Debating the Moratorium

Before the Council went into executive session to receive and discuss the police contract, the major topic of discussion at Monday's informal Council meeting was Mayor Rick Rector's veto of the proposed moratorium on registering and operating new short-term rental units, now being referred to as STRs. Reading a prepared statement in response to the mayor's veto message, Council president Tom DePietro asserted that the nine-month moratorium could be lifted at any time, it is nowhere suggested that the moratorium would address the affordable housing shortage, and the moratorium would discourage "predatory investment" in Hudson.

Screen capture: Dan Udell

When DePietro had concluded his statement, Alderman John Rosenthal (Fourth Ward), chair of the Legal Committee, who initiated the legislation in September, took up the defense of the moratorium. He alleged that "defining 'owner occupied' is not a simple thing," alluded to Alderman Rich Volo's blog post on the subject by saying the action was "very far from being knee jerk," called the veto an "unfortunate gesture by the mayor," and contended, as he has before, that the moratorium "will help us craft an appropriate law." He characterized opponents of the moratorium as "a small amount of people who have a self-interest" and urged his colleagues to overturn the veto.

Volo reminded the Council that the 2020 city budget anticipated an increase in revenue from the lodging tax. DePietro responded by saying "numerous people have applied [for lodging tax registration] knowing this moratorium is going into effect." Gossips sought confirmation of this claim from the city treasurer's office and was told there have been thirty new registrants for filing the lodging tax since September.

Amanda Purcell published her report about the moratorium on Hudson360 yesterday: "Hudson Common Council plans vote to override veto on short-term rental moratorium." Dan Udell's video of the meeting can be viewed here.

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