOUS MISSTEPS BY ALLOWING 'EM IN THE FIRST PLACE BY VOTING TO ALLOW THEM IN RESIDENTIAL ZONES IN THE FIRST PLACE IN 2012.
THEN THE, THE BASIS OF THE ZARI CASE AFTER THE ORDINANCE WAS AMENDED IN 16, FEBRUARY OF 16 WAS THAT, THAT'S A TAKING.
YOU CAN'T TELL ME I CAN DO SOMETHING AND I BUY THE HOUSE AND I FIX IT UP AND I, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, GET TOWELS FROM, YOU KNOW, TJ MAXX, YOU CAN'T TELL ME I CAN'T DO THAT ANYMORE.
IF YOU'RE OPERATING LEGALLY AND PR RESPECTFULLY FOR OUR TOWN, YOU CAN CONTINUE TO DO SO.
BUT IT DID NOT MEAN THAT WE HAD TO HAVE MORE STR TWOS.
AND THEN THE HIAL START RULING WAS LAST SEPTEMBER, AND THAT WAS A CASE AGAINST THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS WHERE THE STR OPERATORS NEW ORLEANS HAD THE SAME POLICY WE DID, WHICH WAS, IF IT'S YOUR HOUSE AND YOUR RENT, LIKE LUIS DOES FINE, BUT NO MORE, UM, COMMERCIAL.
'CAUSE THEY HAD THE SAME ISSUE.
WE DO HEIRLOOMS OWNED BY TWO GUYS THAT LIVE IN CALIFORNIA, YOU KNOW, AND THEY ARE OUTTA CONTROL OPERATING IN OUR TOWN, ABUSING EVERYONE.
I WISH VICKI WAS NOT ILL AND COULD COME HERE AND TELL YOU.
WELL, I CAN TELL YOU, I, I MEAN, I WAS A NURSE IN AN EMERGENCY ROOM AT A PUBLIC HOSPITAL IN DALLAS, AND I WAS TOLD TO F**K OFF MORE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD BY THE STR GUESTS THAN I EVER WAS TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE WHO'D BEEN SHOT.
BUT, UM, DID, DID I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? I MEAN, I THINK IN A PERFECT WORLD THAT WOULD BE OKAY.
BUT BECAUSE OF OUR MISSTEPS, SO, SO THE ZATARI CASE KEEPS US HAVING TO HAVE THESE, SO BECAUSE WE HAVE TO HAVE ONES AND TWO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STUCK, KIND OF STUCK WITH IT.
MAYBE, I MEAN, AGAIN, WE WOULD NEED TO CONSULT SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND, YOU KNOW, DO WE WANT TO CAN, WHAT, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN? I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, I GUESS IT WOULD HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, WE'D HAVE TO TALK TO A LAWYER THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTION.
I WAS LOOKING FOR YOUR IDEAL, NOT WHAT'S FEASIBLE RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND THEN I DO HAVE A SECOND QUESTION, WHICH IS, CAN YOU POINT TO A CITY IN TEXAS THAT HAS IMPLEMENTED PLATFORM ACCOUNTABILITY IN A WAY THAT YOU, UH, APPRECIATE OR ADMIRE OR THINK IS SOMETHING TO LOOK AT, UH, AS AN EXAMPLE? WELL, NOBODY IN TEXAS HAS IMPLEMENTED IT EXCEPT, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY GALVESTON DID.
BUT GALVESTON IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM US, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE ARE SO OPPOSED TO STATE PREEMPTION IS BECAUSE AUSTIN IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM GALVESTON.
WE CAN'T HAVE SHORT TERM RENTAL, YOU KNOW, ONE SIZE FITS ALL IN, IN TEXAS, YOU KNOW, WE GOT THE PANHANDLE IN WEST TEXAS.
I'M SURE THERE'S SOMETHING OUT THERE IN MID HILL COUNTRY AND THE COAST.
SO THEY DO THEIRS NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO THE NEIGHBORHOOD GETS TO VOTE WHETHER TO HAVE SHORT TERM RENTALS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR NOT.
THAT HAS NOT BEEN WORKING OUT TOO WELL BECAUSE THEN THE OPERATORS BUY UP ALL THE HOUSING AND THEY'RE THE OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY AND THEY ALL VOTE TO HAVE IT.
SO NOW THEY'VE GONE TO PLATFORM ACCOUNTABILITY, NOT IN EXACTLY THIS FORM, BUT NO, NOBODY IN TEXAS HAS DONE THAT BECAUSE, BECAUSE REALLY NOBODY, NOBODY HAS THE SAME ISSUES THAT WE DO FOR ARLINGTON HAS NO ST IN RESIDENTIAL ZONES EXCEPT FOR SOME, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY CALL 'EM, MAYBE MIXED USED AREAS AROUND THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
UM, SAME WITH GRAPEVINE, DALLAS, FORT WORTH AND, AND ALL, UH, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF ALL THE CITIES I KNOW ABOUT.
I KNOW SAN ANTONIO'S WORKING ON THEIR ORDINANCE.
