Findings of report on tourism management and economic development to be discussed

The council’s Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee will discuss the findings and recommendations of its Tourism Management and Economic Development Temporary Investigative Group—including a proposal to establish caps on all transient accommodations.

The discussion will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 23, at 1:30 p.m.

Committee Chair Keani Rawlins-Fernandez made the announcement saying the negative impacts to residents’ quality of life from overtourism led to the formation of a temporary investigative group, or TIG, and the passage of a bill to establish a moratorium on new transient accommodations for up to two years. 

She chaired the TIG, which also included Council Chair Alice Lee as vice-chair and Councilmembers Tamara Paltin and Shane Sinenci as members.

“During Wednesday’s committee meeting, I plan to have a complete discussion on the TIG’s final report, with the intention of transmitting the legislation to establish caps on transient accommodations to the planning commissions and advisory committees, which is the next step in the review process, before we can pass it into law,” said Rawlins-Fernandez. 

The new transient accommodation moratorium expires upon the enactment of an ordinance that “establishes a transient accommodation limit categorized by accommodation type and by community plan area.” The proposal to be discussed Wednesday is the legislation that triggers the end of the moratorium, Rawlins-Fernandez said.

In addition to the legislation on transient accommodation caps, the remaining draft legislation proposed by the TIG will be taken up in the subject-matter committees, she said. 

The recommendations in the TIG’s final report shouldn’t be considered an exhaustive list of solutions for tourism management or economic development and are focused only on specific priorities within the county’s jurisdiction, Rawlins-Fernandez said.

The committee will accept public testimony on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. via live video at https://bluejeans.com/441891331. Telephone testimony can be made by dialing 1-408-915-6290 and entering code 441 891 331.