A map showing where current VHR permits are located in Tahoe Township is available at https://douglasnvgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=cdb135c153e94cedad09c9356c7fb7a7 County commissioners are scheduled to discuss the final reading of the new ordinance today in Minden.
It seems appropriate that after proclaiming June Cowboy Hat Month in honor of Carson Valley Days, it took some horse trading to choose five members of the new vacation home rental advisory board approved on Thursday.
Douglas County commissioners appointed former School Board Trustee Keith Byer, Jeffrey Mains, Lauren Romain, Mickie Hempler and Robert Drabrant. Mains and Romain are VHR owners.
Two dozen Lake Tahoe residents applied for the five positions on the board.
Under the proposed bylaws, the panel will hear enforcement appeals from code violations and advise commissioners on potential changes to the program.
A new vacation home rental ordinance was approved 4-1 by commissioners on Thursday.
Commissioner Walt Nowosad was the lone vote against the ordinance, saying he felt the entire program should be eliminated and the current permits expire without being renewed.
“This issue has caused a growth in government,” he said. “We’ve hired on three new code enforcement officers. The only solution to this problem is to close it off forever with no renewals of permits. Let them expire and the VHRs go away.”
Commissioner Mark Gardner expressed the feelings of the majority of the board, pointing out the lengthy process to get to the point.
“It’s not perfect,” he said. “But we’ll be able to make changes when the advisory board comes back to us.”
Rentals would be limited to two people per bedroom or four per parking space and requires a special use permit for rentals with occupancies of more than 10 people.
The advisory panel’s first job will be to select a chairman and vice chairman and determine by lot who gets four and who gets two-year terms and work on the bylaws prepared by county staff.
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An ordinance to regulate vacation home rentals in Tahoe Township will have what could be its last hearing before Douglas County commissioners at 1 p.m. today.
Among the amendments in the county code is a 600-unit cap on VHRs, a one per owner permit, limiting density in neighborhood areas among others.
The ordinance has undergone its first reading, and if commissioners are amenable, will become part of the county code today.
Douglas County commissioners will meet 1 p.m. today at the historic Douglas County Courthouse, 1616 Eighth St. Minden. You can watch online by visiting www.douglascountynv.gov and clicking Watch Board Meetings.
Complaints about vacation home rentals among neighbors have helped drive some of the new rules.
Rentals would be limited to two people per bedroom or four per parking space and requires a special use permit for rentals with occupancies of more than 10 people.
County commissioners are also scheduled to appoint members of a Vacation Home Rental Advisory Board.
Two dozen Lake Tahoe residents applied for the five positions on the board.
Three of those applications are from people with vacation home rental permits. Under bylaws being presented to commissioners today, the majority of advisers can’t be vacation home rental owners.
Under the proposed bylaws, the panel will hear enforcement appeals from code violations and advise commissioners on potential changes to the program.
One of the first tasks of the new panel when it meets will be to adopt the bylaws presented by county staff.
