Forest Park council meetings start with public comment, and the April 13 meeting was no different as locals called for regulations on short-term rental properties.
Samantha Treadman Blaga shared, at the second council meeting in a row, complaints about a rental property at 905 Lathrop. Her neighbor, Sarah Cutsforth, joined her.
“The proximity of the 905 Lathrop property to Field-Stevenson Elementary and Forest Park Middle School, which are just two blocks away, raises significant concerns about the wellbeing of our children,” Cutsforth said. “We already have laws in place that restrict where certain individuals can live, such as keeping registered offenders a set distance away from schools, because we take neighborhood safety and the protection of our children seriously. That same principle should guide how we think about short-term rentals in residential areas.”
During her public comment, Cutsforth called for the council to vote immediately on regulations for short-term rentals.
“This isn’t about assuming the worst of people. It’s about recognizing that stability, familiarity and accountability are what make neighborhoods safe and strong,” Cutsforth added.
During her commissioner’s comment, Maria Maxham explained that the village council couldn’t vote on regulations at that meeting, since it wasn’t on the agenda. And because of the Open Meetings Act, more than two commissioners can’t legally meet to discuss business outside a council meeting.
Though Village Administrator Rachell Entler was on vacation during the meeting, Maxham said that, when Entler returns, she’ll ask her to consult with Steve Glinke, who’s head of the building department, and Police Chief Ken Gross in order to communicate relevant information to commissioners about potential regulations on short-term rentals.
During his commissioner’s comment, Mayor Rory Hoskins told meeting attendees that the council would direct staff to work with village attorneys to look at what options exist to regulate short-term rentals.
“Thank you for coming to speak in a public forum about your issues. It’s the best way to get the ball moving in terms of the short-term rental issue,” Hoskins told Lathrop residents who attended the meeting. “Staff are taking seriously your concerns.”
Commissioner Jessica Voogd also said she appreciated public comment from Lathrop residents: “I’m here now because I was in your position with an issue in town that I got involved and engaged with, and it’s a long, frustrating process to try to get things done,” Voogd said during her commissioner’s comment. “Some things are not on the council or the village’s radar. Once they are, it certainly is my priority to try to figure out how to address those issues and figure out how we can come to a solution together.”