PROTEST

public a airs director, said: “At this point in the process, our focus is the identi cation of short-term rentals and the enforcement logistics for updated regulations. Ideally, those regulations will be adopted in early 2024.”

She said because community input was important in the revisions, the county will conduct meetings to get feedback. Aug. 16 and Sept. 12 will be virtual meetings, while an in-person meeting will be Aug. 30. Meeting details will be available shortly.

Coalition members said that the July 14 protest that Je co had not informed them of the meeting dates.

Learn more about the coalition at Je coShortTermRentals.com. e yer the coalition handed out told Je co o cials: “We need action, not bureaucracy. Where are you? Talk to us! Ask for our input. Hold public hearings.” e Foothills Community Action Group wants Je co o cials to understand that having a shortterm rental — known as an STR — in the foothills is di erent than having one down the hill. ey are concerned that STRs with hot tubs are using excessive water, hurting other homeowners’ wells and septic systems; that some absentee STR owners aren’t monitoring the properties or the people staying in them; and that out-of-town guests don’t understand wild re risks, endangering neighbors. ey also say that STRs are so lucrative that property owners would rather use houses as shortterm rentals rather than renting to people who work or live in the foothills and want longer leases, continuing the foothills’ problems with a lack of available housing. While the coalition would prefer that STRs be banned in the foothills, it wants to work with the county to strengthen the rules and enforcement to help solve some of the issues.

Coalition member Ilene Holcomb said it was important to inform others about issues with short-term rentals in the foothills because they don’t realize the problems they can cause.

Among the rules in the current Je co STR regulations are that STRs must be on a minimum oneacre lot; adequate parking must be provided, equaling the number of bedrooms in the home plus an additional spot; defensible space requirements must be met; and there can be no more than ve bedrooms. e county believes there are about 900 homes operating as STRs in unincorporated Je erson County, though it is di cult to get data on exactly how many are operating, and only 28 of them have received county permits.

Owners must go through an application process that includes a hearing before the county’s Board of Adjustment, and if someone complains about an unpermitted STR, one of the county’s four enforcement sta members tries to validate the complaint within three to four days. e operator will have 10 days to correct the violation.

When someone at the April 27 asked why the county allows STRs in the foothills and what are the bene ts, Je co Planning and Zoning Director Chris O’Keefe noted that some believe STRs are important and good for the community.