UM, BUT NO, NOT IN THIS FORMAT, I'D HAVE TO SAY.
I HAVE ONE MORE FOLLOW UP, I APOLOGIZE.
UM, HAVE, HAS YOUR ORGANIZATION, UM, TALK TO THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE ABOUT THIS AT ALL? OH, ABSOLUTELY.
WHEN WE'RE DOWN AT THE CAPITOL, WE, YOU KNOW, EXCHANGE INFORMATION AND OH, I HEARD THIS AND I HEARD THAT.
[00:40:01]
A LOT OF ISSUES AND WE, WE ARE FOCUSED ON THIS ONE ISSUE.UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER REDI.
WE HAD ONE QUESTION TO MY LEFT WITH COMMISSIONER, UM, CHAPEL, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION FROM COMMISSIONER BAILEY.
THANK YOU AGAIN, STEPHANIE, FOR COMING OUT AND FOR ALL OF YOU, UM, MY QUESTION IS, IF YOU OR ANYONE IN THE GROUP CAN ANSWER THIS, UM, WHAT HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE BEEN WITH TRYING TO GET AHOLD OF EITHER THE LISTING OPERATOR OR THE PROPERTY MANAGER TO DEAL WITH AN ISSUE? WELL, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE GET, MINE IS GONE, SO I HAVEN'T TRIED TO DO THAT IN A WHILE.
YEAH, PLEASE JUST COME UP TO THE DESK PLEASE AND JUST FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER.
WE HAVE FIVE MORE MINUTES ON THIS TOPIC YOU CAN BOTH ANSWER.
UM, YES, I HAVE, UM, BECAUSE IRONICALLY THE, UH, PROPERTY MANAGER IS THE OWNER OF THE HOUSE, THE ONE THAT SUPPOSEDLY HAS A TEXAS DRIVER'S LICENSE.
AND SO, UM, I'VE TURNED, YOU KNOW, COMPLAINTS IN 3 1 1 COMPLAINTS.
AND HE, AND I'VE TALKED TO HIM 'CAUSE I KNOW HIM, HE'S, HE'S A NEIGHBOR WHEN HE SHOWS UP EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.
AND, UM, AND HE'S EVEN ASKED ME, CAN YOU JUST CALL ME AND LET ME KNOW IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE TOO NOISY OR CAN YOU JUST CALL ME IF THE TRASH IS OUT OR THIS OR THAT? CAN YOU JUST LET ME KNOW? AND I'M LIKE, NO, IT'S NOT MY JOB.
IF I'M GONNA DO THAT, I'M GONNA GO THROUGH 3 1 1.
YOU FOLLOW YOUR RULES AND THEN I DON'T HAVE TO, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A RELATIONSHIP.
SO I HAVE WITH THAT AND WITH THE OTHER ONE THAT NOW HAS THE AUSTIN VACATE.COM, UM, HE WAS UPSET TOO WITH THE TRASH CANS AGAIN, UM, BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, THE TRASH IS PILES UP.
'CAUSE THE GUYS, THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T PICK UP THE TRASH BECAUSE IF, IF THE RECYCLE STUFF IS FULL OF TRASH AND NOT RE RECYCLED, THEY WON'T.
I TALKED TO HIM, WE TEXT AND TALK AND SAME THING.
HE WAS LIKE, CAN'T YOU JUST CALL ME AND LET ME KNOW? AND IT'S, NO, THAT'S NOT MY JOB.
UM, I HAD CONTACTED THEM ABOUT SOME THINGS, LIKE THEY WANTED ME TO REACH OUT DIRECTLY TO THEM AND BECAUSE I WAS, I WAS PUTTING IN THE, UM, YOU KNOW, SHORT-TERM RENTAL VIOLATION COMPLAINTS.
AND SO THEY BROUGHT ME A PLANT AND THEN THEY TRIED TO LIKE BUY ME OFF.
THEY TRIED TO LIKE, MAKE A DEAL WITH ME SO THAT I WOULD MANAGE THE PROPERTY AND THEY WOULD PAY ME OR WHATEVER.
BUT, UM, I MEAN THERE WAS, THEY HAVE A COUPLE OF GATES IN THE BACKYARD BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT TWO UNITS, I MEAN, THAT ARE OPERATING AS ONE OR TWO DEPENDING ON THE RENTAL.
UM, AND THE GATE DOESN'T LATCH.
AND SO IT SWINGS OPEN AND CLOSE JUST LIKE SLAMS OPEN AND CLOSE ANYTIME THE WIND IS BLOWING.
AND I MEAN, I'VE BEEN TEXTING THEM FOR MONTHS ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, I TEXTED 'EM, I WAS LIKE, OKAY, OKAY, WE'LL DO SOMETHING.
SO THEN MONTHS LATER I'M LIKE, HEY, WHAT ABOUT THE GATE? ARE YOU EVER GONNA DO IT? AND I WAS LIKE, OH, WELL YOU SAID IT ONLY HAPPENS WHEN THE WIND, BECAUSE AT THIS POINT THEY HAD DESIGNATED SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT 'CAUSE HE DIDN'T WANNA BE BOTHERED WITH IT.
