ROCKPORT — A timeline posted on the Town of Rockport website illustrates a series of hearings and public meetings that is to lead up to a proposed short-term rental ordinance appearing before residents on the June ballot. Meanwhile, the Town Manager has responded to a citizen’s letter taking issue with the use of taxpayer dollars funding a mailing that included Select Board opinion on the ordinance.

William Post, town manager, has countered: “The intent was not to lobby for a particular result. The intent was to be informative.” See below for full letter.

The ordinance would regulate short-term rentals in Rockport. If enacted by voters, the ordinance would limit the number of short-term rentals allowable in particular zoning districts throughout Rockport, require each homeowner wishing to rent out their property to register with the town Code Enforcement Officer each year and be willing to have their property inspected by the Code Enforcement Officer and the Fire Chief. 

At a Jan. 11 Select Board meeting, Town Manager Bill Post read portions of a letter submitted by resident Stephen Bowen during a period of public comment.

Bowen’s letter criticized an editorial which appeared in the Rockport Resource, a newsletter printed by and distributed by the town to residents. The editorial in question spoke in favor of the proposed ordinance, and was authored by Select Board members Debra Hall and Denise Kennedy-Munger, both of whom drafted the ordinance along with Bob Hall, who sits on the Ordinance Review Committee.

“The Board Chair [Hall], as a citizen of the Town, is of course welcome to share her opinions on this matter as we all are, but what is gravely concerning is the use of a public, taxpayer-funded newsletter, bearing the seal and the imprimatur of the Town, which is written, edited, printed, and mailed at public expense, as a vehicle for what is essentially political advocacy. My tax dollars are being used by the town I live in to lobby me as a citizen to support a controversial matter that is to come before citizens for their vote. This is entirely inappropriate and if it isn’t outright illegal, it is certainly legally suspect,” wrote Bowen.

In his letter, Bowen asked that the Select Board either issue an apology for the “improper use of this taxpayer-funder newspaper for advocacy purposes,” adopt a new policy for the newsletter going forward or offer opponents of the ordinance the chance to have an editorial published.

On Jan. 14, Post issued a response to Bowen’s letter in which Post said that the Rockport Resource would not be publishing any rebuttals to the editorial by Hall and Kennedy-Munger.

“I believe that your criticism of the Select Board in this case is unfair. The intent of the article was to inform the public on the topic of short-term rentals and what the Select Board is suggesting to the voters as a remedy. I have editorial control of the newsletter and included the article in the January edition of the newsletter as we are trying to inform the public. The intent was not to lobby for a particular result. The intent was to be informative. The newsletter will not be used for rebuttals to articles by anyone,” said Post.

The Town website has posted the following schedule concerning the short-term rental ordinance:

January 25: third draft STR Registration Ordinance submitted to Select Board for review/comment

February 16: Workshop to hear public comments on 3rd draft, moderated by Town Manager via Zoom

February 17 – March 1: Staff/workgroup/town attorney (potentially) revise third draft

March 8: fourth draft STR Registration Ordinance presented to Select Board for approval

March 25: Planning Board public hearing and votes on any Land Use Ordinance amendments (related to STR Registration Ordinance)

April 12: Select Board votes to place STR Registration Ordinance on June ballot & approve Annual Town Meeting Warrant

April 13: Ballots ordered

April 22: Second opportunity for Planning Board public hearing (if any substantial changes made to Land Use Ordinance amendments, no further changes can be made)

April 26 or May 10: Select Board holds Public Hearing on any ballot questions (at least 10 days prior to election) (No changes can be made to questions or ordinances)

May 7: Absentee ballots available (30 days prior to election)

June 8, Election Polls open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“The article made it clear that the Select Board intends to place the Short-term Rental Registration Ordinance on the June ballot for the town’s voters to act on. It is up to the voters to decide how to vote on it. It was not a lobbying piece to urge voters to vote on a particular ordinance or to vote for a particular candidate,” said Post.

The entire letter may be read below.

The next meeting of the Rockport Select Board will be held Monday, Jan. 25 at 5:30 p.m.