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No change in short term rental policy
By BOB MACPHERSON
| Article published on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2005 |
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REDINGTON BEACH – Several citizens took the podium at the Oct. 18 Town Commission meeting to accuse the commission of turning a blind eye to the enforcement of the ordinance governing residentially zoned areas.
The town’s code of ordinances prohibits properties zoned single family from being rented out for less than 181 days. However, the enforcement of the ordinance was under discussion at the Oct. 4 commission meeting, mainly due to the dilemma of Ronald and Marylyn Riley of Louisville, Ky., who purchased a house in Redington Beach for rental purposes.
The Rileys are seeking relief from the provisions of the ordinance because of assurances given them by a town representative that such rentals were allowed. At the close of the Oct. 4 commission meeting, the commission indicated additional legal review was needed and a decision to resolve the issue was deferred to the next commission meeting on Oct. 18.
At the Oct. 18 meeting, Tim Thompson said he talked with former Town Clerk Larry Bittner who said short-term rental is allowed.
“Now, today we are saying it’s not allowed. I’m as confused as anybody else,” said Thompson. “The reason they (the Riley’s) bought is because it does allow short-term rental.”
Town Attorney Dominick Amadio said, “If the town says you can do something, if in fact you can’t (because of an ordinance), you can’t do it.”
Resident Deborah Bredbeer said, “We the people control the zoning in the town. You have opened up a can of worms here because it has not been an issue before.”
Dorothy Conley waved a sheaf of papers at the commission alleging they contained advertisements for short-term rentals in the town and the town should do something about it.
“We can’t stop people from advertising,” said Amadio. “We have no authority to prevent that. Our policy is against short-term rentals less than six months.”
Mayor Bob Fountaine said that any delay the city had in enforcing the short-term rental ordinance was due to a court case that was pending in Key West.
“The court said short-term rentals could be prohibited and six months later we started it,” he said.
Amadio gave the commission an option to not enforce the ordinance for six months or until all existing short-term rentals that may be under contract or reservation are over. A motion was made on that option but died without a second. A moratorium had been placed on enforcing the ordinance until Jan. 15.
With the turndown of Amadio’s option, enforcement of the short-term rental ordinance will commence on Jan. 16.
New assistant town clerk hired
Rayasue Hallman was hired as the town’s new assistant town clerk. Hallman came to Redington Beach from the city of Seminole where she was employed as an administrative assistant to the town clerk. Hallman is a graduate of the University of Miami where she majored in music education.
The commission endorsed the selection of Hallman who was interviewed and recommended by Town Clerk Beverly Brown. The commission’s endorsement was not unanimous. Commissioner Leslie Peck-Epstein voted “no,” not because she felt Hallman was not qualified but because she (and other commissioners) was not directly involved in the interviewing process.
Mayor Bob Fountaine in a sometimes heated exchange with Peck-Epstein maintained that department heads such as Brown were the logical persons to interview and select staff, not the commissioners.
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Article published on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2005
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