A Special Called Meeting of the Mayor and City Council of the City of Pooler, Georgia shall be held on Wednesday, March 27 at 9:00 a.m. at Pooler City Hall located at 100 US Highway 80 SW, Pooler, Georgia, 31322 in relation to Ordinance O2024-03.A – Short-Term Rental Requirements.
We appreciate our community’s active participation at our recent town hall meeting, where we discussed the short-term vacation rental ordinance. After the town hall, we had planned to hold a workshop and provide additional public input opportunities. However, unforeseen circumstances now require us to expedite the process.
Why the Rush?
- Legislative Threat:
- The Georgia Assembly is expected to consider an amendment that would preempt local governments from regulating short-term rental (STR) properties (such as Airbnb and VRBO).
- If this legislation passes, our ability to implement local regulations would be severely restricted if not blocked altogether.
- We cannot risk having no framework in place to address short-term rentals in our community.
- Balancing Act:
- While we deeply value community input and transparency, we must strike a balance.
- Waiting for further workshops and input sessions could leave us vulnerable to the impending state law.
- Our goal is to protect our community’s interests while respecting the legislative process.
Our Approach:
- Immediate Action:
- We will hold an emergency meeting to consider passing an edited version of the ordinance.
- This step is necessary to ensure that we have some regulations in place before any state-level preemption occurs.
- We will post this version of the ordinance online as soon as possible and will read through the ordinance at the meeting.
- Advocacy:
- We encourage you to contact your state senator promptly. Ben Watson, Billy Hickman, & Derek Mallow are the State Senators that represent some part of our city.
- Express your opposition to any preemptive legislation that prevents our city from regulating short-term rental measures.
- Your voices matter, and collective advocacy can influence legislative decisions.
- Hope for the Best:
- Our hope is that the legislation does not pass and if it does not, we will keep our planned workshops and public input sessions to refine the ordinance as planned.
- By acting swiftly, we aim to protect our community’s interests while maintaining flexibility for future amendments.
Thank you for your understanding and commitment to our community’s well-being. Let’s work together to shape responsible policies that benefit us all.