The first Board of Aldermen meeting of 2018 was held on Monday, January 8 at 7 p.m. A few highlights from the meeting are below as selected by staff. Official meeting minutes will be posted upon approval after the next Board of Aldermen meeting at which time this post will be updated.
- Citizen Comments: resident Glen spoke in favor of potential future short term home rentals. He would like future policies to be the least restrictive as possible to the home owners. Resident Ron concurs noting there are no hotels in Ballwin.
Both gentlemen have previously rented out their homes through the popular site Airbnb and have since been approached by the City to discontinue renting. Current legislation does not allow short term rentals.
- Ballwin's Board of Aldermen passed all three consent items on the agenda (check signatories, financial statement, and City of WildwoodPool Pass) the last of which continues a 10 year partnership with the City of Wildwood.
- Tuesday, January 9 is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Mayor Tim Pogue took a moment during the meeting to acknowledge his appreciation of Chief Scott and the Ballwin Police Department.
- During the Mayor's report, the board further discussed the topic of short term rentals. No board members spoke in opposition to the Mayor's question about wanting to restrict short term rentals completely. Ordinances in neighboring cities have been and are being explored as guides to the policy consideration. Aldermen Roach and other board members spoke in favor of finding the least restrictive policy as possible for renters when the discussion moves forward. Other discussion revolved around establishing the proper restrictions and guidelines renters must follow to best monitor and regulate the practice. City Attorney Jones mentioned a future step would involve a change in the zoning ordinance and for the City to bring a formal petition to the Planning and Zoning Commission. The City Attorney in conjunction with the Mayor and the Board will construct a first draft of legislation regarding short term rentals to be reviewed at a future meeting.
- The Board via a temporary moratorium on a current ordinance, by simple majority (4-3), voted in favor to allow those renters affected by past short term rental restrictions to continue renting while the new legislation is being drafted to determine appropriate restrictions and policies.
- Director of Development, Andy Hixson presented a timeline for the upcoming Comprehensive Plan project. Alderman Fleming noted 10 years ago, when the last plan was created, technology was not widely used to gather input. Mr. Hixson confirmed electronic communication from the public will be key in the process.
The next Ballwin Board of Aldermen meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, January 22, 2018.
