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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br /> Monday,November 13,2017 <br /> 7:00 o'clock p.m. <br /> 16. #17-3984—CITY OF ORONO TEXT AMENDMENT: RENTAL LICENSING, <br /> VACATION RENTAL PROHIBITION—ConNnued <br /> Carter indicated she does not require a contract since her rentals are short-term but that Vrbo might <br /> require a contract. Carter stated she also has a list of house rules that the guest has to sign off on and that <br /> she always meets her guests and talks to them about any particulars. <br /> Crosby asked what the average compensation is for the evening. <br /> Carter stated it depends on the season but that it ranges from$89 to$119 a night. <br /> Richard Rohrer, 1424 Baldur Park Road,stated the Council heard from some very responsible property <br /> owners but,unfortunately,they are not all like that. Rohrer stated there are some standards of conduct <br /> that they should expect from visitors to the Orono community,and that the property owners should bear <br /> the responsibility for that. Rohrer stated there has to be a way to hold people accountable when they <br /> create a property that creates a nuisance for the neighborhood whether that is done through ordinances or <br /> licensing. <br /> Mayor Walsh closed the public hearing at 7:33 p.m. <br /> Walsh commented there is no silver bullet to solve this issue and that a number of communities have <br /> tackled this situation in different ways. <br /> Seals stated she has been talking with a number of people in the community and that the Council spends a <br /> fair amount of time talking about how property owners have rights. Seals stated the Council also has to <br /> take into consideration those property owners that are not responsible and look at ways to address this <br /> issue that will cause minimum collateral damage. <br /> Seals noted what they heard from the group is that problems seem to arise when a few things happen, <br /> such as absentee landlords,unruly tenants,a large number of guests,people who park on the street,no <br /> penalty when things go wrong and the neighbors do not know who is there. Seals stated the Council's <br /> discussion tonight is to give some direction to Staff on how to draft an ordinance and that they could start <br /> by requiring a license,a house inspection,and then requiring certain rules. One rule could be if the City <br /> or police department receives a call that there are unruly guests,the property owner could lose their rental <br /> license after a certain number of calls. <br /> Seals noted she did own rental properties and that she would tell her renters that if she receives a phone <br /> call,they are done,which was written in the contract. Seals stated she has no problem with two strikes <br /> and you are out. Seals commented they have to have a starting point,which is the license and inspection. <br /> Seals stated she is not sure if the City's online permitting system can track who is staying there,but in her <br /> view there has to be some kind of middle ground. Seals stated in her view the majority of the people in <br /> the room do not have the kind of problems expressed tonight. <br /> Walsh stated he would like to look at Orono as a whole,and that in his view Orono is not a rental <br /> community. Walsh stated the Council hears over and over again that the residents do not want increased <br /> density and that they live here for the schools and the rural community. Walsh stated he does not see <br /> Orono as a transient community and that he does not want to help promote that. Walsh stated Orono is <br /> Page 6 of 17 <br />