Dear County Supervisors:
My name is Rob Adamson and I am currently serving as the
Treasurer for the Copper Cove Home Owners Association at Lake Tulloch (CCLTOA).
I am aware of the agenda item for tomorrows Supervisor meeting regarding the
limitation of "short term rentals" within our subdivision. I find it
outrageous that you feel you have the power to limit private property rights to
landowners without due process. Your dictator approach to even attempting to
legislate into law an ordinance that would supersede the CC&R's of the
CCLTOA is simply appalling. Everyone who purchases a home within our Association
is required to acknowledge that they have read and understand the CC&R's of
the Association and clearly ours do not disallow renting of one's property
whether it be short term or otherwise. So buyer be aware.
We have over 2000 properties within our Association
and we have the right to establish the rules that regulate our Association
not withstanding current County, State and Federal laws. I have been on the
Board of Directors at the CCLTOA for almost 2 years now. Not one time during my
service on the Board has a member attended a Board meeting or sent a
correspondence to our attention to complain about these so called "short
term rentals" and the nuisance associated with them. I have heard comments
from this Board of Supervisors that our Board of Directors is somehow
absent from the discussion or disinterested. Neither could be further from the
truth....it has not been a matter of community concern. As a
matter of fact we have had many more people complaining of dogs
barking that create a nuisance. So what's next? Are we to ban dogs from our
community or require a special use permit for a dog? Or course
not....and why? because there are laws on the books that
prohibit this kind of disturbance from barking dogs.
What I have heard throughout the argument against
the "short term rentals" are such things as "there are too many cars
and trailers parked along the street." I ask the question..."are these cars
and trailers parked illegally?" if so, then ticket or tow them as these
are County maintained roads and there are currently laws against
parking illegally. If they are not parked illegally but someone simply
doesn’t like the appearance of all the vehicles that’s too bad. I don’t
want a lot of vehicles parked near my home either but if they are legally
parked then why should the laws be changed to accommodate my personal
preference? I also hear that the partying is too loud and goes on too
late. I am sympathetic to this but we currently have a noise ordinance in place
that a homeowner being disturbed can take advantage of. I have also heard the
complaint about outhouses in the street to accommodate an annual church
gathering. If the outhouse is not placed correctly then call the County and
complain....or maybe better yet talk to your neighbor and ask them to place it
an area that is not visible....sadly, maybe that kind of neighborhood
communication doesn’t exist anymore so lets just dictate to the people what you
can and cannot do. I have also heard that argument that the renters "load up at
Costco before coming to the lake and don’t really shop here." I ask you...have
you been in the Payless Market on a summer Friday afternoon or Saturday morning?
The placed is packed with shoppers and I would bet these are the busiest
days that market has.
In the last CCLTOA Board meeting we had there was
overwhelming support to not allow this ban to go through. I want to be clear, I
do not have a house on the lake nor do I rent my property, I simply oppose the
"long arm of the law" reaching beyond it's intended role. During that Board
meeting there we people who stated that the only way they have been able to keep
there home from going into foreclosure was the ability to rent the home out.
They are able to pay their taxes, hire local help for needed repairs or clean up
thereby providing opportunity for some in an otherwise poor economy .
This means revenue to the County that badly needs it.
I understand that Poker Flats has disallowed these types
of rentals and their doing so has been cited as an example for other
Associations to follow. But lets not lose sight of the fact that the
homeowners of Poker Flats voted on this change and they adopted the new
rule. Here, in the CCLTOA you have the boisterous few, less than 1% of
the members of our Association, persuading County Supervisors to
arbitrarily alter the CC&R's without a vote of the members at large.
Let our Association debate which laws need to be changed amongst
ourselves. Moreover, you want to enact a law that not only applies to
Copper Cove exclusively and not the rest of the County, you want to provide
for exceptions for certain Homeowners within the same area....how can
this be??!! This ordinance must be stricken down
and not adopted. The County does not have the resources to "police" this if
it should pass and I do not feel you have the power to selectively
restrict property rights within Calaveras County.
I hope you have the foresight to remember you represent
the people of Calaveras County not the just loud few.
Respectfully,
Rob Adamson
