‘Wish I was there’
Opposition to a bill that would exempt some rural properties from the county’s Rental Registration program caused Republican Councilman Bryan McIntire to wax a little nostalgic at today’s council meeting.
McIntire, who represents most of the rural land in the county, sponsored a bill that would exempt homes on the National Register of Historic Places and the county’s inventory of historic places from rental registration, as well as homes on the preliminary or final landmarks list and any home not connected to public water or sewer.
Councilman Vince Gardina, a Democrat and one of two of the original sponsors of the county-wide Rental Registration program, said prior to the vote that he could not support McIntire’s bill because it excludes some areas that are zoned rural residential and critical areas near the Bay.
“Some of the most aggregious violations of the rental properties exist in these areas,” said Gardina. “Many of the problems exist in the RC20 (zone) where rental properties are still on outhouses and still use 55-gallon drums on the roofs for water supplies.”
McIntire said he had some experience with situations like the one Gardina described.
“I have to tell you, Mr. Gardina, that one of the most wonderful experiences I ever had was living in a small place on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, and we pumped the water up from a cistern and to give us gravity it was contained in a 55-gallon drum above the kitchen and it was great and it was healthy,” McIntire said. “And I wish I were there now.”
“Of course, I like what I’m doing, don’t misunderstand,” McIntire added.
McIntire’s bill passed by a vote of 4-2, with Gardina and Councilman John Olszewski Sr. — the other author of the original Rental Registration program — voting against. Council Chairman Joseph Bartenfelder abstained.