Sometimes, in the smallest of places, communities and governments come together and implement innovative public policy. The city of Rexburg will have that very opportunity Wednesday when its City Council votes on the future of Airbnbs and VRBOs. Ultimately, the Rexburg City Council will defend personal property rights, or they’ll fall prey to government overreach and burdensome regulation.
It’s been impressive and encouraging to see the people of Rexburg come together under the same freedom flag to provide testimony in support of personal property rights. Residents are using their constitutional freedoms to share story after story of the positive financial and personal impact of Airbnbs and VRBOs. But make no mistake, the battle wages on.
Last week the Rexburg Planning and Zoning Commission met to approve a permit for an Airbnb. But in a marvelous display of political ping pong, it tabled the permit request and sent the issue back to the council under the pretense that no current definition in statute exists adequately defining an Airbnb.
Perfect! That means Rexburg has the good fortune of updating archaic city language and creating new home-sharing and temporary-rental definitions. Essentially, there’s no formal roadblock to updating city code to reflect a growing and changing economy.
The future of Airbnbs and VRBOs in Rexburg hinges on the participation of its residents. It’s crucial the people of Rexburg attend the City Council meeting tomorrow evening and defend their property rights.
Even if you have already testified in a previous meeting, it’s imperative you show up. The past several council meetings have been wrought with misinformation, confusion and a lack of transparency. Tomorrow marks the first meeting with an Airbnb discussion as a clear agenda item. The meeting is at 6:30 p.m. at 35 North 1st East St. If for some reason you can’t attend, please feel free to email me your testimony, and I will provide the council with a physical copy and address your concern in my own testimony. You can email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 208-250-6366.
