Letters to the Editor
In support of Z
Dear Editor,
I am writing in support of Measure Z – Yes to Let Mammoth Decide. Measure Z simply requires the Town to put to a vote any expansion of single family nightly rentals into neighborhoods that are currently not zoned for this purpose. It lets Mammoth residents decide on a future change to areas of single family nightly rentals. Nothing more and nothing less.
I agree the council’s plan to develop a plan for nightly rental regulation, enforcement and criteria for neighborhood quality of life issues is important. I would love to see this happen for the areas that are currently zoned for nightly rentals (as well as fining those renting illegally in un-zoned areas) and to see the town implement and enforce the program with adequate staff. But this is not the issue of Measure Z. The town can still do this if Measure Z is approved. If down the road the town shows it can effectively manage a program and wants to expand the areas, it can ask the voters for approval and stand on their record at that time.
The argument that everyone else is doing it may be fine for some. But that does not seem like a rational reason to arbitrarily expand nightly rentals into neighborhoods hosen by locals and second homeowners alike for the very reason that they do not want to live on a street with a steady turnover of random tourists with the associated noise, traffic and snow removal/parking issues. We chose our neighborhood for this reason. According to the General Plan it is not zoned for nightly rentals. This is not a NIMBY issue. I have condos behind my house which have always been there and that was our choice but my street is single family homes. We live in the Slopes and do not have an HOA or CCRs to prevent nightly rentals and so rely on the zoning of the General Plan.
Maintaining community neighborhoods is critical to a sense of community and quality of life as well as maintaining affordable long term rental housing. So I encourage everyone to actually read Measure Z to see how limited and specific it is in scope and not get caught up in the political talk of those trying to tie it to the economic future of Mammoth Lakes.
Please vote Yes on Z to Let Mammoth Decide.
Mary Heller
Mammoth Lakes
The Real Reality
Dear Editor:
I read with interest and surprise Mr. Rudder’s letter in The Sheet last week entitled “Parsing Martino’s Reality” wherein he attempts to belittle me as someone out of touch with reality (odd, since in the not too distant past, Rudder respected me enough to have me review various letters to the Editor for comments before he submitted them for publication). Contrary to Rudder’s claim, I am not a retired attorney and I have lived here for over 22 years (and, thus, was here during the marijuana issue). I have a successful law practice and sit as a Judge Pro Tem in Small Claims court on a monthly basis. All of which is well known to Rudder.
Mr. Rudder is incorrect when he says I am the leader of Let Mammoth Decide. Such group is not led by me and was not even formed by me.
Moreover, Let Mammoth Decide is not just a group of Knolls residents out to protect their own neighborhood. The group is made up of residents from all areas of Mammoth interested in protecting the current way of life in Mammoth in all residential neighborhoods.
If such were not the case, when Rudder proposed a “deal” to me prior to the petition going to the Town Council that if we just pulled the petition he would ensure that the Knolls would be protected from any expansion of nightly rentals (clearly implying he had the Town Council in his pocket), I refused and told him that that would be unfair since the group, as well as me individually, want to protect all of the residential neighborhoods from nightly rental expansion.
Additionally, I did not even post the comment referred to by Mr. Rudder in his article and, thus, to interpret what I meant is totally off base.
I do believe, however, that if the Town is having difficulty enforcing the current restrictions and collecting TOT from legal rentals (and the Town has failed miserably in doing so), you shouldn’t exacerbate the problem by opening up the entire Town to nightly rentals.
Mr. Rudder also completely misrepresents what Measure Z would accomplish. Why he continues to try to mislead the public about Measure Z’s effects is beyond me (especially since he is an attorney and should know better). If Measure Z passes it will ONLY take the power to expand nightly rentals in residential neighborhoods away from the Town Council. It will NOT prevent the Town Council in any way from expanding the ordinances regarding enforcement of legal or illegal nightly rentals, from collecting TOT, from putting forth a proposal to expand nightly rentals, and certainly does NOT “hamstring the Town from being able to address the problem” as contended by Rudder.
ALL Measure Z does is maintain the current restrictions on nightly rentals unless and until the voters approve a change. To imply or state otherwise is simply untrue.
Rudder’s claim that the passage of Measure Z will cause the Town to have no way to enforce its zoning laws against illegal rentals is again untrue. The Town currently has the ability to enforce the restrictions against illegal rentals under the current zoning laws (although the Town has failed to do so and continues to claim it does not have the funds to do so) and passage of Measure Z will not change that ability in any way.
Additionally, Rudder’s claim that “if we go the Martino Way [I assume he means if Measure Z is passed], the slightest little change will be a $20,000 charge and another vote.”
Again, not true.
Only if the Council wants to change the current zoning to allow nightly rentals where it is now currently prohibited will a vote be needed. Hardly a little change.
The Town Council, both through Mr. Fernie’s interview in The Sheet and Mayor Ramando’s comments from the dais, seem to say that since illegal renting of single family homes in violation of the current zoning is already happening and will only grow due to the internet, and because the Town does not have the funds to police such illegal activity, let’s just make it legal and then the Town will not have to worry about trying to enforce its zoning regulations.
Taking a page out of Mr. Rudder’s book, if the Town took this position on other issues, we would all be in a lot of trouble. The Town could have said people are already growing, selling and smoking marijuana so why not just make it totally legal so we don’t have to worry about policing it. It did not do that. It put restrictions in place and then proceeded to enforce them. A YES vote on Measure Z will NOT prevent the Town from doing the same as to nightly rentals.
There is no empirical evidence whatsoever to support the claim by the Town that opening up the Town to nightly rentals will increase our TOT.
It is one thing to win an election based on the facts. It is quite another to do so by scare tactics, misinformation and untruths which is precisely what Rudder is trying to do because it is hard to put forth any valid argument against giving the right to vote on this issue to the people of Mammoth.
Gregg P. Martino
Mammoth Lakes
Celebrate producing things
Dear Editor:
I recently read the various responses to Katie Vane’s Embattled Community article by Sean Turner and Maureen McClain and wanted to say thank you for presenting the situation.
As someone who is only indirectly connected with the people and businesses involved, I lack the knowledge necessary to make any kind of well formed judgment concerning business classifications and the overall benefits of the TBID so far.
However, my own hope for the future is that the leaders of our community could consider the amount of time, energy, and influence such struggles have on our overall town culture. I understood Mr. Turner’s excellent point that both businesses do have a local storefront dimension and how that might affect business classification, however, the unfolding narrative of Ms. McClain revealed the nuanced conflict behind the scenes that may reveal more a posture of heart than any particular wrongdoing. Again, only these parties and those who operate within that realm of expertise know ultimately who is in the right here. I am just on the mutual side of wanting to cultivate a town culture that celebrates any business that actually manufactures or produces anything, for that will ultimately diversify our economy, creating a healthier and sustainable job base.
In gratitude for you and all parties involved,
Kyle Osland
Crowley Lake
