Town council hears from both sides of the issue during short-term rental meeting

Continued from Page 2

Raymond said “my heart breaks” for those dealing with noise issues, but noted she has the right to say yes or no to potential tenants and that if the town keeps growing, people are going to have to have places for outof-town guests to stay.

Raymond also told town council she has spent upwards of $40,000 on her Amherstburg unit.

“Don’t paint everyone with the same brush,” she said. “I think $500 is a bit steep, honestly.”

Trevor Wheaton said he has units locally and in Harrow and said “you don’t have to live on site to operate smoothly.”

“To put something on airBnb hosts that are doing a good job just isn’t right,” he said.

Linda Georgiu and Teresa Conte, both Lake Erie Country Club residents, said that area has had its issues too and asked for amendments that owners of short-term rentals must live nearby.

Conte added with a licensing regime, she believed it would lead to operators who aren’t as stringent.

“What you will be doing is closing out (operators) who are not serious,” she stated.

Stanley Razenberg called for council to adopt the non-owner bylaw in appendix “C”, which it would do,

“It is respectfully submitted that Council’s approach to the regulation of short term rentals should focus not on reducing the number of available units, but rather on regulating the units in place to support a healthy balance between the interests of the town’s residents and that of the town’s tourism and local economy,” he stated in a written submission that was read by Fox.

Razenberg also stated “It is respectfully submitted that short term rentals can be effectively regulated without the requirement for owner-occupied restrictions” and “on the one hand, it is understandable that Council needs to implement rules and regulations so that all residents can enjoy their homes without unreasonable interruption. On the other hand, it is respectfully submitted that a fabric of this community is the tourism it attracts. Many of the local small businesses rely upon this tourism, and it is important to safeguard these economic interests.”

Tetler indicated short-term rental units wouldn’t be penalized if they are making an attempt to comply with the new bylaw but face delays with such things as inspections.

“We’re getting there,” added Ciliberto, adding he also saw improvement from the first game against the Belle River Nobles.

Ciliberto added there was some disappointment with the result against Essex but said the coaches were proud of the effort of the players.

“It was a very winnable game,” he said. “We’re trending in the right direction. We didn’t give them a whole lot.”

The defensive effort versus Essex was also good, Ciliberto believed. The rookies had a strong effort, as he said they “played extremely well.”

“They are a pleasant surprise,” said Ciliberto.

The game against Kingsville is one of two road games this season and is this Thursday (April 20). The Wolves return home to face Cardinal Carter April 25.

The Wolves go on the road to play the Leamington Lions May 1 and are scheduled to wrap up the six-game regular season May 8 at the Libro Centre against Tecumseh Vista Academy.

All games are at 4 p.m.