City of West Hollywood Convenes Task Force on Shared Economy Businesses

 

Innovative Business Models for Ride Sharing and

Short-Term Rentals Spark New Policy Questions

 

Task Force Meetings Will Take Place

Monthly From August to November

 

 

WEST HOLLYWOOD, August 20, 2014 – The City of West Hollywood has convened a Shared Economy Task Force to assist in the review of policies and impacts regarding shared economy businesses operating in the City of West Hollywood. The formation of the Task Force is the result of direction by the West Hollywood City Council in February 2014.

The shared economy is an emerging market in many towns and cities across the country in which people rent rooms, cars, products, or services directly from one another. New technological advances in broadband internet connectivity and smart phone applications are changing the ways in which consumers source goods and services. Entities such as VRBO, Airbnb, Lyft, andUber are a growing presence in the City of West Hollywood. These types of entities serve multiple purposes in any community. They may in some cases serve as extra sources of revenue for individual households, while also providing efficient and affordable services to those that use them. However, short-term vacation rentals are currently prohibited in the City of West Hollywood.

Shared economy businesses have implications for local government including quality of life impacts, business impacts, and general consumer safety. There is an emerging debate about whether shared economy activities may violate existing municipal regulatory schemes and zoning codes. Around the country policies and regulations are being enacted to both support the growth of sharing economy businesses and to protect consumers.

The aim of the City of West Hollywood's Shared Economy Task Force is to formalize a review process of current approaches to emerging shared economy businesses in the City of West Hollywood. The City Manager, at the direction of City Council, has formed a Task Force comprised of the following people:

• Lindsey Horvath — City's Transportation Commission
• Roy Huebner — City's Planning Commission
• Bill Hynes — Visit West Hollywood
• Rob Lo — City's Business License Commission
• Genevieve Morrill — West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce

There will be a total of five public Task Force meetings. The introductory meeting took place on Wednesday, July 23, 2014, to acquaint members of the Task Force and review meeting processes and protocols. Four meetings are scheduled to take place in the future, on a monthly basis:

·         Wednesday, August 27, 2014 at 5 p.m.;

·         Wednesday, September 24, 2014 at 5 p.m.;

·         Wednesday, October 22, 2014 at 5 p.m.; and

·         November's meeting time to be determined.

Each meeting will take place in the Community Meeting Room at West Hollywood Library, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard.

For more information about the City of West Hollywood's Shared Economy Task Force, visit www.weho.org/sharedeconomy.

For additional information, please contact Laura Minnich, Economic Development Analyst, at (323) 848-6402 or at lminnich@weho.org. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, please call (323) 848-6496.