Agenda 8-a - Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 15 between hotels and Airbnbs, as the latter have no health and safety regulations. She said Asheville is seeking several regulations that are good to keep an eye on. Commissioner Jacobs said he sent an article to Laurie Paolicelli about Airbnbs in Manhattan and Brooklyn, which drove up the cost of housing in their neighborhoods. Laurie Paolicelli said it takes a lot of affordable housing off the market. Commissioner Jacobs said yes, this works counter to the County's other purposes. He said it may be wise to ask someone at UNC Business School to look into the effect on tax values by having Airbnbs in a particular neighborhood. Laurie Paolicelli said there are 385 active Airbnb dwellings in Orange County, with rates and demands ever increasing. She said the problem is not as big as it is in larger cities, but it does need to be closely monitored. Steve Brantley said he misspoke regarding adjustments of article 46 funds for agriculture. He said the County was successful in pursuing a golden leaf grant, which is funding new machinery for PFAP. He said it is this program that has a co -pay requirement, which the County has provided. Commissioner Jacobs referred to the position of the development services concierge, which was described as a person at the desk on the second floor. He said it is his understanding that there is still insufficient representation for a businessperson who comes in and meets with Planning and Inspections. He said it is a chronic problem, and asked if this person will help to address this imbalance. Steve Brantley said this person will help facilitate a group of people and departments to get together an ombudsperson effort. He said this person will convene what already exists in the predevelopment meeting, but will now also include Economic Development, the Health Department, etc. Commissioner Jacobs said Environmental Health is another enforcement entity, and he said there are too many of these enforcement entities sitting down with people who do not know how to navigate government. He said he would like to see a County employee sitting next to these people to serve, if not as an advocate, at least as a translator. Steve Brantley said this position is intended to help facilitate the process. Craig Benedict said this person will be a liaison between departments, and a customer service advocate. Bonnie Hammersley said the position being discussed this evening was created in response to some of the issues that happened this past year when people do not know how to navigate the system. Commissioner Price asked Laurie Paolicelli if there is increased interest in coming to Orange County in the aftermath of HB2 /bad publicity. Laurie Paolicelli said those issues do come up, and that is why the VB keeps a fund balance to respond very quickly to such instances. She said a lot of business has been won back, but it is hard to know the amount of business that has been lost. She said tourism levels are returning to normal. Chair Dorosin said he is interested about the Airbnb issue, and hearing more about its impact, but he has no interest in the County getting involved in enforcing HOA regulations in neighborhoods where Airbnb guests are disruptive to neighbors. He said those types of issues are for HOAs to resolve, not the County. Chair Dorosin referred to the notion that Carrboro and Hillsborough do not contribute to the Visitor's Bureau, and said residents of those areas say the occupancy taxes go pursuant to the statute. He asked if there is a funding issue that the County should be thinking about. Laurie Paolicelli said it is a tough question to answer. She said the County collects a 3% tax on all hotels in Orange County, the majority of which comes from Chapel Hill ($1.1 million). She Chapel Hill also opted to give the VB $250,000 annually. She said Carrboro and