AND IT WAS JUST LIKE, YEAH, EVERY TIME THE WIND BLOWS
AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, I FELT LIKE PATTY, LIKE I, I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO CONTACT YOU.
I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO LIKE TEXT YOU AT 3:00 AM BECAUSE SOMEONE IS BEING LOUD AND I'M TRYING TO SLEEP.
IT'S LIKE, JUST DON'T LET IT HAPPEN.
LIKE IT SHOULDN'T BE OPERATING NEXT TO ME.
SO THEY SHOULD BE, UH, OUR NOISE ORDINANCE.
IT'S NO NOISE PAST 10:00 PM OFF YOUR PROPERTY.
AND THEY ARE, THEY DON'T CARE.
IT'S A $200 FINE IF THEY WERE TO GET A CITATION.
HAVE YOU HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH ANY OF THE PLATFORMS? NO, THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN TALKING TO US.
AND HAS ANYONE REACHED OUT TO THE PLATFORMS ON BEHALF OF THE, OKAY, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S OKAY FOR ME TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE ELSE.
UM, THIS ARTICLE, I DID NOT MAKE A COPY FOR ALL OF Y'ALL.
SO THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST NOTORIOUS SHORT-TERM RENTAL IN TOWN RIGHT NOW.
IT'S GOT A PARTY BUS IN THE BACK WITH A STRIPPER POLE IN IT.
POOL WAS PUT IN WITHOUT A PERMIT.
THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN LAST FEBRUARY, PUBLISHED IN TEXAS MONTHLY.
SO I CALLED THEM AND ASKED THEM, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON NOW? AND THE NEEDLE HAS MOVED THIS MUCH OVER THERE, THIS MUCH BECAUSE THEY CALLED AIRBNB CONSTANTLY.
THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD HOTLINE, WHICH IF YOU HAVE AN HOUR AND A HALF TO BE ON HOLD IS REALLY USEFUL.
AND THEY CALLED AND THEY HAD IT DE-LISTED AND THE GUY JOSH REED, WHO OWNS, UH, URBAN STAYS, IS THE OWNER OF THIS PROPERTY.
AND HE WOULD GET IT RE-LISTED UNDER ANOTHER NAME.
FINALLY, AFTER A YEAR OF CALLING EARLY DECEMBER, IT HAS BEEN DE-LISTED FROM AIRBNB SINCE EARLY DECEMBER, 2023.
IT IS STILL ON VRBO AND IT'S STILL ON URBAN STAYS.
AND A YOUNG MOM THERE HAD A BUNCH, YOU KNOW, A BUNCH OF BACHELORETTES OR DUE DEBTS OR WHATEVER.
THEY WERE SAID, LISTEN, YOU KNOW, GIRLS, THIS IS A NEIGHBORHOOD, THERE'S A LOT OF CHILDREN HERE, YOU NEED TO BE QUIET.
AND ONE OF THE GIRLS SAID TO HER, LICK MY ASS.
AND I'M LIKE, OKAY, MY KIDS ARE GROWN.
[00:45:01]
I HAVEN'T HAD ANY HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE, BUT THAT'S A NEW, YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING IN A LONG TIME, BUT THAT'S A NEW ONE TO ME.SO I MEAN, THIS, THIS IS ABUSIVE.
UM, I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWED, PHOTOGRAPHED, UM, MY HOUSE HAS BEEN PUT ON THE INTERNET PICTURES OF MY DAUGHTER ON THE INTERNET, MY PHONE NUMBER ON THE INTERNET.
I MEAN, YOU START PUSHING BACK AGAINST THEM AND IT'S NOT NICE.
SO NO, I DON'T WANNA TALK TO THE PLATFORMS. NO, I DON'T WANNA TALK TO OPERATORS.
I, I WANT THANK YOU, THE CITY COUNCIL TO PROTECT US, WHICH IS WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
UM, I THINK SOMEONE ELSE HAD ONE MORE QUESTION.
YES, I HAVE COMMISSIONER BAILEY.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL.
WELL, YOU SET ME UP FOR THIS, BUT NOW I'M NOT SURE I GONNA ASK A QUESTION, SO I'LL PUT IT OUT THERE.
YOU, UM, THE ONE, THE ANGLE THAT I'M INTERESTED IN HEARING MORE ABOUT IS THE ACTUAL, THE STATUS OF THE PLATFORMS THEMSELVES, LIKE THE GROWTH OF THE MODEL, WHO'S ENTERING THE SPACE, WHO'S, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE DYNAMICS, LIKE THE STOCK PRICES OF THE AIRBNBS, THE V BS, THE, THE WANNABES THAT ARE POPPING UP AND CREATING INSTEAD OF, THERE HAVE TO BE OTHER MODELS.
WE JUST TALK ABOUT VRBO AND AIRBNB ALL THE TIME.
BUT WHAT I SEE IS A LOT OF COPYCATS AND SMALLER ENTREPRENEUR PLAYERS.
YOU MENTIONED THIS COMPANY HEIRLOOM.
