Minden, NV- During the Board of County Commissioners
meeting held on March 4,2021, the Board provided policy direction on the
Vacation Home Rental (VHR) Program. The Board made approximately 50
policy decisions for the future of the VHR program. Some of the decisions
include maintaining the current ban on VHRs in the East Fork Township,
establishing a cap of 600 permits in the Tahoe Township, establishing a
three-tier permitting system, and the formation of a VHR Appeals and Advisory
Board. Direction was provided regarding permitting requirements, parking,
noise, health and safety, trash, and fines and penalties.
The Board accepted most of the recommendations made in the
VHR report from County Manager, Patrick Cates first presented during a board
meeting in October of 2020. This report incorporated recommendations from the
VHR Task Force, composed of 15 Douglas County residents. The Board of County
Commissioners has been considering changes to the VHR program since 2017, with
the current ordinance in place since 2018. Since then, the County has
conducted extensive outreach, including public workshops and surveys, and the
formation of the VHR Task Force.
“This was a big night for Douglas County,” said County
Manager Patrick Cates. “The Task Force conducted exhaustive research and
healthy debate for over a year to derive their recommendations. I cannot
adequately express my gratitude to the citizens who participated in that
massive undertaking for all their hard work. I also thank the
Commissioners for their diligent work on this complicated and contentious
issue. We now have clear direction and can begin moving forward with
these new regulations,” said Cates.
To implement these changes, resolutions and ordinances will
need to be drafted and presented to the Board for approval. Ordinances
must be heard at two Board of County Commission meetings before they can be
approved. Ordinances are then subject to a 35-day waiting period before they
are affected as required by Nevada statutes. The Board also voted to
approve a resolution to maintain a temporary suspension on the issuance of new
permits pending implementation of new regulations in the interim.
“I would like to thank my fellow commissioners for their
time and dedication to reviewing the information presented by County staff and
the Task Force,” said Jon Engels, Commission Chairman. “My hope is that these
policy decisions are a starting point down a path to provide what’s best for
the community while enacting the essential enforcement necessary for the
establishment of a sustainable VHR program in Douglas County.”