by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
A Sartell resident whose in-home short-term rental business was nixed by the Sartell City Council April 24 told the council at its May 8 meeting she is disappointed with its unanimous decision to bar short-term rentals from the city.
Julie Meyer, who lives at 1005 Connecticut Ave., noted both the city’s planning commission and the city’s economic-development commission unanimously recommended to the council that it should approve the short-term rental concept for Sartell. Those commissions, after much research, decided short-term rentals are “worthy” for the city.
The council, Meyer said, showed disrespect for the work of those two commissions and hastily voted to nix the short-term rental concept because of what Meyer termed “hearsay” and “what ifs.”
She was referring to questions raised by the council at its April 24 meeting: What if noise and traffic increase? Will children be safe in neighborhoods? What if dangerous people rent there? What if sex-traffickers use such places for prostitution?
Meyer said she felt personally insulted when council member Mike Chisum had surmised someone might use her short-term rental unit, right in her own home, to do some sort of sex-trafficking. It would be absurd, she said, to reserve an owner-occupied rental unit for such a purpose.
She also said she checked data on those “what ifs,” and the police could not provide any, adding she has never had any problems when her house was a host for short-term rentals.
Meyer said many people have voiced “outrage” to her about the council’s decision, and she has received many letters from people upset about it. One friend, who grew up in Sartell, is getting married in Duluth, and her family and friends will stay at short-term rentals in that city, also known as airbnb facilities (airline beds-and-breakfasts).
Short-term rentals would help the economy of Sartell, Meyer maintained. She said she hopes the council will soon reconsider short-term rentals through “fresh eyes” and that the council ceases its disrespect for the commissions who recommended short-term rentals and moves on to approve them.
Meyer gave her comments during the Public Forum portion of the council meeting after which the council makes no comments on the issues raised.
