The Gellatly Bay Goats Peak Community Association has submitted the following input via email with regards to the proposed short term rental regulations which will be discussed in tomorrow’s (3/16) City of West Kelowna council meeting.
Attention City Clerk
Via Email (submissions@westkelownacity.ca)
RE: File No. P 20-16
To Whom This May Concern,
The Gellatly Bay Goats Peak Community Association (GBGPCA) would like to provide additional input on the revisions posted to the Proposed Regulations for Short Term Rentals particularly around:
- Occupancy Levels
The original draft regulations proposed limiting the maximum occupancy to 6 guests. The updated regulations (Feb. 23, 2021) for SHORT TERM RENTAL, MAJOR now state a maximum occupancy of 4 Guest Rooms with a maximum 2 adults per guest room resulting in a maximum of 8 adults. This updated regulation no longer states a maximum guest occupancy limit; it now only limits the number of adults.
GBGPCA request a maximum guest occupancy limit be included in this regulation to help ensure the safety of these guests and mitigate noise and other good neighbour concerns. - Enforcement
We are pleased to see the additional Bylaw ticket offences and increase to the maximum daily fines in this amended proposal, however, we do not see an increase in the Bylaw staffing hours which is needed to enforce these in our community. At minimum GBGPCA would like to see this plan include Bylaw Officers working on a shift schedule that extends to midnight for the Summer season.
Majority of infractions occur outside the existing Bylaw operating hours and as such the City of West Kelowna should adopt a similar Bylaw schedule as the City of Kelowna which has officers working in specific zones, 4 days on, 4 days off covering 7 days a week with two rotating shifts of 6 am to 5 pm & 1 pm to midnight with responsive access to a RCMP officer. If necessary the City should move forward with registration and collection of a Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) for all Short Term Rentals with the revenue being invested back into enforcement and support. - License Caps and Temporary Use Permits for Non-Adhering Short Term Rentals
In order to preserve the sense of community and align with the City’s vision the GBGPCA would like to see caps put in place on the number of Short Term licenses especially as it pertains to Gellatly Bay. A fair way to turnover licenses within the neighbourhoods year over year potentially through a lottery system.
Similarly the introduction of Temporary Use Permits for Non-Adhering Short Term Rentals should include a cap and require public feedback and input before a license is granted.
Overall we applaud your efforts on this initiative and believe these regulations are a step in the right direction for this currently illegal but very operational industry in our city.
Sincerely,
The Gellatly Bay Goats Peak Community Association
gellatlybaycommunity@gmail.com
www.gellatlybaycommunity.com
Gellatly Bay Goats Peak Community Association 