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Posted: Mar 21, 2008 - 09:44:10 PDT
Lincoln City enforcing vacation rental ordinance
By Kendall S. Cable Of the News-Times
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Timothy Novak |
It did not take long after the City of Lincoln City's amended vacation rental dwelling ordinance passed for enforcement to take hold.
Beginning Jan. 8, Timothy Novak joined the Lincoln City Planning and Community Development Department as a full-time planning permit technician charged with the enforcement of vacation rental dwelling permit stipulations. Since that time, 270 residential-zoned VRD renewal applications were sent out, and 209 returned by the Jan. 31 deadline. Forty-one revocation notices were mailed to those not submitting an application, and 14 appeals regarding revocation were filed. Revocations require a vote by city council.
As part of the process, Novak personally inspected each property to insure there was at least one parking space per bedroom, a local representative of each property was in place, and that a sufficient trash service and trash containers were utilized. He also checked that there were smoke detectors in each room of each dwelling and that there were no 2007 outstanding and confirmed violations.
"The process seems to be going very well, and all parties seem to be very positive," Novak explained. "There are always parties who are disgruntled after many years of not having to be held accountable to their agreement when they sign up for a permit."
Pacific Retreats - Vacation Home Rentals President Carolyn Plummer said she met Novak in person on Feb. 10, but felt like she knew him prior to that point because they shared numerous conversations regarding a dwelling with the company for 20 years. Novak told Plummer that parking was inadequate at the dwelling according to the VRD ordinance. He recommended she blacktop a space, which is now in process.
"I found him very nice to work with and a reasonable person," Plummer recalled. "We feel if we respond in a timely fashion, we will be met with reasonable reactions with the city," she said.
The only remaining glitch regarding the VRD process, according to Plummer, is that VRD permits cannot be transferred to an heir.
"We can make them promise not to sell, but we can't make they promise not to die," she said.
In addition to working with those who look after such dwellings, Novak also takes part in the prosecution of illegally operating VRDs by researching if a VRD carries a permit and if the owner pays transient room tax.
Novak said the majority of the owners he works with are in compliance with the ordinance, but added some are surprised and feel singled out when he speaks with them.
"We are not out here to be enemies of VRDs or to get the VRDs," Novak said. "They certainly play an important role in our community, but it is a matter of holding them to task."
He added he wants to make the community a healthy place to live or visit, where people can feel safe and enjoy themselves.
Novak is originally from Klamath Falls. He earned a bachelor's degree in geography from the University of Oregon, and is married to Nadia. He has taught English in Belgrade, Serbia, and lived in Greece and Turkey.
For further information, contact Novak at 996-1226.
Kendall S. Cable is a reporter for the News-Times. She can be reached at 265-8571 ext. 212 or kcable@newportnewstimes.com.
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