Newbold town chairman discusses tourist rooming house ordinance

Newbold town chairman Dan Hess offered a plan commission report on April 11 after the town board approved an administrative review permit submitted by applicants Elizabeth and Michael Witcik to rent a dwelling as a tourist rooming house in a single family zoning district near Larsen Drive.

Hess said the plan commission is working on a tourist rooming house ordinance for short-term rentals. 

“That’s moving forward,” he said. “It will probably be a few more meetings, but it’s moving forward quite well.”

Speaking to The Lakeland Times, Hess said Newbold is “one of the few towns” that doesn;t have an ordinance in place for the town to profit from tourist rooming houses. 

He indicated the ordinance the plan commission has been discussing is similar to the tourist rooming house ordinance the town of Minocqua has implemented, which would basically require renters to apply for and renew rental permits with not just the county, but the town as well. 

The plan commission has not yet decided on permit fees, he added.