DOWNIEVILLE – In Downieville at the County Courthouse on Tuesday, September 6th, the Board of Supervisors gathered for a scheduled meeting. The Department Managers provided their reports, including Sheriff Michael Fisher who went first and provided an update on the busy Labor Day Weekend in the county. He also provided new details about the mountain biker who went missing on Saturday.

After the Department Managers reports, the meeting shifted to the new Sierra County Planning Commission’s proposed ordinance on short-term rentals. This proved to be a contentious issue, as there were many community members in attendance, both in-person and via teleconference. Tim Beals, Planning Director for Sierra County, started the deliberations by giving an overview of how the proposed ordinance materialized. He explained that the Planning Committee has already held multiple meetings on the subject, with an emphasis placed on researching nearby jurisdictions, and notices have been sent to the public in accordance with state law. They also took into account property owners’ concerns that had been previously expressed regarding short-term rentals. After their inquiry into ordinances in similar regions and analysis of resident’s objections, it was determined that new regulations might be appropriate. Mr. Beals went on to list the main factors that guided policy direction, including noise and light pollution, increased traffic, environmental impacts, and more. Lastly, he pointed out that the region’s affordable housing shortage is probably exasperated by the increased prevalence of short-term rentals.

The floor was then turned over to public comment. County residents had many concerns about the proposed ordinance, the first of which centered around the rule stating only properties that have been owned by the record owner for at least two years may qualify for a short-term rental permit. Questions arose about when that rule will take force, and if new property owners who bought before the potential passing of the ordinance will be subject to the new restrictions. Brandon Pangman, Assistant Director of the Planning Department, provided some context as to the reason for the rule, stating the intent was to deter companies and individuals who seek to purchase housing in the county for the sole purpose of generating revenue on speculation, reducing inventory and increasing prices of homes for potential new residents. Public comments then continued, and many salient questions were brought up, such as how many short-term rental permits would be issued, what the fees would be for those permits, what impact a reduction in short-term rentals would have on the local economy, and whether this ordinance would actually increase the availability of affordable housing. There were also suggestions on changing or simplifying some of the ordinance’s statutory language in order to make it more easily understandable. While there was some support for the ordinance, most of the public comments seemed to be in opposition to it.

After public input was exhausted, the Supervisors took an opportunity to provide their opinions. It was reiterated many times that there are valid points to be considered on both sides of this issue, with many different perspectives to assess. They also stressed their intent is not to eliminate short-term rentals, but rather to address many of the problems brought on by them, with an emphasis on protecting current residents’ rights and home equity, while also not creating an undue regulatory burden. The Supervisors agreed that more time was needed in order to appraise the public opinions expressed before making any final decisions, so the issue was tabled until September 20th at the next session in Loyalton. The Supervisors encourage residents to submit comments on the matter to assist in their decision making process.