Should the city change the rules governing short-term rentals moving forward? When the Sitka Assembly meets tonight (9-13-22), it will consider that question.
Short-term rentals, or STRs, are properties rented for 14 days or less, typically through vacation rental sites like Airbnb and VRBO. Short-term rentals in residential zones require a “conditional use permit” from the city’s planning commission. Right now you don’t have to be a Sitka resident to purchase a property and rent it on Airbnb. If the assembly approves the changes to city-code tonight, it would require any new permit holders to occupy the property for at least 180 days a year, and all short-term rental permits will sunset when a property is sold.
The planning commission approved the ordinance on a 3-1 vote on August 17, and on August 23, the assembly unanimously approved the ordinance on first reading.
In other business, the assembly will hear a final report from the “climate action task force” which was established in 2020 to tackle Sitka’s carbon footprint. A plan is in place to replace the task force with a permanent sustainability commission, with a new city staffer, the “sustainability coordinator,” acting as liaison. The assembly will have the final vote on establishing that commission tonight.
The Sitka Assembly meets at 6 p.m. tonight. Raven News will broadcast the meeting live, following Alaska News Nightly.
