Interim Chair Melissa Greene of the Planning Commission read to council Monday the recommended changes to City Code regarding Bed & Breakfasts. One proposed change involved having a B&B owner or manager register as having the address of the B&B as the primary domicile.
Aldermen found various ways to circumvent this requirement. City Attorney Tim Weaver stated council would even need to legislate a certain number of nights at the address to make it the primary domicile.
Alderman David Mitchell, however, defended the work done by Planning stating there are violations of the law occurring in town and Planning was only trying to tighten up City Code.
Alderman Kristi Kendrick asked why, from a land use perspective, City Code requires a B&B to provide breakfast. Mitchell replied, “It’s a Bed & Breakfast! You’d better at least throw a donut at them.”
Kendrick insisted land use had nothing to do with breakfast, and alderman Terry McClung wondered how the city would police the breakfast requirement or stipulation regarding a manager or owner live on-site. Mayor Butch Berry suggested alderman would get a cleaned up version of the recommendations from Planning for consideration at the next meeting.