"This decision is not being made in haste, nor without extensive research. I have examined how cities across the United States like Anaheim, Denver, New Orleans and Santa Monica, as well as international cities like Amsterdam, Barcelona and Berlin, have addressed the rapid rise of STR's and what specific steps these communities have taken. As with virtually every contentious property use issue, their methodologies were complex and very community-centric. There is no one size fits all set of rules or regulations. As such, I had to look at what remedies were proposed and measure them against Oakwood's unique characteristics. The factors I looked at included neighborhood preservation, housing availability, protecting quality of life, economic development, and safety, as well as a realistic look at enforcement capabilities and the resources that would be needed. I also familiarized myself with many of the STR listings within our community and reviewed the feedback left by users of those properties. I understand the effect this legislation will have on these properties and am sensitive to the repercussions that might be experienced.

On top of my qualitative research, I have also added a quantitative component which involved getting out in the community and asking actual residents and business owners how they felt on the matter. I spent two evenings knocking doors on both the north and south sides of Oakwood, a morning surveying residents at the Oakwood Farmers Market, and an afternoon talking to shop owners in two of our major business districts. The overwhelming response that I received was in favor of the legislation before us this evening.

I am convinced that I, as well as my fellow members of council, have done our due diligence in reviewing this matter. One of the most powerful aspects of local government is that, unlike the State and Federal legislative bodies, we have an established record of responding to issues that affect our communities in a timely manner. We don't kick the can down the road. We don't stall things in hopes that the public will get distracted by other challenges and divert their attention. We listen to our constituents, do our homework, and then decisively act in the best interests of the community as a whole. While our decisions might not always be universally popular, there is no doubt in my mind that they are made with the intention of being beneficial to the widest group of Oakwood residents as possible.

Ultimately, for me, this comes down to a matter of whose interests I care more about: long-term residents of the city, or those that choose to visit it. My vote will be on behalf of my friends and neighbors who call Oakwood their home."