This week, the Green Bay Common Council tabled a vote that would have helped working families and seniors protect themselves from bad short term rental guests and their neglectful owners. This after the Green Bay STR Alliance lied to residents, including myself, that we would get it across the finish line after removing other parts of the ordinance.

The three strikes rule would have ensured that neighbors had a mechanism that would hold bad owners accountable. Three infractions and the owner could lose their permit.

Now with the vote tabled, its unclear is our neighborhoods will ever be able to feel at home again while bad guests blast music into the early hours of the morning, and park their cars on other people’s lawn.

Let’s be real, it’s possible this topic won’t be revisited for a very long time. If at all. And if it does, the Green Bay STR Alliance, who have been coached by AirBnB and Discover Green Bay (story HERE) will still be at an advantage.

Green Bay residents that make this short term rental industry possible to begin with will still be victimized by the very economy they built because of this inaction.

The fight isn’t over. If you’re one of the residents who deal with the unruly visitors on your street, that have made Green Bay Packer games something to fear instead of an occasion that used to be celebrated, then you’re not alone.

We must continue to communicate with our elected officials at every turn. Every time a bad short term rental causes a problem in your neighborhood, document it. And if it’s especially bad, then call the police.

We won’t stop until we take back our neighborhoods from bad short term rental guests and their greedy owners.