In a two-hour work session last Friday, the Putnam County Board of Commissioners and County Attorney Adam Nelson winnowed down some of the options for a new short-term rentals ordinance, although final approval, and even a draft ordinance, are still off in the future.
Another work session is scheduled for Tuesday, June 27, at 10 a.m. While possible all the details in a draft ordinance could be agreed upon at that time – and in time to present the ordinance to the public – it increases the likelihood of the commission again extending the moratorium beyond July 18 for short-term rental permits.
“That’s no problem,” District 2 Commissioner Daniel Brown said. “We want to get it right.”
As for the Friday work session, Nelson, who must write the draft ordinance, said the meeting’s purpose was to “sharpen the focus” on what board members might be considering.
“I have heard and read the comments from the public and staff, and I have reviewed other jurisdictions’ ordinances,” he said. “The goal (this morning) is to give you options for conversations, not necessarily my recommendations … to figure out where we are headed.”
Nelson characterized the current ordinance as “really more into licensing” and needing a “better enforcement system.”
However, the building blocks of broad concepts and structures – such as the roles of zoning, pros, and cons of roles for homeowner associations (HOAs), Georgia Power Company, government, and flexibility for adjustments by future commissions – proved to be slow conversation starters.
For instance, HOAs “have way more ability than you to enforce covenants. They have a far superior position,” Nelson said. “The county does not have the power to enforce covenants,” and “Georgia Power has more flexibility and power over how property is used.”
The commissioners’ comfort zone became more evident in the nitty-gritty details of the here-and-now, and their leanings were more toward county action, protections for residents, and tough enforcement for violators.
No formal decisions were made, other than a request for Sheriff Howard Sills to put his analysis in writing. There will be a cap on the total number of short-term rental permits, though no number was mentioned.
There will be a capacity limit set for each residence, typically set by the number of bedrooms, but the limits mentioned range from 12 to 16 people. No recreational vehicles or campers will be allowed as STR options, but “accessory units” like garage apartments remained unsettled.
And some problem areas emerged.
Staffing for stronger enforcement would require more deputies in a tough time to recruit law enforcement officers, or it might involve hiring several code enforcement officers or marshals. How much discretion would tougher enforcement allow? Tougher violation penalties meet a $1,000 maximum in the magistrate’s court. The difficulties involved include enforcing noise and nuisance ordinances.
Other topics were mentioned but without apparent consensuses, such as no parents renting for children, pets having to be on a leash or contained, a minimum age of 25 for renters, on-site parking requirements, no outdoor speakers, a local contact within an hour’s drive, garbage at the street in containers, and requiring subdued lighting.
All told, the short-term rentals story in Putnam County appears far from over.