This is very abrupt, said City Commissioner Tom Perona. We knew that Commissioner Alexander has been ill, but I did not expect this letter today.
Alexander, who is nearing the end of his fifth term, had missed three consecutive meetings before Monday. The city charter calls for removal of a commissioner who misses four consecutive meetings without an excused absence approved by the commission. What you re trying to do is prevent his removal, and allow him to do it (leave) at his own dismay, Mayor Linda Hudson said in response to Perona s motion to excuse the absence.
Once Alexander s retirement date is finalized, it will trigger a District 1 seat vacancy which must be filled by a special election, according to the charter.
Fort Pierce may adopt a new law to regulate short-term rentals tcpalm.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from tcpalm.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
It s now free to register a short-term or vacation rental, city officials said.
On top of the $1,200 fee, it could cost an additional $100 every time applicants go without an approved code-enforcement inspection.
For Michelle Longarzo, who has three approved vacation rentals here, the fees are ridiculously unreasonable. I would ve never bought and tried to do this if I knew it was going to be this difficult, Longarzo told TCPalm. They re trying to profit off businesses like mine when they have bigger problems to worry about like people who aren t paying taxes because they don t have certificates of occupancy.
If the city were to implement the $1,200 fee, it could generate at least $224,000 annually since there are 187 permitted rentals.
Her home is now one of more than 180 permitted short-term rentals in the city.
The challenges she faced are a result of a nearly two-decade-old regulation that predates a state law prohibiting local restrictions on short-term rentals. Moreover, Fort Pierce is the only place in St. Lucie County that requires a local permit, and puts the fate of every Airbnb in the City Commission s hands. In Port St. Lucie and unincorporated St. Lucie County, residents need only to get a state license and pay certain taxes.
In addition to what Baker referred to as an egregious permitting process that makes people jump through hoops, she, as well as one other Black property owner in the city, said discrimination made it even harder to get the city s stamp of approval.
Sunrise Humane Society to operate Fort Pierce animal shelter wflx.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wflx.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.