Selectmen weigh short‑term rental rules as they discuss a $100,000 housing reserve

A short‑term rental committee delivered recommendations to the Selectmen in mid‑August and the Selectmen spent subsequent meetings debating whether to pursue an ordinance, a registration and fee system, or other controls to balance tourism with year‑round housing needs.

At the Aug. 15 meeting the committee presented a PowerPoint and recommended a path for balanced growth; board members thanked the committee and directed staff to begin drafting necessary documents for a public hearing later in the fall. In early October the board discussed options again and indicated a preference for starting with a registration and nominal fees to avoid unduly penalizing year‑round rentals.

Separately, at a Nov. 7 meeting Selectmen considered using proceeds from tax‑acquired property sales to seed a housing reserve. TM Billings and the board settled on creating a $100,000 housing reserve intended to fund housing planning, scoping, and potentially support small housing projects or partnerships.

Why it matters: Stonington faces constrained year‑round rental and workforce housing inventory; short‑term rental rules and a housing reserve are tools the town can use to preserve year‑round housing and support workforce and elder housing needs.

What’s next: Staff and the short‑term rental committee will draft ordinance/regulation language and fee structures for a public hearing; the housing reserve was approved as a concept and will be reflected in budget planning and warrant preparation.