Dear Short Term Rental Owners,
We are a small community that depends on visitors, and we must find ways to work together to keep Hudson safe. As Mayor and neighbor, I am asking you to consider adapting your short-term rental operations to our new reality. Columbia County urges anyone, both residents and visitors, traveling from outside Columbia County to self-quarantine for 14 days upon their arrival. Reviewing county, state, and federal guidelines we have developed the following recommendations, which we think are the most effective way we can keep Hudson safe and welcome guests.
- The safest approach is to limit rentals to 14 days or longer and advise guests to self-quarantine (when traveling from outside Columbia County).
- Encourage guests to wear masks whenever near people outside their party. Consider providing them masks upon arrival.
- Sanitize your rental before and after your guests arrive.
Hudson enjoys and welcomes its visitors and we ask that all residents and guests join together and do their part. More information is available at cityofhudson.org/safe.
Thank you,
Mayor Kamal Johnson
Much about this letter makes it seem as if it may have been drafted weeks ago. On March 26, six days after the first COVID-19 case was reported in Columbia County, Matt Murell, chair of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, issued a statement calling on people coming to Columbia County from elsewhere to quarantine for 14 days. On April 10, Bob Rasner, chair of the HDC Board and the proprietor of a B&B, called for the suspension of short-term rentals until the pandemic subsided. The Common Council started talking about imposing a 14-day quarantine on visitors at a Housing and Transportation Committee meeting on May 6, and the notion was discussed again at the informal meeting of the Common Council on May 11. At that time, Alderman Jane Trombley (First Ward) reasonably noted that the people do not come to Hudson to stay for months at a time, so the notion of asking people to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival, a request that is also made in the letter addressed to visitors, is impracticable.
This sentence makes the letter seem particularly outdated: "Effective action now will help us reopen sooner." We are already reopening. The Capital District Region, of which Hudson is a part, began Phase One on May 18, and we'll be ready to enter Phase Two on Wednesday. Unless something unexpected happens, Hudson will enter Phase Three, when restaurants can reopen their dining rooms to limited numbers, in a couple more weeks, when it is also expected that New York City will be ready to begin its reopening process.
On the one hand, nothing has changed since March. The pandemic is not over. It is still possible to contract the coronavirus. Since yesterday, there has been one new case in Columbia County. On the other hand, to suggest that the proprietors of lodging establishments only accept guests who plan to stay for two weeks and then ask those guests to self quarantine for the duration of their stay seems not only unrealistic but meant to prohibit the kind of tourism Hudson has enjoyed in the past. The state is reopening. Our region is reopening. People are leaving their homes. Better the City's policy should stress the personal behavior that allows people to leave their homes and move about safely: wear a mask, stay six feet apart, wash or sanitize your hands as often as possible.
COPYRIGHT 2020 CAROLE OSTERINK
As an owner of a few units, i cannot direct the renters. in fact,it is pointless to even market the units because of confusing previous directives.
ReplyDeleteAt one point the mayor did not want any renters at all. Okay, so i took them off the market. I am turning them into commercial offices.
it will not be good for Hudson"s formerly healthy tourist economy, but rent is rent. the apartments can be office suites.