by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Citing potentially adverse effects on neighborhoods, the Sartell City Council nixed two requests at its April 24 meeting – short-term rentals and beekeeping.
Both requests had been recommended for council approval by the Sartell Planning Commission. In addition, city staff recommended approval of the beekeeping request, and the Sartell Economic Development Commission recommended passage of the short-term rental concept.
Both requests, which had been studied for months, were presented in public hearings.
Beekeeping
The council voted 4-1 against amending the city animal ordinance to allow beekeeping in residential neighborhoods in Sartell. Council member Ryan Fitzthum voted in favor of the proposal.
Concerns by the other council members included people in the vicinity of neighborhood honey-bee hives who might be allergic to bee stings, many people’s fear of bees and bees flying loose from their hives in other yards.
The request required that adjacent neighbors would have to sign permission to allow the hives in an adjacent yard.
Jesse Jaskolka, a member of the Tri-County Beekeepers Association, told the council he contacted staff throughout the greater St. Cloud area and had not heard any complaints about cases where residents are allowed to do beekeeping of honey bees. Honey bees are very important as pollinators and would thus be beneficial if allowed to be kept in neighborhoods, Jaskolka said. He also noted protection and nurturing of honey bees is a good thing to do because the bee population has declined in the past decade or so because of bee colony collapse.
The request came with requirements: having neighbors sign permission forms, ensuring water availability within 25 feet of the hive or hives; maintaining the outside of hives against weathering; the posting of a sign by the hive(s); placing them at a minimum of 10 feet from the property border of the yard.
Some cities in the area do have beekeeping allowances in their city ordinances, Sauk Rapids being one of them.
Short-term rentals
The council voted unanimously against allowing short-term rentals in Sartell.
Short-term rentals mean allowing residential homeowners to rent out part of their homes to short-term guests, those who would visit the city and stay for up to 30 days.
The concept has become increasingly common throughout the world, thanks mainly to an Internet booking system called Airbnb (short for Air(line) Bed ‘n’ Breakfast) and other online rental services. Instead of travelers staying in hotels or motels, many now choose to stay in homes during their visits to cities, either during business trips or tourist jaunts.
The Sartell City Council members decided against approval because of concerns that crime incidents could result, as well as increasing traffic and a turnover of total strangers into a neighborhood.
City Planner/Developer Anita Rasmussen said there have been concerns expressed to the city about such issues as possible increased noise and traffic in neighborhoods if short-term rentals would be allowed.
A Sartell resident, Julie Meyer, who spoke at the public hearing, began a short-term rental in her home on Connecticut Avenue more than a year ago. When the city council learned of her short-term rental operation, city staff informed her she would be allowed to continue but only until the council would make a decision on whether or not to allow such rentals.
At the public hearing, Meyer told the council she rented part of her home for two weekends a month in winter and, more recently, an average of three weekends per month. She said there have been no problems at all with the arrangements. Her guests, she said, park in her driveway.
There are at least 16 short-term rental homes in the Tri-County area, including ones in St. Joseph, St. Cloud, Clearwater and Annandale. On the Airbnb website, the rentals are listed as anywhere from $65 to $257, depending on length of stay.
Another Sartell resident, Steve Schwieters, spoke against the short-term rental proposal. He and his wife moved to a Sartell neighborhood at Connecticut Avenue in 1999, the one where Meyer has had short-term rentals, and he said he wants neighborhood integrity to be maintained. His neighborhood is filled with children, and he wants to know just who is living in the neighborhood because of concerns about children’s safety. He said there have been disruptions due to short-term rentals. Such rentals, he added, should be limited to commercial areas only, not residential neighborhoods.
Council member Mike Chisum agreed, adding he has concerns such arrangements could lead to new and unknown people coming into neighborhoods and causing crimes that could even include sex trafficking.
Council member David Peterson said he’s concerned about how the city would monitor who are the renters and how long they would be staying, perhaps month to month, more than 30 days, without the city knowing.
The request, if granted, would have required homeowners to get the home inspected by the city, to pay $125 for a registration fee, an annual $80 renewal and any applicable lodging taxes.
