The Martin Township Board Wednesday evening was asked by two local residents, mother and son, to craft an ordinance regulating bed and breakfast businesses.

Lori and Chase Meade said a bed and breakast operation near their home is out of control and causing neighbors hard feeling and distress.

“We’re looking for a sensible ordinance for short-term rentals,” Chase said. He added that these are businesses rented out by absentee landlords and their tenants run amok with any kind of rules in a residential area.

“Some of these people (who rent) stay more than five days and they avoid any accountability,” Lori said.

She noted that some are until all hours of the night and have loud parties and even events such as wedding without any oversight.

“All of this falls on their neighbors,” she added. “We shouldn’t have to protect our property like that.”

There have been reports of rowdy tenants misusing and abusing nearby property. The Meades said they have called authorities, who say there isn’t much they can do about the problems, especially because Martin Township doesn’t have a noise ordinance.

Lori said fining the absentee landlord for say, $200, wouldn’t do much good because she is renting out her property for as much as $600 a day.

John Schipper, a member of the Martin Township Planning Commission, said that body will meet next week and take up the matter because it is tackling master plan revisions.

In other business, the Martin Township Board:

• Agreed to bump the pay for two election day chairs from $18 to $20 per hour, noting that the Township Clark cannot be physically present because she is on the ballot.
• Approved the purchase of two new toilets, for the men’s women’s rest rooms because the existing facilities are in a state of disrepair.