Letters and commentaries - Big Bear Private Home Issues Home

Michael Perry, your letter to the community is a gross deception for the following reasons:

1. The proposed ordinance does NOT eliminate private home rentals. You would know this if you read it. If you feel the costs, use permit or some other feature of the measure just will not work than feel free to contact me and discuss what would work. I'll talk to you. 

Why is that when this was presented to the city and when the city attorney wrote the title, nobody responded to our request to discuss this ordinance? If the city could end up enforcing an ordinance, then they had better read it and discuss it with the writer. Or, were you just positive, all along, that you and some other group would be able to completely stop it from being approved, the way you stopped staff from researching the fair treatment of commercial lodges since 2004?

2. Jim and Barbara Mclean are not alone in their feelings nor did they write this ordinance. You have talked to dozens of people, (I'm one) over the last two years as city manager, who demanded something be done to improve the private home rental problems and unfairness. You have led many to believe you cared and were listening while in fact, you have, more than anyone, stalled ANY action to improve our situation. Who is paying you to write this letter and when did they begin working with you?

3. This ordinance, if petitioned to the next ballot would give the voters the opportunity to judge its merits by voting for or against it. Michael Perry, you and those who hired you know voters will likely support it if it gets on the ballot

4. For the first 19 years I operated lodging up here we were full on holidays and busy weekends. For the last 6 years we cannot fill the rooms we have except on New Years. A stronger Private Home Ordinance would not remove all rentals, it would not remove needed beds, it would not reduce tax revenue to the city and it would not reduce city services. Less beds rented for more money will bring MORE revenue to the entire city. I have discussed this with you, Michael Perry, for the last two years. An average motel in a busy city that does 80% occupancy is full less than 50% of the time. To survive, our motels must rent at least 40% and fill up 15 to 20% of nights as we all used to. In most cities the lodging industry maintains an equilibrium controlled by costs and revenue. In our city, a housing boom and 5 or 6 thousand completely uncontrolled private home rentals have ruined the equilibrium. The last new lodging units were begun at Robin Hood Inn 7 years ago. Since then NO new units have been built (that I know of) yet many units such as Lakeview Lodge and part of Stagecoach Lodge, have been converted to permanent housing. We are already reducing units, and yet no lodge can sustain itself in this environment. Even North Woods cannot be doing well after it sold for a loss that badly hurt its investors. The leaders of the city, the chamber and the resort association don't care. You are afraid of anything that might reduce the number of travelers (and cars) coming to our valley. You are happy that our visitors are saving money by overcrowding your neighborhood homes. You all believe this is the future for Big Bear. The quality of lodging (and life) in Big Bear suffers and this has only just begun. If you and these leaders get your way, Big Bear may be reduced to a few shabby, cheap motels and neighborhoods full of poorly maintained, cheaply rented, packed out private homes.

5. As city manager Michael Perry, you hosted a workshop at the PAC in March 2004 where hundreds of disappointed home owners and lodge owners showed up to speak, along with many Private Home Rental owners and employees. You were unable to stop the PHR supporters from cheering their friends and hissing the rest of us. During the break, many of the homeowners went home, intimidated, and never spoke again.

6. In June of 2004, I spoke (to you and the City Council) for a large group of unhappy homeowners and lodge owners. I was very polite and asked simply for two things: First, let the citizens vote on how they want private home rentals handled, (this request was completely ignored). Second, Treat the lodge owners the same as you treat the private home renters, regarding inspections and safety. This request was followed by a vote of the council to research the fair treatment of both parties. I emailed you repeatedly, for the following two years and finally, after confronting you while you lunched with council members, received an answer: "Nothing has been done" Your recent letter explains why! If this is what we paid our city manager to do, we got ripped off.

Bob Pool