After nearly two years of heated discussion and debate, Calaveras County supervisors approved a new ordinance regulating short-term rental properties at Lake Tulloch during Tuesday’s board meeting. The ordinance does not apply to other rentals in the county.

The new ordinance requires all short-term rental property owners in Lake Tulloch subdivisions to file an administrative use permit prior to renting their properties. Permits can be revoked if property managers fail to control their tenants, particularly during the busy and raucous summer vacation season.

According to planning staff members, the initially proposed $2,000 permit filing fee is expected to be reduced to about $1,000. Originally, the Planning Department included the cost of a physical property site visit to take inventory of bedrooms and available parking to set maximum occupancy. This was eliminated and now the department requires only the provision of a hard-copy site plan of the rental property – the $2,000 fee will remain in place until a new in-the-works fee schedule is developed.

Concerns voiced over the new ordinance included the county’s ability to enforce it. District 3 Supervisor Merita Callaway who, along with District 1 Supervisor Cliff Edson, voted against the ordinance, said that she was not in support of the county involving itself in what she described as “property maintenance issues.”

“I don’t like the path this is going on,” she said.

For Edson, the filing fee was still exorbitant. “I’m not in favor at $2,000 and I’m not in favor at $1,000,” he said, although he acknowledged that he would “hate to see something bad happen because we’re out of control.”

Others in the audience claimed that the county’s recently adopted noise ordinance would be sufficient in addressing what they viewed as the major issue – noise from loud summer parties.

“I’ve never seen such a reaction as to the tail wagging the dog,” said Copperopolis resident Bob Gilbo. “This is unjust and unfair and won’t take care of the noise issue.”

For those who have been plagued by inconsiderate renters and inconvenienced by noise and congestion issues from party houses, the ordinance adoption was a hard won victory.

For District 4 Supervisor Debbie Ponte, whose district includes Lake Tulloch, the ordinance was a reasonable response to unreasonable behaviors.

“We’re just adding guidelines. This ordinance does not take away the right to rent property,” she said.

Supervisors Wright and Spellman were in agreement, characterizing the ordinance as one that “makes a lot of sense.”

“The county now has a tool (to address short-term rental issues),” said Spellman.

In other action at Tuesday’s meeting:

Sheriff’s volunteers: Supervisors recognized the service of the county’s Sheriff’s Volunteer Unit which has provided over 10,000 hours of service. There are 23 volunteers staffing and maintaining Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office substations.

California Youth Connection: The board unanimously voted to provide a letter of support regarding the establishment of a Calaveras chapter of California Youth Connections, a nonprofit agency that provides support to foster youth.

Shay Locomotive: The years-long effort to restore the White Pines Logging Museum’s Shay Locomotive was accepted as complete. The locomotive is on continual display at the museum, which opens for its regular season Thursday, April 4.

Stephen Siegel: Supervisors ratified the appointment of Stephen Siegel as the county’s interim chief probation officer.

Contact Kristine Williams at kristine@calaverasenterprise.com.