IS IT HEIRLOOM? HEIRLOOM? THERE ARE TWO GUYS OUT OF, UH, OKAY.
BUT, AND THEN URBAN STAYS, JOSH REED, IS HE, HE LIVED, HE'S IN AUSTINITE.
HE WENT TO MCCOMBS AND HE'S RIGHT, HE IS JUST ABUSING EVERYBODY NEAR HIS 14 PROPERTIES.
SO THE, WHAT I THINK'S IMPORTANT ALSO FOR US TO LOOK AT IS A BUSINESS ANALYSIS OF WHAT THAT SPACE IS HAPPENING TO THE ENTIRE CHANNEL RIGHT NOW.
AND WHAT, WHERE THEIR MONEY'S COMING FROM, WHO'S INVESTING IN IT, WHAT THEY'RE CASTING OFF IF THEY'RE PRIVATE VERSUS PUBLIC.
AND I'M NOT EXPECTING YOU TO ANSWER ALL THAT BY NO MEANS, BUT I'M SAYING IT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BOTH SIDES OF THIS CONVERSATION.
WE HEAR LOTS OF STORIES ABOUT INDIVIDUAL HOUSES AND HOR ALL THE HORRIBLE THINGS THAT WE'RE ALL EXPERIENCING WITH OUR, WITH THESE HAPPENING IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
I WENT TO NASHVILLE ONCE AND SOMEONE MET ME AND THEY SAID, OH, I'M STAYING OVER HERE.
AND IT WAS LIKE A HOTEL THAT WAS BUILT, NOT A HOTEL, IT WAS A CONDO, HOTEL, MULTI-STORY THAT PEOPLE BOUGHT SHARES IN.
AND THEY HAD HO LIKE, WE'LL SAY LITTLE CONDOS, BUT THEY WERE COMPELLED TO RENT THEM OUT CERTAIN PERCENT OF THE TIME TO EVEN BUY INTO THE, TO THE DEVELOPMENT.
AND IT WAS COMPLETELY GEARED, GEARED, COMPLETELY GEARED FOR THIS PURPOSE FOR SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHERE, HOW YOU LOOK GO AFTER THE BUSINESS CHANNEL AND WHO TO GO AFTER FIRST OR WHETHER YOU PICK OFF MID COPY CATTERS, BUT I'M SURE THAT THERE'S AN ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM THAT WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT ARE ENABLING THIS TO HAPPEN.
AND SO, YEAH, I I'M JUST WONDERING HOW MUCH FOREST IS THIS THING GETTING BIGGER AND BIGGER AND BIGGER AND THERE'S MORE AND MORE CORPORATIONS BEING SET UP BESIDES VRBO AND AIRBNB? WELL, THAT ARE GONNA MAKE IT WHACK-A-MOLE FOREVER BECAUSE THERE ARE TOO MANY ENTITIES THAT ARE OUTTA CONTROL.
WELL NOW PLATFORM ACCOUNTABILITY WOULD APPLY TO ALL PLATFORMS. AIRBNB, VRB HEAR HEIRLOOM URBAN STAYS.
AND THE KEY TO THE MAKING THAT WORK IS TO ENFORCE IT, NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER TWO TO FIND THE PLATFORMS. UM, SO YOU'RE NOT, I'M JUST CHECKING WITH YOUR RESEARCH IF YOU'RE, YOU'VE NO, I YOU'VE LISTED A FEW HERE, YOU'VE LISTED A FEW, RIGHT? I DON I'M SURE THAT'S HAPPENING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, RIGHT? THE ONES, THE COUPLE OF THE ONES YOU MENTIONED.
BUT HEIRLOOM SEEMS LIKE A GOOD, YOU.
LIKE THESE ARE THE GUYS THAT YOU COULD PROBABLY GO AFTER FASTER THAN YOU GO AFTER AN AIRBNB OR A-V-R-B-O BECAUSE THEY'RE MORE BOUTIQUE, EVEN IF THEY'VE GOT A BIG PORTFOLIO, THEY'RE STILL MORE BOUTIQUE AND THEY'RE NOT HIDING BEHIND INVESTORS AND CLASS SIZE.
WELL, I, YOU'LL SEE LAWSUITS FUNDED BY THE BIGGER GUYS.
YOU KNOW, THEY FUNDED, THAT'S THE TYPE OF ARI CASE.
THAT, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS LIKE WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE CORPORATE LEVEL WITH THIS STUFF BEYOND WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING THAT I HAVE.
NO, WE'RE TALKING A LOT ABOUT CITIES AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING, BUT I, I KNOW THAT ULTIMATELY WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE BUSINESS CHANNEL UP THE CHAIN IS REALLY, NEEDS TO BE EQUALLY ADDRESSED AS MUCH AS YOU TRY TO GO AFTER A FEW MUNICIPALITIES, WHICH ARE HARD TOO, BUT YEAH.
WELL, I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO PUT THE ONUS, I MEAN, I'M, I'M STANDING HERE 10 YEARS LATER AND IT'S THE SAME PROBLEM.
