A major topic of discussion for Sechelt’s previous council is now raising concerns from some of the new council members who will preside over its implementation: Short-term rental (STR) regulations.
At the Nov. 23 Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting, the committee passed recommendations for council to endorse STR selection criteria, and consider Type 2 and Type 3 STR temporary use permit applications that will be presented in early 2023. Although the process will begin in January, much of the discussion at the COW surrounded a transition period rather than immediate enforcement.
How should STR implementation proceed?
In the meeting's agenda, mayor John Henderson gave a report (that had been referred from the Nov. 6 COW) about the “vigorous debate in the community, with many conflicting comments” regarding short-term rentals in Sechelt.
While Henderson said he is totally supportive of bylaw, he said, “We have to carefully and proactively protect the community… and be sure the short-term rentals are a contributor to our community. But my issue is solely with how we implement the bylaws to ensure the end results are effective.” He encouraged a focus on enforcement.
In a report included in the agenda, Henderson suggested gathering information such as how many STRs Sechelt actually has (and which types), how many complaints have been received, and whether the number of complaints has increased recently. Henderson's report also asked that council be provided with details such as the cost to implement the temporary use permit (TUP) process, which criteria is used for approving those applications, and how much enforcement will cost.
Some of Henderson’s suggestions also included a complaints hotline, creating a definition for neighbourhood fit, soliciting all of the STRs to register with the district immediately, and not charging fees in 2023 to those operators who register now.
The mayor also raised a concern about the proposed schedule to implement the TUP application process — starting in January — and how operators don’t know if they can accept bookings. Coun. Brenda Rowe asked staff to confirm if operators would go without a business licence if it took council time to make a decision about the permits, which director of planning and development Andrew Allen confirmed. Henderson then said the spirit of the bylaw is to transition into effect rather than full implementation. He spoke of not wanting to punish people, but to incentivize.
The mayor also commented on the legal action taken against the district. “I’m very disappointed with the short-term rental operators, those that chose to take legal action. I think that that was a poor choice, and I hope they will withdraw that action. I don’t think it served any purpose to take that step.”
Coun. Donna Bell asked if staff have the time and resources to implement the plan within the current timeframe. Allen said business licensing and renewals for Type 1 will carry on as usual (although the fees have increased). The phase-in relates to Type 2 and Type 3 STRs, and Allen said non-compliance won’t be sought out right away on Jan. 1 or 2. Notice will soon be sent to licence holders. He said it will be a lot of work for staff.
What about water?
Coun. Dianne McLauchlan raised another topic often discussed during the election campaign period: water. “I believe we need to have water meters first, and that we need to ensure that we have water to drink, bathe and flush our toilets before we proceed with any STRs at this point,” she said. “It's not business as usual. We don't even know if we have enough water to get through the winter. We don't have enough water in the spring or summer. We know that. We all ran on the water issue and we have to take care of taxpayers first.”
She suggested following the Town of Gibsons’s lead by only allowing STRs that are within houses and carefully monitored. (Gibsons, she noted, has both an aquifer and water meters.)
“The STR policy is from the last council with some good analysis but, in my opinion, the wrong conclusion,” McLauchlan said. “And as a new council, I think we need to carefully step back and review this.”
She also commented on competing accommodations for visitors and residents, voicing her support for water and housing for residents first.
To the water comment, Henderson said water continues to be a priority, but council also has to carry on with the rest of the community’s priorities. He added that water is a much bigger issue than a few hundred STRs, and re-focused the discussion.
Moving forward
Coun. Adam Shepherd spoke in favour of pressing ahead with the process rather than delaying. Bell said she wants to move forward, but with caution about timing and a manageable transition.
During the meeting, the director of planning and development presented recommendations that council endorse STR selection criteria, and consider Type 2 and Type 3 STR temporary use permit applications to be presented in early 2023. (The next Sechelt council meeting will be held on Dec. 7. The agenda for that meeting will become available on Dec. 2.)
Henderson and McLauchlan were opposed. Henderson then made a motion to increase Type 3 STRs from 15 to 50 for one year (2023 only) so operators would not have to cancel bookings, but there was not a seconder and the motion died on the floor. When meeting attendees applauded, Henderson shut the response down as “not appropriate in a meeting.”
Shepherd said he would have voted against the motion to increase Type 3 (applications for secondary residential properties or the “unhosted” house), saying the previous council worked hard to provide the 15 TUPs as a compromise. “That’s a promise that council made to the community, and I think we should stick to it.”
