Dave Rader, lake owner and TLA member requested assistance in getting the word out about a new application fee for owners who wish to rent their homes out as a vacation rental. There are approximately 20 homes on the lake that are vacation rentals. Prior to this notice, the county did not require any paperwork for vaction rentals (ie: business license, registration, etc.). This will obviously impact all lake owners who rent their properties on the lake.
Please feel free to contact Dave Rader with any questions. You're welcome to share this new information with other lake front owners who rent as well. Please leave a comment below with any questions and we will get back to you with an answer asap. This will likely be a agenda item at the next regular TLA meeting on November 4, 2015.
Here is the email from Mr. Rader, names have been edited to protect the innocent.
_____________________________________
From: fantomrody@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2015 12:39 PM
To: tenmilelakes@gmail.com
Subject: Yesterdays Meeting about the $2550.00 App Fee
Hello,
My name is Dave Rader, a vacation rental property owner. I am starting a [group] email with all property owners I know so everyone can be informed as to our situation. I believe if we all get together and tell the commissioners what has happened, we might be able to get this $2550.00 application fee overthrown or at least [down to a] more reasonable [fee]. With that being said, this is what I know for a fact.
The County Commissioners knew nothing about the planning department's new legislation of a one time, non transferable fee of $2550.00 that vacation rental owners had to pay to the planning [department]. When I asked Jill if this was ever brought up for public vote or awareness, she said that an amended text was sent to all property owners however, as you know she sent them to the property name advertised on VRBO instead of the actual property owners address which is why no one received the amended legislation known as OR 56 I believe. Because none of the property owners knew anything about this, the Planning Department passed the resolution as there was no one present to oppose it. When Jill looked up my tax lot it turns out that I'm zoned rural residential so being in a forest zone was not an issue for a conditional use permit. She said it would be easy for me to be in compliance and handed me the application however, since I was not grandfathered in because I didn't have my 2015 license, I would have to pay the $2550.00 to be compliant for 2016. When I asked her how could I be grandfathered in by having a 2015 license when I just received the application in the mail on October 8, 2015, I believe the reply was I should have been at the meeting in June when the amended text for OR56 was discussed. When I told her I never received anything in the mail about it, she replied that the notice was sent to all property owners.
As you recall in yesterday's meeting, Jill denied giving the health department her permission to use the Planning Department letterhead for their correspondences to property owners regarding health department issues with vacation rental owners. I have just learned from a property owner who has been in touch with the health department several times to see what needed to be done to be compliant with the department of health for her rental and it was discovered that Jill or someone from the planning dept. asked or told a lady at the health department to actually use the planning dept. letterhead to send out their compliance letters to property owners and there is an email proving it. Whether or not we could get a copy of it is unknown.
So here is my assessment: The county commissioners want to impose a 10% transient tax to out of town visitors that will boost county tax revenue that will not put a financial burden on property owners. The planning commission/department is feeling a little left out so they passed this new one time non transferable application fee of $2550.00 down to all property owners without any of us knowing as they sent the amended legislation notice to the wrong addresses and unanimously passed the bill behind close doors since no owners were there to dispute it.
I don't know how much pull the county commissioners have over the planning department but I feel that as many property owners as possible should get together and let the commissioners know how unfair this is, perhaps it can be overturned or at least reduced to something that is somewhat more affordable. Since the county stands to generate substantial tax revenues from us, I feel it would be in their best interest to help us.
If you or any other property owners have any input or suggestions, I would love to hear them. Also, if any one knows or has contact information and would like to forward this or start a group email so that more owners are notified of what is going on and want to help, I would greatly appreciate it. If anyone wants to email the commissioners about this ludicrous legislation it appears that Robert "Bob" Main is the most influential. His email address can be found on the Coos County Commissioners web site or follow the link below to go directly to the site:
Thanks so much and good luck to us all. Sincerely, Dave
