NJ Governor Murphy recently gave towns like Brigantine the power to prohibit all short-term and seasonal rentals for the duration of this COVID-19 emergency. Presumably, this would help Brigantine slow the influx of coronavirus refugees. Holding back those escaping hot-spots like New York City.
Most Jersey shore communities quickly took efforts to ban ALL short-term rentals, no matter how the properties were marketed or transacted.
But here in Brigantine, elected officials lead by Mayor Simpson and Councilman Riordan tried something really stupid and incredibly dangerous.
Dangerous & Greedy. Brigantine’s COVID-19 Rental Scam.
On April 1, 2020, Brigantine City Council quietly voted to ban sites like AirBnB, while allowing local real estate offices to conduct rental business as usual. The meeting was held online. No public awareness or input. No up-to-date agenda. No available draft of rental resolution to be discussed.
Once word got out, shit hit the fan.
Talk of class action lawsuits and suspension of property tax bills. Taxpayers ultra-pissed, especially those who invest millions into marketing Brigantine vacation properties.
Watch Video from April 1, 2020
Conflict of interest? Mayor Simpson allegedly owns property being used by a real estate office. Councilman Riordan is a local real estate agent. Both probably should have recused themselves during that April 1 vote.
Don’t let a crisis go to waste.
Did Simpson and Riordan see benefit in stopping AirBnB competition while boosting their own real estate interests?
Mayor Simpson and Brigantine City Council made despicable, greedy decision during dangerous health crisis.
That’s how they roll inside Brigantine City Hall, the birthplace of Greenhead Politics.
Picking winners and losers. At any time.
TO LOG ON TO THE COUNCIL MEETING PLEASE GO TO
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/7345702437
MEETING ID 7345702437
CITY OF BRIGANTINE SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING. APRIL 9, 2020
11:00 A.M.
- Resolution 2020-69 Re: Rental Property Restrictions
City Council will discuss Administrative Order 2020-8 issued by the NJ Office of Emergency
Management which provides for municipalities to impose restrictions in response to COVID-19
on the ability of hotels, motels, guest houses, private residences or parts thereof to accept new
transient guests or seasonal tenants after April 5, 2020. - The City Council of the City of Brigantine reserves the right to consider, discuss and/or take any
formal action upon resolutions or ordinances not appearing on the printed agenda.
CITY OF BRIGANTINE RESOLUTION NO. 2020-69
Rental Property Restrictions
WHEREAS, The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management has issued Administrative Order 2020-8, a
copy of which is attached hereto and made apart hereof; and
WHEREAS, AO 2020-8 provides for municipalities to impose restrictions in response to COVID-19 on the
ability of hotels, motels, guest houses, or private residences, or parts thereof, to accept new transient
guests or seasonal tenants after April 5, 2020; and
WHEREAS, the City of Brigantine wishes to imposes such restrictions and provide for procedures to
effectuate such restrictions; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Council support such restrictions and believe that such restrictions when
properly applied shall benefit the City.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Brigantine, in response to COVID-19, authorizes
restrictions on the ability of hotels, motels, guest houses or private residences, or parts thereof, to
accept new transient guests or seasonal tenants; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City’s Emergency Management Coordinator in consultation with the
City Manager shall establish and coordinate such programs as are necessary to effectuate such
restrictions; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Emergency Management Coordinator and the City Manager shall
provide period reports to City Council as the results and effectiveness of the program implemented.
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Unfettered corruption, Brigantine. Brigantine real estate. Speculators and opportunists. All bad people we left behind. Sorry you folks still have to deal with them.
Sincerely offered by a former resident (since early 1970’s). So glad to not have to be frustrated any longer by this skulduggery.
One would expect the elected officials of a community that’s totally dependent on tourism to do all they can to protect and promote tourism.
In the case of corona, that might entail re-assuring public that Brigantine will support and follow state and federal guidelines. Make sure Brigantine will offer a safe and healthy environment. Further, they might offer optimism that things will be greatly improved, and by summer (8 weeks away) we can hope to have a sense of normalcy.
Perhaps pass a resolution to that effect. Instead of proposing a half baked, ill conceived ordinance that spreads fear, will result in many families cancelling vacations long planned (most are booked 6 months in advance) many from PA, not NYC (a small minority).
The main objective of trying to protect realtors and reject air ban and VRBO will cause lasting damage. Great job!
The gang that can’t shoot straight (I’m being kind) strikes again. How pathetic. Never miss an opportunity to protect the good o’l boys and try to line their pockets.
This could well be the breaking point for second home owners, many whom count on summer rentals (to families) to help defray SOME of the carrying costs.
Don’t think property values can drop by 50%? Don’t be too sure. Why do Brigantine property values lag the rest of the state? Boneheaded, corrupt government.
Does the government have a plan to pay the mortgage payments? Many people need to rent properties to cover mortgage for the whole year? If there is a plan to cover mortgages for the year I guess it’s a no-brainer to shut down renting for the season. If mortgages are paid and we don’t experience foreclosures, maybe this idea is not that crazy.
We will just need to step up as owners and support the local businesses that will lose out on the tourist revenue. If we put up the bubble, we just have to support all of those inside of it.
Can Brigantine survive with no tourism? Hard question to answer. Tough time to be in politics.
Disgraceful and inept assholes.
Covid is on BRIGANTINE Island.
Please help all of us here and STOP RENTING TO PEOPLE who are fleeing their towns looking for safety My neighborhood in Brig has a McMansion on the beach and it filled up with at least 10 people from NY. The home IS A SUMMER RENTAL PROPERTY. Once the van and car arrived (week ago) they loaded up all of the kids and went to the Acme????Then off to buy a big freezer…Unbelievable.
I pray council makes the CORRECT decision sooner than later.
These are uncharted waters council. You made a mistake because of greed. It is never too late to make the CORRECT decision.
NO MORE RENTALS INDEFINITELY.
STOP GREED-ENCOURAGE UNITY AND SAFETY. IT IS NOT FOREVER! Your pockets will be re-lined soon with cash. Relax.
Please suspend seasonal / weekly rentals in Brigantine during this crisis
As a second home owner from Philadelphia I use my home myself all year, you decision along with discouraging use of my own home is completely unacceptable. I don’t intend to rent my home nor use your hospital services, but to discourage use of my home is ridiculous. You can start paying the 5,000.00 tax bill yourself. I find it offensive to suggest your decision was remotely based on safety. You’re healthcare services are subpar at best for which you don’t pay for, you need our money every other time, do you think it’s fair to pay the highest tax rates when I don’t put kids in your schools? My guess is it would be really difficult the run the city budget without all of our taxes. You decision will come back to haunt you, your property taxes are already sending people to other towns. The property value will continue to decline and the won’t be folks like me willing to pay more. Good luck with your shirt term thinking, it going to be your demise. Corrupt fool!
Safety first. No non-essential travel.
It’s about life. If our state was given sufficient tests for C19, there wouldn’t be a problem with any of this.
This is ridiculous. They keep referring to promoting and advertising online. We all know that online is the new newspaper. They also turn all seem to be on the same page with defining “short term“. Some seem to think that it means a rental of less than 30 days and others think that it means the length of the virus (that is however short it is). Or 30 day rentals all right? In reality that means that a group of people could rent a property for the summer and divvy it up between their friends for a week here and a week there. How does that help?