Emilia Teasdale is reporting for The Columbia Paper the Kinderhook Village Board will hold a public hearing on its proposed short-term rental law April 8. The board has been exploring the idea of regulating the rentals, like the ones offered online via websites such as AirBnB and VRBO, for more than a year. The conversation was initiated by former Code Enforcement Officer Glenn Smith, who argued the properties should be identified and inspected with safety concerns in mind. The resulting proposed law would require property owners to apply for a permit with the village building inspector. Once the permit application is deemed complete by Code Enforcement, it then goes to the planning board for approval. A key component of the proposed law is a requirement for a local contact person. That person must reside within 20 miles of the rental and be available to respond to emergencies or concerns 24/7. Under the proposed law, short-term rentals are defined as “a dwelling unit that is rented to a party for 30 continuous days or less.” Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.