The Milan Town Board heard public comments on proposed changes to the town’s short-term rental law at its meeting on May 18.
The amended law would require short-term rentals to comply with fire code, including maintaining two safe means of entering and exiting each rented bedroom, which could include a window. Rentals would also be subject to an annual fire code inspection by the town’s zoning enforcement officer. Other provisions would require functioning smoke detectors and ground-fault circuit interrupter outlets, or GFCI outlets, which automatically shut off when they detect an imbalance in electrical current.
The law would also require short-term rental owners to provide tenants with local emergency contacts, outline parking rules and clearly state pet policies.
Michael Galipeau, who spoke during the public hearing, owns a 1920s silo home that he said he rents infrequently as an Airbnb. He said he was concerned that the cost of required upgrades could outweigh the income from renting the property occasionally.
“It would be so cost prohibitive that I may no longer be able to do it,” Galipeau said. “All the additional requirements that keep getting piled on top make it almost impossible.”
The public hearing remains open, and the board will hear additional comment on the proposed law at its June 15 meeting before voting on whether to adopt the amended law.
In other business, the board authorized a $10,990 payment for emergency HVAC repairs at Town Hall after receiving requests for improved working conditions from town employees and court security officers. The issue was deemed an emergency, meaning no request for bids was required. The work will be performed by Encon Services & Supply, based in Selkirk.
The board also authorized Town Supervisor Bill Jeffway to sign a Dutchess County intermunicipal agreement, entering Milan into a shared services program with the county. The agreement allows municipalities to voluntarily share services, including personnel, equipment and highway resources. Fees and reimbursements may be agreed upon by the parties, such as for the rental of highway equipment.
The agreement continues other shared services efforts in the county, including the 2017 Countywide Shared Services Initiative, with the goal of improving government efficiency and reducing costs. The current agreement is overseen by the Highway Department and remains in effect for five years before automatically renewing.
In Highway Department news, Superintendent Glenn Butler was authorized to sell old landscape pavers for $1 each. The pavers were left over from last year’s Town Hall addition project.
The next Milan Town Board meeting will be held on June 15.