I MEAN MM-HMM,
AND PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE, CAROL STAHL, PHILIP THOMAS, WHO'VE DONE SO MUCH FOR EAST AUSTIN, UH, MRS. UH, MONTOYA, SHE'S PERSONAL HEROINE OF MINE ON HASKELL.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT IS, IT IS IN MY OPINION, SHAMEFUL THAT OUR CITY
[00:50:01]
GOVERNMENT LETS THIS HAPPEN TO RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY PEOPLE WHO'VE DONE SO MUCH FOR US.AND I AM SO HOPING THAT YOU ALL TAKE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS SERIOUSLY.
I'M HAPPY TO COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT PLATFORM ACCOUNTABILITY IN DETAIL ABOUT, I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT TECH, BUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE COULD FIND SOMEBODY WHO DOES AND LET'S TALK SOFTWARE AND IMPLEMENTATION AND, AND NOT GO THE CHEAP WAY AND GET SOMETHING GOOD THAT WORKS FOR ALL OF US.
UM, ANY MORE QUESTIONS? I THINK THAT'S IT SAYING.
WE REALLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY, MS. ASHWORTH AND THANK YOU.
CALL ME ANYTIME EVERYONE THAT CAME TO COMMENT.
UM, MOVING ON TO, UH, AGENDA ITEM
[3. Discussion and possible action regarding 2024 Tourism Commission calendar for conflicting meeting dates due to tourism activities.]
NUMBER THREE, DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE 2024 TOURISM COMMISSION CALENDAR FOR CONFLICTING MEETING DATES DUE TO TOURISM ACTIVITIES.SO JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, LAST YEAR WE DID NOT MEET IN MARCH FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, AND I WANTED TO REVISIT THIS IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE WANTED TO REPLICATE THIS YEAR.
UM, THE CURRENT DATES FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, UM, RENTING OUT YOUR HOUSE
UM, SO, UH, THAT DOES CONFLICT WITH, UM, THE 13TH, UH, DATE FOR OUR COMMISSION MEETING.
UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY FOLKS ARE CONFLICTED FOR THAT PARTICULAR DATE.
I WILL PROBABLY NOT BE CONFLICTED.
SO I AM OKAY WITH MOVING FORWARD SEEING IS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE, UH, THE, THE DSS, UM, FOR THAT DATE SECURED.
UM, THE OTHER DATE, UH, WAS SOUTH BY SOUTH, EXCUSE ME, WAS, UM, AUSTIN CITY LIMITS, UM, WHICH, UH, IS BETWEEN OCTOBER 4TH AND SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13TH, WHICH ALSO CONFLICTS WITH OUR SCHEDULED, UH, AUSTIN TOURISM COMMISSION MEETING DATES OF OCTOBER 9TH.
SO I WANTED TO BRING UP THOSE TWO DATES.
AS WE HAD DISCUSSED LAST YEAR, UM, WE WOULD TRY AND AVOID, UM, HIGH VISITATION MONTHS TO MEET AS A COMMISSION.
I MIGHT SUGGEST THAT WE RECONSIDER THAT, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
UM, BUT I'M OPEN TO, UH, DIFFERENT, UH, WELL HEARING FROM OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
UH, MY COMMENT IS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE FOCUSED ON TOURISM AND I THINK IT WOULD BE NICE TO BE OUT HERE AND, AND SUPPORT THAT TOURISM GOING ON SINCE THOSE ARE TWO REALLY BIG MONTHS FOR TOURISM.
I, I WOULD, UH, PREFER TO MEET, IF IT'S A TRAFFIC ISSUE, THEN MAYBE WE CAN ADJUST A DAY, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE MARCH ONE IF, IF IT'S A, IF IT'S A PARKING ISSUE AND THE TRAFFIC ISSUE, I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT MM-HMM,
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER PRONOUNCING.
UM, I, I THINK THAT I AGREE WITH ANNA ON THAT.
AND MY, UH, MY COMMENT WOULD BE IS THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO HOLD A MEETING, UH, DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, THAT WE HAVE TO BE UBER STRATEGIC ABOUT THE TOPIC BECAUSE ANYBODY THAT'S GENERALLY AFFECTED AT THE HOTEL INDUSTRY LEVEL OR ANYTHING THAT CONNECTS TO THAT RESTAURANT, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET PARTICIPATION FOR DEEP LEVEL PRESENTATION ON SOME, A CERTAIN TYPES OF TOPICS THAT WE'RE GENERAL, THE ONES THAT I'VE SEEN, THAT WE'VE OUTLINED FOR OUR AGENDA FOR THE YEAR, OUR ROADMAP.
SO I SUPPORT, EVEN THOUGH I'M INVOLVED, I CAN MAKE, I CAN MAKE MY OWN CASE OF WHETHER OR NOT IT'S A CONFLICT FOR ME PERSONALLY AND I WOULDN'T DISRUPT THE WHOLE COMMISSION AS A CONSEQUENCE.
BUT I, I DO THINK LIKE YOU'VE SET COURSE AND, AND HAVE, WE HAVE AN AGGRESSIVE AGENDA TO GET DEEPER AND MEATIER TOPICS GOING.
