93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
Columbia’s sixth-ward city council member Betsy Peters tells 93.9 The Eagle that she will abstain from voting Monday evening on proposed new regulations for Airbnbs in the city. In an interview with hosts Mike Murphy and and Al Germond on 93.9 The Eagle’s Columbia Buzz program Sunday morning, Peters said concerns about her having a conflict of interest were cause for her decision to abstain. Peters has operated an Airbnb in the city since 2020. More than 400 Airbnbs are operating unlawfully in the city because city council member have been unable to agree on language for an ordinance to amend the city’s Unified Development Code, which authorizes all land use in the city. The sweeping new regulations would require that short-term rentals be licensed by the city, inspected for safety, be restricted to a maximum number of guests and days of operation, and pay the same lodging tax that hotels pay. The proposed ordinance would also limit licenses to one per owner and restrict, by zoning district, where they can operate.
