The controversy over short-term rentals continues and this week, the Greenport Village board asked the public to let their voices be heard.
At Wednesday’s village board meeting, rescheduled from Monday night due to the stormk, the village board passed a resolution asking the public for their comments on the issue for the next 90 days. The goal was to garner the collective opinion of residents after the code committee asked residents to express their feelings.
Comments can be made by e-mail, mail, or at the next February, March and April regular board meetings.
“It is important to reach out to many in the village. Please comment, and share this information,” Trustee Mary Bess Phillips said. She invited residents to comment on her Facebook page or to email them to her at mbphillips@greenportvillage.org.
Resident John Saladino said the village should comments should not be sent in by email, and said residents should be aware that they can comment during village board meetings, and to notice the public comments periods in area publications.
Deputy Village Mayor George Hubbard said the goal was to garner public input before scheduling a public hearing.
“The problem is that it turns into paralysis by analysis,” Saladino said, adding that issues can “take a year to come out of code committee. In the real world stuff shouldn’t happen at that pace.”
Hubbard reminded that with the “summer season coming, it will happen sooner than later.”
Trustee David Murray said the reason for the 90 day public comment period was that “this is a touchy subject.” While some have concerns about quality of life issues related to airbnb type sites, any homeowners and business owners might welcome short-term rentals, he said. “We have to take everyone’s comments very seriously and for us to just throw this out for a 30-day public comment period is just stupid,” he said.
Phillips added that many residents are away, down south right now for vacation. Also, she said, New York State, the county, and Southold Town are currently grappling with the issue.
“It’s an extremely volatile topic at the moment,” she said, explaining why the 90-day period was suggested.
Murray agreed, stating that ultimately, the village will have to follow state code. “We’d like to keep it open to get everyone’s comment who would like to comment,” he said.
Hubbard said maybe the village could add a request for comments on the village utility bill; Village Administrator Paul Pallas said he’d have to check and see if that would be permitted. Hubbard added that he’d like to “spur the talk” so that comments weren’t coming in at the end of the comment period.
Trustee Julia Robins said a mention could be made of the public comment period on the village website as well as on the Greenport Business Improvement District’s Facebook page.
