City Council

City of Marco Island Florida 51 Bald Eagle Drive Marco Island, Florida cityofmarcoisland.com Meeting Minutes - Final Thursday, February 17, 2022 2:00 PM City Council Workshop Community Meeting Room City Council Chair: Erik Brechnitz Vice-Chair: Jared Grifoni City Council: Claire Babrowski, Rich Blonna, Greg Folley, Becky Irwin, Joe Rola City Manager: Mike McNees Assistant City Manager: Casey Lucius City Attorney: Alan L. Gabriel City Clerk: Laura Litzan City Council Meeting Minutes - Final February 17, 2022 1. Call to Order Chair Brechnitz called the Workshop to order at 2:00 P.M. 2. Roll Call Present: 7- Councilor Blonna, Councilor Irwin, Councilor Brechnitz, Vice-Chair Folley, Councilor Rola, Councilor Babrowski and Chair Grifoni Also Present Casey Lucius, Assistant City Manager Alan L. Gabriel, City Attorney Chris Byrne, Fire Chief Tracy Frazzano, Police Chief Daniel J. Smith, Community Affairs Director Lina Upham, Purchasing & Risk Manager Raul Perez, Chief Building Official Martin Luna, Broadcast/Video Technician Jim Kornas, Recording Specialist Citizens & Visitors 3. Business ID 22-2081 Discussion - Short-Term Rental Registration Program At the request of Chair Brechnitz, Assistant City Manager Casey Lucius summarized the City and the Council's actions in addressing the issues raised by the community regarding single-family vacation rentals on the Island from October, 2020 to the present. Councilor Blonna, as the author of the white paper requesting Council re-consideration of a short-term rental registration ordinance, shared his perspective and rationale for requesting this action. All members of the Council engaged in active dialogue, sharing views that encompassed perspectives on individual property rights, community harmony, statutory limitations, economic impact, renter safety and other related issues. City Attorney Gabriel was called upon to offer legal input and interpretation by several members of the Council. Following substantial Council discussion, Chair Brechnitz called upon the citizens and visitors who were viewing the proceedings in person or via the live broadcast to share their thoughts. 4. Public Comment Mr. Martin Winter (Perrine Ct.) shared his views on the administrative burden and economic impact of additional regulation on the City's resources and ability to manage this effort effectively. Mr. Ed Issler (S. Joy Cir.) questioned the accuracy of Assistant City Manager Lucius's estimate of single-family vacation rental homes on the Island, and he highlighted the occupancy limits and good-neighbor policies codified in the Take Back Marco Political Action Committee's proposed referendum and ordinance to further regulate short-term vacation rentals on Marco Island. Ms. Amy Koenig (Regional Sales Manager, Vacasa) expressed her company's perspective on smart regulation and effective enforcement, and she encouraged the Council to pursue and apply relevant data in crafting its approach to managing short-term vacation rentals. City of Marco Island Florida Page 1 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final February 17, 2022 Mr. Steve Josselyn (Seaview Ct., Government Affairs Committee Chair, Marco Island Area Association of Realtors) conveyed his Board's support for a rental registration process for single-family vacation homes. Ms. Dale Lomupo (Winterberry Dr.) shared her experience living next to a rental home that turns over to new renters every two or three weeks. She asked that the Council to be sensitive to the disruption that frequent renter turnover imposes on neighboring homeowners, and she asked the Council to take action to curtail short-term home rentals on the Island Mr. Paul Tateo (Gayer Way, Property Manager, Horizons by the Sea, Inc.) noted the changing nature of the Island's character over the years and, as a professional property manager, indicated his support for the City's enforcement of its ordinances relative to single-family vacation homes. Ms. Alys Macias (Dove Ct.) shared her previous Colorado experience as a professional property manager, and the excessive regulation that evolved into severe restrictions there. She contrasted her home ownership experience on Marco Island living next to a well-managed vacation rental home with the nearby second home owners who do not rent their properties, but cause more weekend neighborhood disruption than the rental home next door. Ms. Christine Dowell (Biscayne Way) expressed her belief that more analysis of the 35 verified noise complaints that have been recorded on Marco Island from August through December of 2021 is required. She also pointed to early estimates of vacation rental properties on the Island by a third party firm that calls into question the City's current estimate of single-family vacation homes on the Island. Ms. Dowell also advised the Council that Airbnb has put together a pool safety initiative in the State of Florida, and that it has sent pool safety information to property owners who advertise on it. Ms. Dowell concluded by pointing to several example cities in the State that have registration processes, and she expressed her belief that the City's ordinances and enforcement actions regarding noise, parking and trash pickup are inadequate in controlling short-term vacation rentals. Mr. Randy Egan (Nassau Ct.) shared his experience in having to install emergency lighting in his rented single-family vacation home in 1999. He questioned the goal and benefit to enacting a registration process, and he asked that homeowner affordability be considered should any additional regulatory action be undertaken on rental homes. Mr. Denis Hanks, Executive Director of the Florida Alliance for Vacation Rentals (via telephone), shared his organization's experience and expertise in helping local Florida governments to craft rental registration ordinances that are effective and result in high citizen compliance. Citing the City of Ft. Lauderdale's ordinance as an expensive and unwieldy 'hammer approach' to the issue, he noted the lack of success that city has had in registering vacation rental properties. He offered his organization's services to the City of Marco Island. Ms. Maria Schilke (Swan Dr., and owner of Marco Island Rental Properties, Inc.) cited her experience as a former rental agent for the Deltona Corporation, and its intention that full-time homeowners and vacationers share in the beauty and the benefits of the Island. Noting that her street has four rental homes as well as second home owners who never rent but can, occasionally, be noisy, she urged all present to exercise tolerance and personal, one-on-one dialogue when a neighbor's family or guests become a little too loud. Mr. Kerrick White (Kirkwood St., via telephone) expressed his belief that the procedure for registering citizen complaints and City enforcement response should be a fairly straightforward process. He also shared his belief that unruly home renters should be held accountable. Mr. White raised a question about the City's current enforcement process, and Police Chief Tracy Frazzano provided a response. At the conclusion of the Public Comments, Chair Brechnitz polled each member of the Council for her/his thoughts on next steps. Considerate of the need to implement policies and procedures that modify City of Marco Island Florida Page 2 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final February 17, 2022 problem behaviors without unduly punishing the majority of rental property owners and property managers who operate responsibly, Chair Brechnitz requested that the City: 1) conduct an analysis of the 35 verified noise complaints received between August and December, 2021; 2) pursue further insight on the experiences of other Florida municipalities that have enacted and implemented rental registration processes, and; 3) reconcile the data elements associated with single-family vacation rental homes on Marco Island. 5. Adjournment There being no further business before the Council, the Workshop adjourned at 3:50 P.M. ___________________________ Erik Brechnitz, Council Chair ATTEST: ____________________________________ Laura Litzan, City Clerk PREPARED BY: ___________________________ Jim Kornas, Recording Specialist City of Marco Island Florida Page 3