Branson's changes upset owners of extended stay lodging

[Cheesecake]

by Linda Russell, KY3 News lrussell@ky3.com 4:58 p.m. CDT, May 2, 2012

BRANSON, Mo.-- Some changes for Branson motels are causing new challenges for owners and residents. They deal with motels that are extended stay, where people live year round. Now the city has new regulations that will impact these businesses.
Branson has more than 200 lodging properties, some that rent by the night, but others that rent by the month. "I bought the Palms in August of last year, and it's been run as an extended stay since then," says Chuck Bayer.

Chuck, along with the owners of many of the other extended stay facilities in town, about 20 in all, are upset with the city's latest moves. They've been classified as apartments in the past, but the city now says they're hotels.

"Now they're saying you have to get a business license, you have to pay the last two years of business personal property taxes, as well as this year's, when the city didn't even ask them to pay business personal property taxes the last two years," says Attorney Bob Paulson, who is representing Motel 9, another of Branson's extended stay properties.

A new inspection process for all of Branson's hotels is just starting- the Lodging Risk Reduction Program. Fire, health and code inspectors work as a team to inspect each property, including extended stays.
"Those right now are not inspected by the health department, so that's kind of a gap we need to fill and make sure those properties are safe as well," says Garrett Anderson, spokesperson for the City of Branson.

"They're not a hotel; they're an apartment," says Paulson.

Anderson says, "According to the state building codes, they are not apartments."

At Motel 9, many of the residents are employees in the Branson tourist industry, and they don't make enough to afford a car, much less the down payment on an apartment. "So they need these facilities in order to live, in order to survive, support themselves and support their families," says Paulson.

The city wants to ensure safety, and business owners say they do too, but the extra taxes and inspections could be too costly. "They want to inspect, and I think they want to inspect them out of business," Paulson says.
The new inspection program was rolled out about two weeks ago. The city will hold a meeting to discuss it with motel owners coming up on May 17th.

see VIDEO HERE...click

[NotJLB]

"At Motel 9, many of the residents are employees in the Branson tourist industry, and they don't make enough to afford a car, much less the down payment on an apartment. "So they need these facilities in order to live, in order to survive, support themselves and support their families," says Paulson."

[VictoriasMom]

I do not understand why this thread was moved as it IS a Local Issue

Or is it because it is something we are not suppose to talk about?

OH, it needs to be talked about....I will wait till I feel better....

[leftsaidted]

OK, no doubt there are many older hotels that do need inspections, and being brought up to date with cleanliness and truly useful, common sense safety codes would be a good thing. HOWEVER, as far as making them pay taxes and other fees for years past when the city did NOT classify them as what they are trying to "re" classify them now, one simple thing stands out:
NO EX POST FACTO LAW shall be enacted or passed". Simply put, by definition, both Federal and State governments are PROHIBITED from enacting a law that retroactively changes the legal consequences (or status) of actions committed or relationships that existed prior to the enactment of the law. (Article I, section 9 of the U.S. Constitution for the Feds; clause 1 of Article I, section 10 for the States). I would fight the city on the same grounds as the State, were it trying to do this. Now I know both the criminal elements in both the Fed and various States like to act as if this law does not exist, but in fact it DOES exist, and it IS the SUPREME law of the land we live it, even though the US Obscene Court has seen fit to attempt to gut this protection away from The People, as it has done almost all other protections. Fight the City anyway! And good luck.

[Cheesecake]

Originally Posted by VictoriasMom

I do not understand why this thread was moved as it IS a Local Issue

Or is it because it is something we are not suppose to talk about?

OH, it needs to be talked about....I will wait till I feel better....

After I posted this in Branson/Local Issues, I went back and moved it with my forum tools to Chit Chat where more people would see it.

I recall a thread not long ago about ''how do you navigate this forum'' and fewer go to ''todays posts'', and more go to each individual ''forum''...so I thought more people check out Chit Chat than any other forum, be they local or foreign.

So since I posted it originally, I decided I'd put it in another ''category'' so it would get noticed.

Simple as that...I am not a delete/change fairy nor am I a moderator...I just use the tools available to me when I am the OP.

[TJefferson]

Originally Posted by NotJLB

"At Motel 9, many of the residents are employees in the Branson tourist industry, and they don't make enough to afford a car, much less the down payment on an apartment. "So they need these facilities in order to live, in order to survive, support themselves and support their families," says Paulson."

Maybe it's not a matter of "affording" but "not wanting" to sign a long term lease. Many people just want to stay 3-6 months. A huge number of these motel dwellers are just college kids from here and abroad who are only here for the main part of the tourist season.

[JoseyWales2]

Lawrence kansas has passed a law that limits the number of non related ppl from living together. THere are hundreds of old huge homes around the campus that are rented to multiple students who are not related and I think its the new apartment owners who have money that get those laws enacted. branson also has gotten into the taxation of such by using inspections which are taxes in actuality. So the huge old homes will go un rented there and fall into disrepair if this is allowed to continure.

Poor ppl need lodging too and the city fathers need to realize that not everyone owns a theater or business and have a hard time making it in todays world.