Short Term Vacation Rentals Are Here to Stay; Councilmember Campbell, Not So Much
The San Diego City Council gave first approval to an ordinance creating a regulatory framework for Short Term Vacation Rentals (STVR) by an 8-1 margin on Tuesday. Council President Jen Campbell is responsible marshalling support for the effort.
The sole vote in opposition came from Council member Joe LaCava who said he “remained unwavering” in his stance that short-term rentals should be prohibited.
There are details to be worked out, specifically the format for a proposed lottery system for distributing licenses, a price tag for those permits and the approval of the Coastal Commission. But the fact remains, as of July 1, 2022 the “Wild West Days” of Airbnb, et. al., are over.
A big part of figuring out a pathway to (STVR) legalization concerned coming up with an accurate census of properties in the city. This is a chicken vs egg quandary; the numbers are incomplete and will remain so until such time as an enforcement mechanism is in place.
Pre-pandemic research is not relevant anymore; every aspect of the hospitality industry has changed and may further evolve as the number of cases continues to drop. The only certainty in this area is that things will not return to the way they were. For that reason, I’m not including any of the claims being made about the impact of the STVR ordinance; I just don’t trust any of the numbers.
A couple of years back, the City Council responded to pressures from some community groups and tried to ban rentals of second homes for short-term stays. They withdrew the ordinance, facing a successful referendum signature gathering campaign sponsored by the STVR industry.
Had there been an election on the ordinance, I’m certain San Diegans would have endorsed the industry’s position, just as I’m sure those calling for a complete ban are a noisy minority.
What the City Council passed this time around is being called a compromise. Councilmember Campbell sought and received input from booking agencies, owner/operators, and the union representing workers in the part of the industry (hotels) most negatively impacted by the growth of STVRs.
There is opposition to the Council’s decision coming from coastal community planning groups and some grassroots activists who say they weren’t at the table during negotiations.
Objections to the ordinance and the manner in which it was created are one of two primary reasons (the other being her support for Measure allowing tall structures in the Midway District) being given for a recall drive aimed at Council President Jen Campbell. Last week they submitted a notice of intent, signature gathering will be under way soon.
They will need to collect 14,000 signatures in her district during the coming 120 day period. Given the limitations on public gatherings (which could be used to recruit supporters), they’re going to need to find funding to pay professional signature gatherers.
What I’ve seen is that the mostly likely funding sources (Barbara Bry has been mentioned) are aligned with groups opposing organized labor. Any group running a campaign denigrating workers as a “special interest” will not have my support.
From KPBS:
Leaders of the campaign include five prominent civic leaders from each neighborhood in Campbell's district: Kevin Hastings, vice chair of the Ocean Beach Planning Board; Cathie Umemoto, a director on the Pacific Beach Town Council Board of Directors; Mandy Havlik, board member and secretary of the Peninsula Community Planning Board; Erin Cullen, board member of the Clairemont Community Planning Group; and Gary Wonacott, former president of Mission Beach Town Council.
I agree with the criticisms being made about Campbell with regard to her temperament and engagement with constituents. If she can’t be bothered to deal with people who disagree with her, she needs to go.
There is also the matter of the effort to make her Council President, with opponents of criminal justice reform running a sub rosa campaign to keep Council member Monica Montgomery-Steppe from getting empowered to set the agenda.
Darwin Fishman with Racial Justice Coalition, spelled out the case against Campbell as part of a four-pack of op-eds published by the Union-Tribune.
Campbell has not introduced or supported any significant legislation that helps marginalized communities in San Diego. In fact, she has often been on the wrong side of the most critical votes for racial justice and equity. The Racial Justice Coalition will not stand idly by. We will not simply watch her wreak havoc on the communities we work and live in.
What Campbell has done, what she stands for, is an insult — not just to the RJCSD mission for racial justice and equity, but to all the marginalized communities in San Diego.
So here’s my take on the recall: it’s a waste of time and money. Having said that, I believe it would be in the best interests of the city if she was defeated at the ballot box in 2022.
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