Registration Ordinance One Step Closer To Final Approval

The Marco Island City Council on Monday evening would quickly move through its agenda before being embroiled in a protracted debate as to how to proceed in regard to the recently approved voter referendum on the hotly debated citizen referendum on the “Short Term Rental Registration Ordinance.” The vote on that citizen supported initiative was easily approved during a voter referendum which saw the citizen initiative receive just shy of 57% of the vote during the August 23 primary election.

The issues surrounding STR’s (short term rentals) is one which has caused considerable angst amongst communities throughout Florida and nationwide. Groups which have opposed the citizen backed initiative here on the island saw more than $100,000 raised and/or spent in an effort to oppose the effort.

Ed Issler, one of the individuals who helped to spearhead the effort that resulted in a successful vote to approve the much-debated ordinance would caution the council to move carefully to create the mechanics of a good implementation plan for the new requirement for registration of STR’s. 

City staff, as well as members of the committee who brought the voter initiative forward, have met together to begin that process. As part of that effort they have worked together to clean up language issues to ensure the city attorney’s concerns are met regarding the legal language of the document as they bring it forward for the first of two required readings before council.

The meeting on September 19 demonstrated not all on council were confident those concerns have been met as Vice-Chair Jared Grifoni would continue to raise objections to wording, as well as the process. Grifoni was an outspoken opponent of citizen initiative calling for the establishment of the registration requirement.

Councilman Blonna would make a motion to approve the initiative, as well as the suggested changes to clean up the language within the document. Councilor Rola would second that motion and the protracted debate, which would be led by Vice-Chair Grifoni would begin. This would result in Grifoni proposing an amendment to withdraw the changes to the language which was added by staff and the city attorney. His motion would receive a second by Councilor Irwin.

It would be Councilor Babrowski who would put the entire debate into perspective. She would explain that her historical analysis of council’s experience in dealing with the passage of ordinances would show that the passage of legislation would in fact demonstrate that council would treat those pieces of legislation as documents which are historically adjusted over time.

Time was a challenge to council in being able to move the debate forward, so it was agreed to bring the entire reworked and “red-lined” copy back at the second meeting in October for a first reading. Only Grifoni and Irwin would be opposed to that.