Suzette Cook
The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved on May 26th a request be sent to the Department of Business and Professional Regulations asking that vacation rentals be allowed to reopen.
“On behalf of the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners, I’m writing to respectfully request that pursuant to Executive Order 20-123, Alachua County’s vacation rentals be permitted to reopen with recommended safety measures and best practices in place,” the letter signed by County Manager Michele Lieberman states.
“Alachua County’s tourism industry welcomed over 2.1 million overnight visitors in 2019, and as a significant economic driver to restaurants, attractions, and venues, we are committed to assisting our community and businesses as we work to recover from the economic crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the letter states.
A plan for recommended safety measures for vacation rentals will also be forwarded by the county as outlined here.
“The Alachua County plan was developed with the recommended safety measures provided by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, the Centers for Disease Control and the Vacation Rental Management Association,” the request states.
“It is our aim to ensure that Alachua County participates in the continuity of guidelines across the state to provide safe and clean rental properties for our visitors, and to assist our local business community in their COVID-19 recovery plans. “