2024 11 12 CC Work Session Minutes (Rental)CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS
DAKOTA COUNTY
STATE OF MINNESOTA
Minutes of the City Council Work Session
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a work session of the Mendota Heights City Council was
held at City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights, Minnesota.
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Levine called the work session to order at 6:15 p.m. Councilors Lorberbaum, Mazzitello,
Miller, and Paper were also present.
Others present included City Administrator Cheryl Jacobson, Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek,
Community Development Manager Sarah Madden, City Attorney Amy Schmidt, and City Clerk
Nancy Bauer.
CONTINIIED DISCUSSION ON THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE
Mayor Levine introduced the discussion to finalize the proposed ordinance on short-term rentals.
Community Development Manager Madden reported that the residency/homestead requirement
needed to be discussed along with the definition of primary residence. Some redundant sections
were removed after the October I, 2024, work session discussion.
The condition of the licenses section 3-SA-4 paragraph 9 was updated regarding maintaining a
current guest registry for a minimum of one year instead of five years, which is consistent with the
State statute for hotels.
Discussion of the legality of using a homestead requirement for primary residence was discussed.
City Attorney Schmidt said it was not common to have a homestead requirement in a rental
ordinance and if included in the ordinance that it could stand up in a court of law. It was the
consensus of the Council to keep the homestead requirement in the proposed ordinance.
Councilor Lorberbaum asked if the age of the renter should be added to the registry. Sarah Madden
responded that the registry would only be requested by city staff if staff needed to see it. It was
the consensus to leave it up to staff how to enforce the age of the renter. Community Development
Manager Madden said the ordinance requirements for short-term rentals would be listed on the
license application and one of those requirements would be the age of the renter.
The percentage of houses within a certain area that could be licensed as a short-term rental was
discussed, and it was the consensus to not incorporate it in the proposed ordinance and could be
revisited in the future.
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Community Development Manager Madden reported that she believed the $200.00 fee for the
short-term rental license would be reasonable and would be included in the fee schedule. The
Inspectron inspection fee would be $75.00 an hour and the initial inspection should not take long.
Enforcement of the requirements of the proposed ordinance would go through the code
enforcement process. Operating without a license was discussed and charging a double fee if an
operator did not get a license was discussed.
The next step would be to present the draft ordinance December 3, 2024, City Council meeting.
The summary ordinance would then be published to go into effect January 1, 2025, and 45 days
after that licenses could be issued.
Councilor Mazzitello made a motion to adjourn the meeting, and it was seconded by Councilor
Paper. Motion passed 54
The meeting adjourned at 5:39 p.m.
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Step anie B. Levine, Mayor
ATTEST:
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Nancy Bauer, City Clerk
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