Gig Harbor's Short-Term Rental Regulation + Metro Market Opening

Good morning, Gig Harbor! Hope your work week started off on the right foot.

For this first digest of the week, I have a few interesting things for you, including a piece that recognizes Gig Harbor as one of the best places in Washington to retire (though of course many long-time Gig Harbor residents already know how beautiful and peaceful it is there).

I also took a look at the emergency ordinance the Gig Harbor City Council passed last month, and found something interesting: though city officials say they found over 40 Airbnb and other short-term rental listings for properties within city limits, only one property is actually fully licensed with the city to host short-term renters. I'm curious to see what (if anything) will happen now that all those unaccredited renters have been found out. As for the ordinance, it puts a six-month hold on approving new short-term rentals. That's had residents asking a few questions, so I'm sharing a Q&A from the city on the issue below.

So here we go, this is today's daily digest:

First, today's weather:

Some sun, then turning cloudy. High: 52 Low: 43.

Here are the top stories in Gig Harbor today:

1. Gig Harbor Addresses Questions About Short-Term Rental Rules (Gig Harbor Patch)
2. Pierce County starts week with more than 200 new COVID-19 cases (Tacoma News Tribune)
3. New Pierce County Itinerary Fits Eight Museums into Three Spectacular Days (PRNewswire)
4. 9 Cities Retirees Are Loving In Washington State (TravelAwaits)
5. After long wait, Gig Harbor’s Metropolitan Market opens in a crush of carts (Tacoma News Tribune)

Today's Gig Harbor Daily is brought to you by our friends at Ring, the home security company. Ring does a lot more than doorbells: check out their full suite of smart home products at Ring.com. And thank you Ring for helping to make local news happen in Gig Harbor!

Today in Gig Harbor:

• GHHS - Commons - Picture Retakes - Gig Harbor High (7:00 AM)
• GHHS - Turf #1 - GH Girls Soccer GAME vs N. Thurston HS; V@7, JV@5 (5:00 PM)
• PHS- Girls Soccer vs Central Kitsap (5:45 PM)
• GHHS - Library - GHTSF Meeting - Gig Harbor High (7:00 PM)

Gig Harbor Patch Notebook

• Gig Harbor Police Department: "We are thrilled to welcome our newest Officer to the City of Gig Harbor family. Police Officer Ennis Jody Roberson was sworn in today. Officer Roberson is quite personable and is eager to serve the citizens of our community."
• Gig Harbor Living: "The tranquility of the harbor and the amazing amount of natural beauty, wildlife and marine species is a big reason so many call Gig Harbor home, and always will. Below the water is an amazing amount of biodiversity, and keeping it so is..."
• Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One: "Did you know that a permit is required to burn yard debris in our service area? Our annual burning restrictions will expire on Friday, October 15th and if you live outside of the “no-burn zone” you can request a FREE burn permit online a..."
• Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce: "Join us Thursday, October 14th from 7:30-8:30am for the Port of Tacoma Commissioner Pos.4 Candidate Forum. Come with your questions for candidates Don Meyer and Mary Bacon to find out where they stand of the issues."

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Events:

• The Albers Executive Speaker Series Presents: Eric Artz, President & CEO of REI (October 13)
• Ask the Divorce Experts – Seattle, WA Hub ~ No–Cost Webinar (October 15)
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For sale:

• Antique Armoire (Details)
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Job listings:

• Carpenter Needed (Details)
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That's it for today. See you all tomorrow for another update! If you're liking these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to follow along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Charles Woodman

About me: Charles started as Field Editor for Patch in May 2020, covering western Washington. He is based in Seattle. In the past, he has written for various TV news stations in Seattle, Reno, Nevada and Fairbanks, Alaska. He has also worked as a music critic, weatherman, and soccer referee.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Gig Harbor Daily? Reach out anytime to charles.woodman@patch.com.