Clear Lake council signals tougher enforcement for short‑term rentals, directs staff to draft ordinance changes

City staff presented local short‑term rental data and a menu of possible changes to Clear Lake’s vacation‑rental rules, and the council directed staff to draft ordinance language aimed at strengthening enforcement and clarifying permit conditions.

Alan Flora (City Manager) summarized local listings and compliance tools, noting about 113 vacation rental listings in the city and that the city requires a permit and a 51% owner‑occupancy threshold under existing rules. Flora said the city uses a vendor service to track listings and bookings and that the current enforcement approach includes a tiered suspension after verified complaints. "So if you want to use your house for a vacation or short‑term rental, it requires a permit from the city," Flora said.

Public comment focused heavily on nuisance behavior, noise, trash, boat trailers blocking driveways and the difficulty of enforcing rules when some properties operate without permits. Henry Bornstein (speaker 8) told the council he supports additional staff tools and public input on permit conditions in sensitive neighborhoods; several residents described long‑running disturbances at particular properties.

Council members discussed a suite of possible responses: (1) a tenant‑facing "good neighbor" contract similar to South Lake Tahoe’s program that would be provided at booking and could carry fines for violations; (2) exploring deposits or higher fines for repeat violations; (3) tightening permit conditions and inspections; and (4) a real‑estate disclosure to notify future buyers that short‑term rental rules and permit requirements apply in Clear Lake. Several council members said they would consider removing or revising the 51% owner‑occupancy requirement and asked staff to compare city rules with county and neighboring city approaches.

The council did not adopt new rules at this meeting. Council direction to staff was to draft ordinance amendments and the companion disclosure and to return with a consolidated ordinance for first reading; staff also was asked to investigate enforcement mechanisms that would provide “teeth” for nuisance cases.