I WANT TO JUST CAUTION US THAT IT IS HARD TO GET PEOPLE TO STEP UP AND PARTICIPATE 'CAUSE OTHER PEOPLE ARE SPREAD OUT BY SOME OF THESE EVENTS.
SO IF WE FIGURE OUT THE RIGHT TOPIC, SOMETHING THAT MAYBE ISN'T THE PIT AND THE BULLSEYE OF OUR, SOME OF OUR PEERS OUT THERE THAT ARE TRYING TO MAKE MONEY AND SUPPORT THESE EFFORTS, WE SHOULD DO IT.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH COMMENTS? SEEING NONE.
UM, I KNOW THAT DECEMBER CAN BE
[00:55:01]
PROBABLY THE BUSIEST MONTH WITH FOLKS TRYING TO, UH, COMPLETE WHETHER IT'S WORK OR PERSONAL, UM, ITEMS ON THEIR AGENDA.UH, WE CANCELED OUR MEETING LAST DECEMBER, LAST MONTH AND AS WELL AS IN 2022.
AND I WANTED TO REVIEW THAT AS SOMETHING FOR CONSIDERATION, UH, AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL TO FOLKS HAVE THOUGHTS ON CANCELING DECEMBER'S MEETING COMMISSIONER CHAPEL.
THE, UH,
SO IF WE DIDN'T HAVE A MEETING, I WASN'T AROUND LAST YEAR, UM, FOR SOME OF THE OTHER ONES, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN MARCH.
UM, I WONDER IF WE COULD HAVE LIKE CONVERSATIONS AROUND LIKE, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY OR ISSUES IN LIKE THE RAINY STREET DISTRICT AND THINGS LIKE THAT COULD BE A TOPIC.
UM, MAYBE WE GET EMS OR FIRE IN SOMETHING, UM, AT THAT TIME.
BUT NO, I, IN MARCH I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T, UM, DECEMBER I THINK WAS CRAZY BUSY, BUT I WOULD STICK AROUND FOR MARCH.
CAN WE KEEP THE DECEMBER MEETING DATE ON OUR CALENDAR? AND AS WE GET CLOSER, MAYBE SIX MONTHS IN REVISIT WHETHER WE KEEP DECEMBER OR NOT.
I THINK THAT'S A FAIR PROPOSAL.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU HAVE THOUGHTS? UH, COMMISSIONER SHANNON.
SO IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A MEETING AFTER SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST? THAT IS POSSIBLE.
WE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE, UM, MEETING DATES, WHICH MIGHT BE DIFFICULT WITH REGARD TO MAINTAINING THIS VENUE FOR A MEETING, UM, WHICH IS A WHOLE CAN OF WORMS. BUT, BUT WE, WE HAVE IN PASS ON THOSE WHEN YOU WERE ON, ON THE COMMISSION, BUT WE HAVE MET AT OTHER LOCATIONS, UM, THAT IS TRUE.
UH, FOLKS TEND TO LIKE DOWNTOWN A LOT.
UM, BUT I'M OPEN IF, IF IF I, I I JUST THROW IT OUT THERE.
I MEAN, I, I JUST KNOW WHAT A TERRIBLE TIME IT IS.
AND HOW ABOUT THIS, TO HELP FACILITATE THAT CONVERSATION, WE PROBABLY NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION.
UM, FELICIA, MIGHT IT BE POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO RESEARCH, UH, THE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY FOR OUR MARCH AND OCTOBER MEETING DATES TO SEE ABOUT AVAILABILITY, UM, HERE AT THE DAAS WITHIN CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND, AND WHETHER WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO USE THOSE WEDNESDAY FOR THE CITY HALL AND IF NOT THIS ROOM, THE ROOM IMMEDIATELY ACROSS, UM, THE LOBBY.
YOU, IF YOU CANCEL A MEETING BECAUSE OF THE DATE OR THE SURROUNDING ACTIVITIES HAPPENING IN THE CITY, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO CANCEL IT.
UM, BUT IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING, SO YOU STILL HAVE A MEETING IN THE MONTH, YOU CAN DO THAT.
IF Y'ALL AGREE TO DO SO, I WILL, I'LL NEED TO KNOW WHAT DAY THAT WOULD BE, WHAT TIME THAT WOULD BE SO I CAN DO THE SEARCH ON WHAT'S AVAILABLE.
UM, IF THESE TWO LOCATIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE IN CITY HALL, THERE ARE TWO OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE CITY WHERE Y'ALL BEEN TO BEFORE, UM, THAT I ALSO CHECK, UH, WHILE YOU'RE ON THE TOPIC OF THE CALENDAR, YOU ALSO WANNA LOOK AT AUGUST 14TH.
THAT DAY IS NOT AVAILABLE ANYWHERE IN THE CITY.
UM, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON, UM, WITH BUDGET HAPPENING WITH CITY COUNCIL AND ALL THAT.
SO EVERYTHING IS BOOKED HERE IN CITY HALL.
AND THEN THE OTHER TWO FACILITIES ARE BOOKED AS WELL AT THE SAME TIME AND DATE.
