Report from the Vacation Rental Ordinance Meeting

The Morongo Basin Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) met last Monday night. Andy Wingert, San Bernardino County Code Enforcement Chief, presented on a proposed vacation rental (VR) ordinance. The good news is that the ordinance is intended only for the mountain regions of SBC, the only area in the County where vacation rentals are permitted. There is a moratorium in effect, however, against enforcement in the Morongo Basin. It seems there is also no mechanism at the moment for enforcing the Transient Occupancy Tax, or TOT.

The VR Ordinance for the mountain regions may serve as a template for writing an ordinance for the Morongo Basin. This effort could begin within the coming months.

Wingert assured the overflow crowd that there would be many meetings and discussions to finesse the ordinance to meet the unique needs of the Morongo Basin.

Wingert is an interesting and straightforward man, who said he does not shy away from thorny discussions, and will work with the M.B. to create an ordinance that works for the area.

It is important for VR hosts in Wonder Valley to attend future meetings to represent needs particular to Wonder Valley. Please make plans to attend.

Draft of the Proposed Vacation Rental Ordinance

The Morongo Basin MAC meets at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 10 at the Joshua Tree Community Center, 6171 Sunburst, behind the Sportsman's Club. Everyone is welcome to attend.

On the agenda is item I (i):

PRESENTATION
Andy Wingert, Code Enforcement Chief, Land Use Services Department, SB County, will present an Update on Short Term Rentals in the Unincorporated Areas of San Bernardino County.

A draft of the proposed ordinance may be found here:
http://joshuatreechamber.org/draft-copy-of-a-proposed-ordinance/

Draft Ordinance for Vacation Rentals

The County of San Bernardino has drafted County Ordinance 72715 which will, if adopted, greatly impact owners and operators of vacation rental property. The ordinance calls for county inspections and a cessation of operation until inspections are complete. It would ban weddings, receptions, conferences, and other meetings. There are other items that may concern VR owners, including punitve measures for violations.

See the draft ordinance here:
bit.ly/mbvacationrentals

The Joshua Tree Chamber of Commerce is working with local VR owners and operators on this issue and urges owner/operators to write to Phil Paule, who works for Third District Supervisor James Ramos, at: Philip.Paule@bos.sbcounty.gov.

See the Joshua Tree Chamber of Commerce page here:
bit.ly/mbvacationrentals

As the MAC (Municipal Advisory Council) Delegate for Wonder Valley, I urge vacation rental owners and operators to:

• read the draft ordinance
• contact Mark Lundquist (Mark.Lundquist@bos.sbcounty.gov) with your concerns
• contact Phil Paulie (Philip.Paule@bos.sbcounty.gov) with your concerns
• contact me, Teresa Sitz (teresa.sitz@gmail.com), and tell me how you would like to proceed on this issue
• write a letter to the editor of the Desert Trail about the VR industry in Wonder Valley

I recognize that Vacation Rentals are an important part of the Wonder Valley economy, providing jobs, improving neighborhoods, providing shelter for our guests (as we have no hotels), and improving the profile of our area.

Once this ordinance is approved, with inspectors and administrators hired, procedures put in place, taxes collected, it will be very difficult to dial it back. NOW is the time to let the County know how you feel about this ordinance.

The County is organized, and so they can draft and approve an ordinance such as this. If the VR owners/operators want to have a voice YOU will need to get organized, go to a few meetings, provide me with a statement that I can deliver to the MAC, meet with your repesentatives, and make sure your voice is heard.

I am your MAC delegate. I represent YOU. If you want my help, let me know. I can help arrange a meeting for you, draft a response, send a letter to the MAC, request a meeting with representatives, and stand up for Wonder Valley.

A couple of months ago I requested a meeting with the County for Wonder Valley VR owners and was required to provide a list of VR owners and the amount of Transient Occupancy Tax that they had paid. I thought this was an unfair requirement, and still do, but relayed the information to the Wonder Valley Community. I regret doing this. There should be no requirements for meeting with our elected representatives, especially not lists of names and amounts of taxes paid. I wish I had followed my initial instincts and refused when I was sent the requirement. And just to be super clear, I never had a list, never created a list, never researched a list, and most certainly never gave anyone a list. I would never do that. Ever.

I am telling you this because I am on your side. I was appointed to this volunteer position to represent YOU, not the County. I want to see Wonder Valley thrive. I want our relationship to our County government to be a partnership that supports our efforts to make Wonder Valley a vibrant community.

That said, I hope you will organize and take some action to represent your industry to the County government. I am available to assist you.

Sincerely,

Teresa Sitz