On Tuesday night, members of the Auburn City Council gathered for their biweekly meeting.
The meeting's discussion consisted of numerous topics ranging from newly built affordable housing at Tucker Heights subdivision to filling vacancies on different boards.
During the citizen's open forum, Robert Wilkins, a resident of Auburn, addressed the council.
"The destruction of the Loveliest Village on the Plains is methodically being dismantled by the mayor and his associates, the Auburn City Council, the Auburn Planning Commission, the Bureaucratic Management Team and outside developers building their massive, faceless buildings," Wilkins said. "The local commercial realtors continue their expansion and slow infiltration of duplexes, condos, townhouses and apartments in the older, single-family neighborhoods."
Wilkins' concern is centered around the short-term rental families.
"The 151 short-term rental families are entering their third football season of being stripped of their constitutional rights and property rights while supporters of the 'no hotels in our community' continue to reap from the football parking revenue that is exempt from any license requirement," Wilkins said.
After the meeting had concluded, Wilkins gave further comments about his concerns.
"I mainly want to talk about the short-term rental which has been brought up a lot and is sitting now in the Alabama Supreme Court," Wilkins said. "There should be a decision because it's the end of the term, either this Friday or next Friday."
Wilkins believes that the property rights – as well as the constitutional rights – of the property owners, have been violated.
"The city normally gives you a lot of reasons to make a decision. On the short-term rentals, there [were] none," Wilkins said. "There was nothing that was backed up with data. When the city gives you something they want to pass, they give you all kinds of data."
The city of Auburn's regulation of short-term rentals is a hot topic of conversation in the community, and that is likely not going to change anytime soon.
The next City Council meeting will take place on Oct. 3, 2023, at 6 p.m. at 141 N. Ross St.
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Daniel Locke, junior in journalism, is the community editor for The Auburn Plainsman.
Twitter: @danieljlocke
