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Board discusses details of making STR law work

REPORTER FILE PHOTO
REPORTER FILE PHOTO

Substitute “compliance” for “enforcement.”

In getting down to the details of the just-passed law regulating short-term rentals (STRs), the Town Board at its Tuesday work session began by defining the role of the town’s contact person with homeowners renting their property. An original draft by Councilman Jim Colligan had “enforcement officer,” but he readily agreed with his colleagues to change it to “compliance officer.”

This wasn’t an indication the law would not be enforced, Mr. Colligan said, but that a town official will be in charge of helping owners comply with the law.

With the vote on April 21, Shelter Island joins the other East End towns putting restrictions on STRs.

Those restrictions include, among other provisions, that non—owner occupied residences be registered and licensed by the town; abide by advertising restrictions; and no rental in a non-owner occupied residence will be allowed more than once in any 14 day period.

On the need for enforcement, Councilwoman Chris Lewis noted Tuesday that in the past she had mentioned to her colleagues that “most people will follow directions and do the right thing … Most people don’t drive drunk or invade other people’s houses for purposes of burglary, but laws are for people who absolutely refuse to do the right thing.”

Ms. Lewis said Jeanette Flynn, who works as a secretary to many town committees and boards, had agreed that the position of compliance officer seemed to be “manageable” for her even though the position is still in the process of being defined.

Mr. Colligan has put together a preliminary job description that would include, among other duties: informing homeowners on registration prices and collect all registration materials; collect fees; assign a registration number to each rental property; and monitor websites advertising STRs to note if homeowners were complying with the law.

Still to be worked out is how to process complaints that come from the Police Department, neighborhood associations and other sources.

Within the next two weeks, the board will release to the public a summation of the law that will clarify, in layman’s language, the intent and parameters of the new law, and also will draft a form for homeowners who rent their properties on a short-term basis.