Thank you again for signing the petition to help prioritize families and protect the character and livability of Two Rivers. We presented your voices to the City Council during last night’s work session, and I’m reminded of the expression, “I’m not surprised, just disappointed.” Every council member was pro-Airbnb, ranging from advocating Airbnbs to ambivalent. Really only Mr. Wachowski offered potential solutions, and Ms. Shimulunas and Mrs. Derby advocated somewhat for residents to a degree.
The short version? Residents are being sold out for about $30k of general tax dollars, and an additional $70k of taxes that can only be used for more tourism.
Meeting Highlights
- City Council’s Position: Most council and staff were focused on minimizing Airbnb issues by downplaying what it’s like living next to loud tourists, and by saying that Airbnbs have have no impact on housing prices. Council also lacked any understanding about basic Airbnb regulations already in place, with one council member even asking where the regulations were in our laws. (6-13; Short-term Rentals)
- Pushback on Petition: The petition was a valid way for residents to ask for Council to act (104 residents signed so far). Mr. Bittner, Mr. Wachowski, and Mrs. LeClair all said residents should reach out to them directly instead of petition. Mr. Wachowski did end up agreeing that a listening session would be a good idea if people will showed up.
- Lack of Understanding: There were several instances where Council and the city lawyer were unclear on key issues. I won’t bore you with pages of notes of everything they didn’t know.
- Room Tax Over Residents: It was clear that room tax was the only important thing, and resident concerns and community weren’t even discussed. In fact they were completely dismissed for 1.5 hours until the end when Mr. Wachowski spoke up about it.
Where We Go from Here
- Attend Future Meetings: The Council acts different when residents are there. I know it’s tedious to sit there, but they need to know the residents are holding them accountable. And with a more positive spin, I think it encourages them when citizens are interested and engaged.
- Build Awareness: Encourage friends, family, and neighbors to stay informed about this issue. We need our leaders to start listening to the residents, and we need families in this city, not just empty homes and tourists. 400+ second homes and 70+ Airbnbs… Look at the half-empty downtown, and all the things the city has lost in recent decades, because there aren’t enough people living and working in the city anymore.
Thank you for your support this weekend. The petition is still active, so keep encouraging people to add their name.
Petition: https://tworiversmatters.com/#str-petition
Video of the meeting can be found here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dhdz5p8TkTY
