8(a) Approval of August 16, 2018 Minutes

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over the winter when he doesn't work often. He was advised to try to find a way to store them on the lot with the dwelling. Chair Hallan stated this commission is not in favor of changing the ordinance. c. Meeting Attendance Bittner explained the importance of notifying City Hall when members are going to be absent. Emergencies can happen,but members must contact City Hall at their earliest convenience that they cannot attend. City Hall closes at 4:0o PM and decisions to cancel a meeting need to take place as soon as possible. She requested a minimum of 24-hour notice from Planning Commission members that they will be absent. Planning Commission Member Birch requested being notified of special meetings by telephone also. Bittner also noted the liaisons for upcoming City Council meetings. OLD BUSINESS: a. Short-term Rental Ordinance Chair Hallan noted that responses from the lake associations had been included, as well as ordinances from City of Brainerd, City of Minneapolis,and Aitkin County. Bittner stated there is a handout from someone who rents their lake property on the table. Our Ordinance allows four l�ases per year with a definition of lease as any lease shorter than 3o days per year. Staff reminded him that lease period is not defined. Chair Hallan stated the Ci�ty of�emi�lji no longer allows any leases. They had a very compre�nsive ordinance but over the last i2 years decided to do away with it. Pequot Lakes inay not want to allow zero leases,but do we want to modify from four. The City of Lake Shore just modified their ordinance into specific districts — one district allows weekly rentals for six months. Planning Commission Memb,er Birch stated he had attended the planning trainings in Staples and most of the communities present are having the same discussions. He personally is not in favor of banning this type of rental as the community needs the extra traffic to stay vital. He is in favor of addressing it through a licensing methodology which would give us more control and the flexibility to pull that license. Chair Hallan stated he is a proponent for keeping it and is not in favor of doing away with it. We need to make it more defined. We should require an end of year report. It won't be the City policing this; it will be the surrounding property owners. Planning Commission Member Birch stated it realistically is only four to five months a year when the lake properties are rented. MINUTES � Pequot Lakes Planning Commission August 16, 2oi8