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The Myerstown Town Council addressed residents’ concerns about short-term rentals of a property at its monthly meeting on Tuesday.
Two residents stated that the tenants of 11 N. College St. are often disruptive and that the owner often does not respond to complaints promptly and appropriately.
Local resident Lovetla Livinghouse alleged that tenants of the property spoke and acted violently on July 29. She said three neighbors (not including herself) called state police, who took about an hour to arrive on the scene.
Last year, the City Council was made aware of the operation of several Airbnbs in the community and passed an ordinance specifying where short-term rentals are allowed and what restrictions apply to their use.
One licensing requirement is that a short-term rental must have a 24-hour contact number for neighbors in case any problems (including inappropriate contact prohibited by the rental standards) arise.
Livinghouse said the short-term rental contact was slow to respond on July 29 and made no attempt to resolve the issue.
The ordinance requires property owners (or designated contacts within 15 miles of the property) to take action in these cases, such as “informing residents of the rules governing short-term rentals and responding when notified that residents are violating any laws, ordinances or regulations governing their occupancy.”
Livinghouse claims he told her he could not speak to her directly because of his religion, as he is a married Mennonite. She says after she wrote to say she was afraid for her safety, the contact’s wife advised her to “pray to baby Jesus.”
Another neighbor also confirmed that the contact person did not respond adequately to complaints.
The short-term rental ordinance also set a hard cap of 10 overnight guests, with only two people allowed per bedroom for those with fewer than five bedrooms. In April, the property owner requested an exception to allow more than two guests per bedroom, but was denied.
Neighbors said the total number of guests appears to exceed that limit at times, with late-night parties involving more than 10 people.
The property at 11 N. College St. has an operating permit, but it must be renewed annually and can be revoked if the property violates the ordinance.
The Council has also heard complaints from other neighbors of this property at previous meetings.
Council President Park Haverstick II said that while the council had allowed short-term rentals in the hope of bringing tourism revenue into the community, he felt the money was not worth the alleged safety issues.
“These are the things we wanted to avoid,” he explained, referring to the ordinance’s requirements. “My priority will always be the citizens of the district.”
Haverstick said he will contact the owner to see if the issues can be resolved. If not, and if evidence of violations is provided (in the form of police reports, calls to the district and photos from neighbors), the rental’s license may not be renewed.
The ordinance states: “Any person who violates or permits a violation of the provisions of this ordinance shall, upon conviction on summary judgment, pay a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 per violation, plus all court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred by the County of Myerstown.”
However, the Council has so far expressed no interest in taking legal action.
The Council also unanimously approved a proposal from the Recreation Committee to hold a carnival in the recreation area from May 22-26, 2024.
The board has already secured $6,000 in sponsorship money and is beginning to explore possible grants. Councilwoman Kathy Yang said the board hopes to put on six to 10 temporary rides at the event, in addition to entertainment and food.
She said the proceeds will be split as follows: 25 percent will go to the pool, 25 percent to the playground and the rest will go to planned celebrations for the United States’ 500th anniversary.
Read more: Myerstown City Council plans 500th anniversary in the USA
More news from the Council:
- Voted unanimously to host a members-only pool party on August 17th from 7:30pm to 10pm with admission price of $5.
- A previously discussed cornhole tournament was postponed until next year due to a lack of sponsors.
- It was unanimously decided that the library may set up a food truck in the parking lot during a book sale on September 14th from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- Requests for facility use from Dead Isaac 5K and the Football Association deferred.
- Voted unanimously to allow Mission Church to use the gymnasium on Mondays from September 2 to December 30 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at a cost of $25 per day.
- It was unanimously decided to issue a refund for a pool rental that was cancelled due to weather. Normally the pool does not issue refunds (instead, renters must reschedule), but the cancellation occurred at the end of the season, so rebooking was not possible.
The Myerstown Borough Council meets the second Tuesday of each month at the Myerstown Community Center, 101 S. Railroad St. Meetings are open to the public and do not require prior registration.
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