SO ON AUGUST WILL, THEY'RE WILLING TO HELP IF WE MOVE THE DATE.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT MIGHT BE A, A LARGER QUESTION, BUT IF YOU COULD VERIFY THE TWO WEDNESDAYS IN MARCH, OCTOBER, IMMEDIATELY PRE, UH, SUCCEEDING OR IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE SCHEDULED DATES.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, WE'RE LOOKING TO NOT CANCEL THE MEETINGS, BUT TO RESCHEDULE THEM, UM, RIGHT.
IF YOU ARE, IF YOU ARE GOING TO RESCHEDULE 'EM, THAT IS ESSENTIALLY CANCELING THEM.
SO IT'S MORE SETTING UP A, A SPECIAL MEETING, UM, DATE, UM, WITHIN THE WEEK, WITHIN THE MONTH.
SO ONCE WE HAVE THE, THE AVAILABILITY, WE CAN CIRCLE BACK, UH, TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION AND HAVE A BROADER CONVERSATION NEXT MONTH ON THE 14TH OF FEBRUARY, WHICH IS OUR NEXT MEETING DATE.
DOES THAT SOUND AMENABLE TO COMMISSIONERS PRESENT? YES, SIR.
UH, ANY LAST COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS REGARDING THE SCHEDULE FOR 2024?
[01:00:01]
SEEING NONE, WE MOVE ON TO[4. Discussion from the Short-Term Rental Work Group updates.]
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.ITEM NUMBER FOUR, DISCUSSION FROM THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL WORKING GROUP.
UM, AND ITS, UM, ACCOMPANYING UPDATES.
AND I'M GONNA PASS THE, UM, THE BATON, SO TO SPEAK, OVER TO COMMISSIONER CHAPEL.
COMMISSIONER CHAPEL, EXCUSE ME.
UH, WHO HAS LED THE WORKING GROUP, UH, BEHIND THE SHORT TERM RENTALS HERE WITH THE COMMISSION, UH, TO GIVE HIS REPORTS.
SO, UM, INITIALLY WE HAD PLANNED ON HAVING OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THIS MEETING, BUT DUE TO AVAILABILITY OF MEETINGS OVER DECEMBER, WE'VE PUSHED IT TO FEBRUARY.
UM, WE'RE KIND OF STILL MAKING THE ROUND ROBINS OF, OF MEETINGS.
WE JUST MET WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT AND GOT INTRODUCED TO SGR NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP WHO SPOKE WITH US TODAY, WILL BE FOLLOWING UP THIS WEEK AND NEXT WEEK WITH THE PLATFORMS. UM, SO GET SOME MEETING SOLDIERS ON THE BOOK THERE.
UM, I THINK WE'D LIKE TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE.
I MIGHT REACH OUT TO STEPHANIE, UM, TO TALK MORE, UH, FROM THE ATTORNEY POINT OF VIEW AND MAYBE A LOOK AT THAT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
UM, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT NOW.
AND SO, AND, UM, AND JUST, AND JUST ANOTHER CONVERSATION.
AND SO THE, THE WORKING GROUP, I JUST WANNA REINFORCE THAT OUR PRIMARY OBJECTIVE AND GOAL IS COMPLIANCE AND ADOPTION OF SGR LICENSES.
AND SO I JUST THINK, JUST WANNA MENTION THAT
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL.
UH, SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, HAVING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS READY, UM, FOR ADOPTION AT OUR NEXT, UH, TOURISM COMMISSION MEETING.
SO I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE, UM, THE CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE WORK GROUP, UH, GET TOGETHER BEFORE NEXT MEETING TO, AND, AND REVIEW THE, THE DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH ARE IN DRAFT FORM TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE READY TO ADOPT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AT THE NEXT MEETING.
SO I JUST WANTED TO CALL ATTENTION TO THAT.
AND ALSO, UM, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, BISHOP AND I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AFTER THE MEETING THERE, THERE MAY BE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OTHER COMMISSIONS WITH REGARD TO, UH, POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS AS THEY RELATE TO SHORT-TERM RENTALS THAT I THINK WE SHOULD CONSULT WITH THEM BEFORE MOVING, UH, DEFINITIVELY FORWARD WITH OUR OWN, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL, ALL, UH, COORDINATED.
AND JOHN, UH, COMMISSIONER REY, FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN, BUT I ALSO MET WITH CULTURAL ARTS, UM, TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT KIND OF MORE OF A, A TOURISM UNIFIED FRONT IN THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND SPECIFICALLY THE CONVERSATION WAS AROUND HOW DO WE GET THE HOT TAXES BACK INTO, UM, EFFECTIVE USE AND REALIZED USE, UH, FOR THESE COMMUNITIES.
AND WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH, UH, CULTURE ARTS FUNDING AND THERE'S A FEW IDEAS THAT HAVE BEEN IN BRAINSTORMING, BUT HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE, UH, WORK WITH THE PLATFORMS AND THE OTHER COMMISSIONS, UM, TO KIND OF HAVE A, A UNIFIED AND ALIGNED APPROACH GOING FORWARD FOR WHAT I WOULD SAY WOULD BE A KIND OF A NET AND NEW SGR PROGRAM.
ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WORK OF THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL WORKING GROUP AND PERHAPS ANY SUGGESTIONS ABOUT OTHER FOLKS THAT NEED TO BE ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS BEFORE WE, UH, MOVE FORWARD WITH RECOMMENDATIONS? I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT IN ADDITION TO THE ARTS COMMISSION, WE, WE HAD A MEETING, UH, WE INCLUDED THE MUSIC COMMISSION.
SO THE VICE CHAIR OF BOTH THE ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSION ARE INVOLVED WITH OUR WORKING GROUP.
UH, AND WE HOPE TO ALIGN WITH THEM FOR, UH, OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AS, AS COMMISSIONER CHAPEL SAID.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER REEDY.
ANY OTHER ITEMS TO ADD? HEARING NONE.
UM, COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL AND ALL MEMBERS OF THE WORK GROUP RELATE TO SDRS.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR INSIGHT AND YOUR, YOUR WORK AND FOLLOWING UP ON THE SUPPORT AND ISSUE.
AND THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE IN ATTENDANCE THAT, UH, CAME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AS WELL AS THE PRESENTATION WE HEARD THIS AFTERNOON.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
IN GENERAL, AT NEXT MEETING WE'LL BE DISCUSSING, UM, WE HAD SOME SCHEDULING CHALLENGES.SO WE'RE, WE'RE UNABLE TO ADDRESS THIS BROADER TOPIC OF HOW WE KEEP AUSTIN, UM, A CENTER FOR TOURISM, UM, WITH THE CLOSURE OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.
SO WE'RE HOPING TO INVITE SOME SPEAKERS NEXT MEETING THAT CAN POTENTIALLY SPEAK TO, UM, THIS GOAL AS WE ENTER 2024.
AND ALSO IN PREVIOUS COMMUNICATIONS, UH, RATHER MEETINGS WE'VE DISCUSSED, POSSIBLY BRINGING IN AN ECONOMIST TO TALK ABOUT THE TOURISM INDUSTRY AND HOW THAT, UM, KNOWLEDGE CAN HELP IMPACT TOURISM MORE BROADLY.
AND HELP US IN BE INFORMED AS COMMISSIONERS, UH, AT THIS DIOCESE TO, UH, BETTER SERVE THE TOURISM INDUSTRY.
SO LOOKING INTO BRINGING AN ECONOMIST PERHAPS FROM THE CITY, UM, NEXT MEETING TO, UM, HELP PROVIDE MORE CONTEXT FOR THAT CONVERSATION AND BACKGROUND THAT CAN HELP US ELEVATE TOURISM IN 2024.
[01:05:01]
QUESTIONS, UH, WITH REGARD TO FUTURE MEETINGS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS ANY IDEAS AS TO WHAT WE COULD COVER? COMMISSIONER BAILEY, I JUST WAS GONNA SUGGEST WE, WE PULL OUT THE ROADMAP THAT WE WERE REVIEWING AT THE END OF LAST YEAR.AND PER, UH, PER OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT HOLDING ONTO THE SOUTH BY MEETINGS AND JUST LOOK AT THAT AND, AND BEGIN TO PLUG LIKE, OUT OF ALL THOSE ITEMS, WHICH IS THE ONE THAT WE THINK WE COULD BEST ADDRESS DURING MARCH, SO THAT WE'RE GETTING WAY AHEAD OF IT.
AND THAT WOULD BE MY ONLY COMMENT.
AND, AND THEN IF, IF WE'RE NOT SEEING SOMETHING THAT FITS THAT BILL, IT GIVES US THE IMPULSE TO THINK IT, THINK OF SOME NEW ITEMS. THAT'S ALL.
IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN PUT ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT MEETING WHERE WE WE CAN HAVE THAT, UM, ROADMAP? ABSOLUTELY.
WE CAN, WE CAN, UH, REFRESH IT WITH THE NEW TOPICS AND, UM, FROM OUR, UH, IN FACT, IT MIGHT BE JUST EASIER JUST TO HAVE IT AS A STANDING AGENDA ITEM SO WE CAN ALWAYS REVIEW AT EACH MEETING.
I'D BE HAPPY TO INCLUDE IT WITH EACH AGENDA.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NO, TAKE THE TIME BACK.
UM, I THINK THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT MEETING 'CAUSE IT'S, I THINK
UM, AND WE'VE, I REALLY JUST WANT TO SAY, UH, I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE.
I SOUND SICK BECAUSE OF THE CEDAR IN THE AIR THIS TIME OF YEAR, BUT, UM, WELCOME TO AUSTIN
CAN I MOTION THAT WE ADJOURN? UH, THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER PENOC, UH, MOVES TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.
UH, I'LL JUST SAY QUICKLY, UH, THAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU IN THE NEW YEAR AND, UH, THANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE ON THIS COMMISSION.
IS THERE A SECOND TO COMMISSIONER IAN'S MOTION? SO SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SHAPEY.
UH, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.