Royalty investigation bill tops $72,000; council OKs short-term rental regs
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Tuesday, May 2, 2017, 10:55 p.m. — The Bardstown City Council has gotten the final bill for the investigation it approved in January that ended with the removal of Mayor John Royalty.
Lexington attorney Scott Crosbie gave the City of Bardstown a $5,000 discount on his final bill for the investigation that gathered evidence that later led to Mayor John Royalty’s removal from office. The bill included Crosbie’s fee to present the evidence at the public hearing.
The council voted to approve the selection of Lexington Attorney Scott Crosbie as its investigator on Jan. 3, 2017, after the previous council voted to conduct an investigation of the anonymous packets of information that appeared outside the council chambers on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016 — one week before Nov. 8 council election.
Crosbie discounted his initial bill of $77,601.97 was discounted $5,000 for a net final bill of $72,601.97. Those costs covered the three-month investigation and then his work to present the evidence at the removal hearing. Councilman John Kelley said Crosbie’s detailed invoice was more than 20 pages long.
Mayor Dick Heaton said some may say the cost was out-of-line, and he noted that Gov. Matt Bevin’s administration approved a $500,000 contract for the investigation of Beshear administration campaign donations and procurement irregularities.
“I’m just saying that to show that these types of investigations can be expensive,” Heaton said. “John (Kelley) and I have reviewed this in detail, and I think it was generous on [Scott] Crosbie’s part to discount $5,000. That came out of his pocket.”
SHORT TERM RENTAL ZONING REGULATION. The council approved final reading on the city’s latest zoning ordinance update that addresses the growing trend of short-term rentals in the city — also known by the popular website used to market available rentals, “AirBnBs.”
The ordinance approved by the council included definitions lacking from the previous one. It addresses regulation of short-term rental properties which have exploded in popularity with properties owners, particularly in and near the city’s historic district.
The popularity of short-term rentals is due to the lack of quality lodging in the immediate area. Short-term rentals help bring tourism dollars into the community and fill an existing need.
The new regulations are designed to protect the short-term rental property owner, as well as residents living nearby. The regulations define the properties that qualify to serve as short-term rentals, the maximum occupancy of the property and the parking requirements as well.
The regulations also provide guidance to the Bardstown Board of Adjustments in regard to evaluating the compatibility and density of short-term rentals in a neighborhood.
Mayor Dick Heaton, who served as a member of the regulations committee as a city councilman, called the final product “a happy medium.”
City Attorney Tim Butler told the council that the ordinance addresses a new phenomenon in the housing market, and as such, the regulations will likely need to be revised in the future if they are found to be too restrictive or too permissive.
All of the existing short-term rentals will be grandfathered in and will not be affected by the new regulations.
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