For years Sedona’s most pressing issue to many residents has been the city’s regulation, or lack of, for short-term rentals.
But after the City Council’s rare 4-3 vote to hire a lobbyist as additional support for the issue, the debate for the city’s next move has been ongoing. While state law prohibits towns, cities or counties from regulating rentals, legislators can be persuaded to change the laws.
On Nov. 9, the discussion began with the past progress and new proposed regulations for short-term rentals led by League of Arizona Cities and Towns Executive Director Tom Belshe and concluded with the introduction of the city’s new private lobbyist, Paul Senseman, of the Phoenix-based Policy Development Group.
“Many cities and towns have private lobbyists they work with. We work with them all the time,” Belshe said. “We see it as a force multiplier. If that’s something you want to spend your money on, that is completely up to the city. The only thing we ask, which I’m sure we are not going to have an issue with, is coordination with the League and with the other cities.”
Belshe, who has been the League’s executive director since 2019 after serving as deputy director since 2004, stated the first step in the League’s work group will be reviewing proposed regulations from cities all across the state. Belshe said other popular tourist cities such as Page, Paradise Valley and Lake Havasu have all expressed their desire to push this into the legislature since the short-term rental issue was legalized by Senate Bill 1350 in 2016.
“You are having the same exact discussions that we have been having since 2018,” Belshe said.
Along with council staff, he presented Lake Havasu City’s proposed resolutions for short-term rental issues to the council meeting. This proposal included:
- Requiring the owner of the short-term rental to provide their name and phone number to all other homeowners within 300 feet of the rental property
- Requiring the owner of the short-term rental to display a sign containing a 24-hour emergency contact number
- Requiring the owner of the short-term rental to provide proof of a business license issued by the city
- City Council determining the allowed percentage of short-term rentals from the existing housing stock
Belshe stated that the main issue the League, the 91 cities it represents and their private lobbyists have faced in the past three years has been finding a “legislative champion” to pick up the proposal. And with 11 lawmakers departing from the Arizona Legislature in 2021, the process has become more difficult to find this champion.
The council seemed to agree as Vice Mayor Scott Jablow stated that there is more hope now than before to resolve this issue.
“This is the single issue that is destroying our city,” Councilwoman Holli Ploog said. “There is nothing more important than this issue.”
Multiple council members agreed with Ploog, including Councilwoman Jessica Williamson and Councilman Jon Thompson, that short-term rentals are the most immediate issue for the city and its people. During his introduction to the council, Senseman addressed their concerns for the issue. He also stated that he agreed with the plans and progress that the League presented on behalf of the cities and towns they represent.
According to both Belshe and Senseman, PDG and the League have a great working relationship, which they plan on continuing through this advocacy for short-term rentals in Arizona cities and towns. This partnership plans to work with City Council and staff to finalize Sedona’s proposed resolutions. These proposals will be shared with other cities and towns in the League.
Belshe said he hopes to have the League’s working group done with the agreed upon four to five resolutions by the end of this month.
