Short-term rentals. STRs. In Teller County, STRs are accompanied by powerful emotions and impassioned pleas.

Over the past few months, commissioners Bob Campbell, Erik Stone and Dan Williams have held listening sessions across the county about the subject. Teller is the only county in Colorado that does not regulate short-term rentals.

During the commissioners’ meeting Feb. 12, Greg Liverman, who lives in the Four Mile area, spoke of the devaluation of “neighborhood” when short-term rentals move in.

“In Teller County, in residential and agriculture zones, people make their homes, raise their kids and establish common bonds,” Liverman said from the podium. “Interdependence and trust with neighbors happen over days weeks, months and years. It’s where you help others fix their house, mitigate their trees, keep an eye on the kids and help each other out. Neighbors help each other stay safe when disaster strikes.”

Liverman added this plea. 

“Please, as you consider the STR question, consider our neighborhoods, the benefits and who it impacts,” Liverman said. “There’s a hole in the fabric of the neighborhood with STRs.”

On the other hand, absentee STR owner, Jonathan McIntosh countered that he and his family depend on the income from their property in Teller County.

“I support reasonable regulations but encourage you to look at the economic impact of short-term rentals,” he said.

Along with gaming and the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Co. STRs are another source of income, McIntosh said. 

“Please don’t terminate short-term rentals; they bring good people to Teller County,” he said. “There are close to 1,000 short-term rentals in the county now and they have not changed the character of this county yet.”

Seventy percent of the homes in the Lakemoor West neighborhood are second homes, said a Colorado Springs resident whose second home is an STR when the family is not staying there.

“STRs are part of the neighborhood,” he said.

With the cost of property taxes, insurance, maintenance, fire mitigation and utilities, the family could not afford the home without the rental income, he said.

Other proponents of STRs spoke of the great distance between many properties in Teller County, thus ensuring that STRs are hidden by trees and an abatement of noise.

Mark Hoostra, a volunteer firefighter in Teller County who owns an STR, is in favor of some regulation. Hoostra, who said he had attended all the public meetings on the subject, wonders if the gatherings are effective.

“People talk about noise, traffic and a whole list of things but it seems like they were never heard,” he said.  “I’d like to see a process where people who have concerns are heard.  I hope regulations help support that.”

Matthew Nelson highlighted the emotions around STRs, that the issue is not cut-and-dried.

“I feel like we STR owners are the opponents,” he said.

The commissioners emphasized throughout the meeting that they have not decided and before they do, they will hold public hearings.

Plea for CASA

Williams, who is a board member of the nonprofit organization CASA, highlighted the effects of societal upheaval on children in El Paso and Teller counties.  With 17,582 referrals last year by departments of human services, the number reflects the high incidents of child abuse, domestic violence and drug/alcohol abuse.

 “This is the result of the division; there are people across the aisle I consider close friends and we disagree respectfully,” Williams said, adding that when arguments get out of hand, children suffer. “In Teller County, things are going in the wrong direction.”

Last year, 672 children had a CASA volunteer advocate for them in court while 145 lacked an advocate.

“My ask is to donate when you can, but we are looking for advocates,” Wiliams said. “There is a high turnover rate for advocates – it takes a lot of time.”

Of 21 CASA nonprofits in Colorado, three are not solvent, he said, adding that, thanks to private donations CASA of the Pikes Peak Region is healthy

Nonprofits like CASA across Colorado are losing public funds due to cuts from the federal government.  “We are a target of the federal government for a variety of reasons,” he said.

In the meantime, the commissioners reported that they are again driving regularly to the state legislature in Denver to testify against bills that target local control.