Several Airbnb’s are listed in Newry, ME. where a proposed Vacation Rental Ordinance will be discussed at a public meeting on Feb. 26. Rose Lincoln

NEWRY — Newry Code Enforcement Officer Joelle Corey will explain a proposed Vacation Rental Ordinance  at a public meeting in Newry on Feb. 26. Corey sent emails to 25-30 rental owners and real estate offices in and around the ski resort town.

The meeting will allow residents and non-residents to ask questions and add their input. A subsequent public hearing for Newry residents will be scheduled for a later date.

In her email to the rental owners, Corey explained the purpose of the proposal is for the health and safety of the renters. She stressed the Town will not be limiting the number of vacation rentals in Newry nor will they do individual inspections of homes. Finally, they will not use an outside entity to manage registrations.

In nearby Bethel, a different approach was taken in 2023, when town officials initiated a short term rental ordinance. It was dropped following opposition at a public hearing.

Newry is home to Sunday River Ski Resort and abuts Grafton Notch, drawing several thousands of overnight visitors each year.  Town Manager Loretta Powers sends out 2,500 tax bills each year, yet the year round resident population is about 400. Powers estimates about 2,000 of her tax bills are for homes, with the other 500 for land.

Responding to a query as to what prompted the proposed ordinance, Corey wrote, “Complaints from citizens about cars parking in public ways and excessive noise (music, fireworks, late night parties etc.); what I see in photos of vacation rentals in terms of beds/bedrooms and number of persons a home will sleep, subsurface wastewater disposal systems not sized properly for the heavy use loads over the busy winter season and heavy turnover of the rental properties.

“As a fire fighter in Newry, when we respond to alarm calls, we see egresses blocked, smoke and CO detectors removed/missing batteries from the sleeping rooms, no 911 addresses visible to first responders at the street and missing fire extinguishers near wood stoves or kitchen appliances.”

The draft establishes the importance of vacation rentals to the economy and to the well-being of the area but goes on to say, “these unregulated vacation rentals contribute to a variety of serious issues, some of which are: health and safety concerns; noise, light trash and parking nuisances; additional stresses on municipal infrastructure and endangering the Town’s groundwater by stressing subsurface wastewater disposal systems beyond their designed capacities.”

Affidavit, registration

If passed, Newry’s rental registration and self-compliance affidavit would be completed by rental owners at town office annually.  It requires owners to list their contact information. The owner or an alternate contact person must be be available 24/7 when tenants are on-site.  Response times to town officials must be within 30 minutes. Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, electric panels, emergency exits and more must be compliant under the proposal. Adequate parking spaces and trash receptacles are part of the affidavit, too.

Ordinance

In writing the ordinance draft, Corey sought help from Town Attorney James Katsiaficas and his associate Brandon Mazer at Perkins Thompson. She read six or seven other Maine town’s ordinances, guidelines and affidavit examples and also drew from her own experience as CEO and plumbing inspector.

The ten pages of the ordinance contain eleven sections: Purpose; Authority; Applicability;  Types of Registrations, Registration Requirements; Performance Standards; Complaints, Penalties, Violation and Enforcement; Appeal; Severability; and Conflicts with other Ordinances. These will be hashed out and further edited over the next few months. A vote on whether to adopt the ordinance will take place at Newry Town Meeting on May 13.

The public meeting is on Wed. Feb. 26 at 5 p.m. at Bear River Grange, 71 Bear River Rd. Newry. The meeting will be broadcast live through the Western Hills Access Television YouTube station.