Quincy officials talk Airbnb rentals, COVID relief money at first meeting of the season

QUINCY – It was a quiet first meeting back from summer break for Quincy city councilors who proposed but did not vote on several ordinances that could affect short-term rentals in the city and open space in the downtown. Councilors did approve one resolution that will put pressure on Mayor Thomas Koch to solicit input from residents on how the city's COVID relief money should be spent. 

Ward 2 Councilor Anthony Andronico submitted a resolution Monday night asking the mayor to host public forums or post an online survey for residents regarding the spending of federal coronavirus money. He says residents should be involved in how money allocated from the American Rescue Plan Act is spent, and pointed to several other communities that have solicited feedback. 

"Actively asking for input is totally different than sitting back and waiting for people to take notice about the finds," Andronico said. "I could see residents advocating to put this money into the Quincy broadband network, to aid in achieving the $100 million worth of storm water and sewer system investment that our settlement with the EPA requires, and I could see them asking to put that funding in the Quincy Public Schools."

Andronico also asked that Koch's administration provide a full accounting of what federal money has been spent and where the rest is earmarked to go. Earlier this year, Koch, U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch and House Speaker Ronald Mariano, D-Quincy, said the American Rescue Plan will deliver roughly $8.1 billion to state and local governments in Massachusetts, including $46.3 million to the city of Quincy. 

The city has already spent a decent portion of the money, including $15 million to buy the Munroe building downtown and parking lot adjacent to the Quincy Center T station. The city also reimbursed itself millions of dollars spent early in the pandemic on infrastructure and air circulation upgrades in schools. 

In an interview last week, Koch said he didn't have much to say about the resolution and did not have immediate plans to schedule forums or post a survey. He did say that he does get feedback from residents on a daily basis via email, phone calls, in-person meetings and social media. 

Ward 5 Councilor Chuck Phelan, who also served on the council in the 1990s, said the council has a history of overseeing the city's spending of federal money.

In other business, Phelan proposed a change to the city's recently passed Airbnb regulations that would flat out ban any home or unit rentals lasting  fewer than 31 days in the city's Residence A zoning districts. The proposal was moved to the councilor's ordinance committee after several councilors expressed their support.

William Harris, Ward 6 councilor, said residents in his neighborhoods are passionate about blocking any such rentals in Residential A neighborhoods after a series of problems over the summer. He said a recent community meeting was a "packed house," and that problems with Airbnb rentals have popped up in both North Quincy and Squantum.

"This is very important," Harris said. "Residence A is Residence A, and we need to protect it."

Councilors also moved a proposal into committee that would put restrictions on the use of open space in Quincy Center. Ward 4 Councilor Brian Palmucci said the recent investments put into open space downtown make necessary a zoning rule limiting what the spaces can be used for.

His proposal, which can be amended by other councilors before a vote, suggests charging a fee for any for-profit uses of public spaces, mandating anyone who hosts events to have liability insurance, says the city can require a deposit on the space to protect from any potential damage and says the city must "respect the right of free speech and assembly in all public spaces."

"I believe this is necessary to safeguard our public spaces," Palmucci said. "Now that we've spent so much money on them, especially in the downtown area, we should establish some regulation for their use."

The council will meet again next Monday.

Original Source: https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/2021/09/21/quincy-councilors-talk-covid-spending-airbnbs-first-meeting/5796876001/?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot