In connection with conservatives concerned about private property and individual liberty
In spite of a lengthy city council meeting which forced a number of people to leave before the item came up for discussion ...
The Torrance City Council voted against an all-out ban on short-term rentals and programs like Airbnb.
This is great news!
Men and women in their cities should stop listening to the listless naysayers who don't accomplish anything. They need to recognize their power and authority to change minds and make a difference in their cities.
As Marc Danziger commented during the urban coyote workshop: "Coyotes don't vote. We do!"
More Americans, more citizens in their cities need to wake up and take charge.
They have the power, they need to wield it.
I contacted a number of local leaders as well as short-term rental owners.
I also spoke with my city councilmembers--as many as I could contact.
While there are abusers of the short-term rental process, an all-out ban is simply not the answer.
Too many restrictions on private property have passed in the city of Torrance.
It's time for more residents to step up and demand their rights as homeowners, proprietors, and individuals within their own spheres of influence in the city.
While two homeowners submitted their frustrations about short-term rental abuses in their neighborhoods, a number of the complaints really reflected the fear of the unknown.
I contacted other homeowners, renters in Torrance, and they told me that they like the extra income. Many people in the city cannot afford to maintain or upkeep their homes because of the skyrocketing development prices.
One short-term rental owner, Michael Block, informed the council through his supplemental material to the public that he has served a number of visitors to the city, whether they were seeking medical treatment or wanted to avoid the stuffy feeling of an impersonal hotel. He even submitted to paying a tax and allowing inspections in his home if city leaders still held concerns.
This approach is the way to go. A blanket ban is unacceptable. The thousands of homeowners in the city should not suffer a severe loss of autonomy over their property because of a few irresponsible lessors in the city.
Finally, citizens are speaking out forcefully to end the city council/city management bureaucracy wrangling.
While I could not stay for the rest of the meeting to speak out against the Airbnb ban, a good friend of mine named Janet West read my comments to the city council.
She and six others spoke on the matter.
Apparently, the input of so many swayed a number of council members.
Janet West later texted to me:
Did not pass. Most of council interested in regulating
instead of banning. Tabled for 60 days
The only one to vote for it was the lady. I ran out of time
with your comments so didn't get in the last two parts. You must speak faster
than I do.
Three of them, I think, said they had initially been for the
ban but changed their minds when they looked into it. The mayor said he was
against band because they usually have unintended consequences.
They changed their minds. How about that?
The city is supposed to come up with new proposal to
regulate in 60 days. everyone was so tired last night they started laughing when
it was proposed for 30 days. I guess the city staff had a lot on its plate
right now.
Indeed.
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| Torrance City Hall |
I had texted five of the city council members to table the item, too, before going to sleep.
I hope that other people in the city did the same thing.
No matter what many may say about fighting city hall ("You can't!"), the truth is that you can!
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