Article Courtesy of The Panama City News Herald

By John Henderson

Published September 26, 2015

PANAMA CITY BEACH — The Beach Council on Thursday passed some new Spring Break ordinances but backed off others.

The council, after listening to angry owners of condominiums and scooter rental companies, backed off proposed laws that would have put scooter rentals out of business in a couple years and required condo owners to go through a lengthy registration process and have someone available 24 hours a day if police want to evict tenants.

“The ordinance is off the board,” Mayor Gayle Oberst said.

The council did give preliminary approval of a law that would ban parking in business parking lots after the establishments are closed and allow police to ticket property owners who don’t try to tone down “spontaneous pop-up” events that get out of hand.

The council backed off of a proposed law that would have banned two- and three-wheel scooter rentals after Sept. 5, 2017, and immediately banned overnight rentals year-round. Instead, council members directed the city staff to meet with scooter rental businesses and come back with an alternative ordinance at the council’s next meeting Oct. 8.

Several scooter rental owners offered to cut the number of scooters they rent out to between 40 and 60, which would result in 700 scooter rentals instead of the 1,500 registered in the city.

Police Chief Drew Whitman said the lower numbers could help with safety because the sheer number of scooter rentals makes it impossible to enforce traffic laws.

“I don’t have the manpower to enforce the laws, and I’m not going to chase them (scooter riders violating traffic laws)” because it could pose a threat to the public, Whitman said.

In the end, the council agreed with a proposal by Councilman Keith Curry not to approve the proposed ordinance and to direct city staff and scooter rental businesses “to rewrite and participate and make a new ordinance better.”

Numerous scooter rental owners pled with the council not to take away their livelihood.

“We can get this worked out with you guys,” said Colleen Swab, the owner of California Cycles.

Curry apologized to the scooter rental owners.

“I said this legislation is asinine,” he said. “It attacks the very foundation of free enterprise.”

The council also rejected a proposal to regulate short-term rentals. The proposed law would have required condo owners to go through a lengthy registration process with the city and pay a $45 registration fee for each unit. In addition, someone would have had to be available 24 hours day in case there was a problem in the unit.

Hector Solis, who rents several condominiums, said a “carrot and stick” approach needs to be put in a revised ordinance.

Condo owners cry foul over Panama City Beach proposal