HUDSON, OH (January 13, 2021) – At the January 12, 2021 City Council workshop, Council discussed possible options for a small business relief program and potential regulations for short-term rentals. Here are highlights from that meeting.
Correspondence and Council Comments
- Moment of silence for events that occurred in Washington last week. Council held a moment of silence for the happenings in the nation’s capital last week.
- Pedestrian safety and traffic. Council asked staff to add the Hudson-Aurora and Stow Road crossing to the traffic safety discussion on January 26. Council also expressed a desire to develop a formal dialogue with residents about traffic issues.
- Planning Commission meeting. The meeting has been cancelled due to scheduling issues. Next meeting will be in February.
Discussion Items
- Small Business Relief Program. Council gave staff direction to move forward with adding one fire pit in First & Main and to work toward purchasing outdoor furniture for the downtown. The purpose is to encourage people to visit the downtown and eat outdoors to increase foot traffic. The anticipated cost of the firepit would be approximately $12,000. The cost of the outdoor furniture is estimated to be $48,000. Council asked staff to consider additional receptacles and trash pickup.
The addition of restrooms was discussed, and Council directed staff to come back to Council with possible costs for installation and maintenance and a location for further discussion.
The estimate to add WiFi to the downtown would be about $80,000 to cover the entire Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA).
The key issue for businesses is help with marketing. The City is looking to work with the Chamber of Commerce, Destination Hudson, and other groups on possible Facebook and Instagram pages to promote businesses, shopping, dining, and sales. The City would provide input, but the sites would be run by other organizations. The goal would be to get the information out to residents and also to communities outside of Hudson.
Other items, such as piped in music and the lighted arch over First Street, would be the responsibility of First & Main if they are pursued.
Legislation
- Legislation for purchasing a Gradall wheeled excavator. The excavator is used for essential storm water maintenance and other purposes. The purchase was necessary since our equipment was damaged during transport for maintenance. The transporter’s insurance paid for most of it, leaving an approximate $90,000 cost for the purchase of a new excavator.
- Short-Term Rental (STR) regulations. Staff presented three possible options for creating legislation for regulating short-term rentals. Those included:
- Licensing: Requires STRs to obtain a license to operate. The license would include provisions that should be met, etc. It is non-transferable.
- Zoning: Requires Planning Commission approval. Is a longer process and transfers with the property. Is harder to change if problems occur.
- Blended: Uses a blended approach requiring licensing and a conditional use zoning certificate. Zoning portion takes longer.
Council asked staff to revise the licensing legislation based on Council comments and bring it back to Council next week. Those comments included making sure it was non-transferable and that there is a public input/hearing portion as part of the licensing process. Council expressed an interest in continuing with the blended option and moving forward with the zoning portion later.