As a result of the 2015 Reed v. Town of Gilbert, AZ Supreme Court decision, some municipalities across the country have questioned if they should revisit their sign codes. Since then, GLVAR has been in conversations with Clark County regarding signage, including open house and for sale signs. GLVAR, like other REALTOR® associations, understands that the use of open house signage is a cornerstone of a buyer finding a property and a seller selling their property. That said, REALTORS® must set an example of abiding by the rules of the local municipality in which they are doing business.

It is imperative for REALTORS® to recognize that the proper use of open house signs is paramount in preserving your ability to use signage in our local communities. Please remind your fellow REALTOR® members of their high professional standards, which encompasses the REALTOR® brand and reputation, by adhering to local sign codes/ordinances.

According to the most recent MLS numbers in Clark County for example, the total active MLS listings (note: of all property types) in Clark County is just over 11,000,and almost 7,400 active residential MLS listings. Consequently, open house signs tend to be a common sight in neighborhoods and on roadways throughout Clark County. While most would agree that the sign codes/ordinances throughout the various municipalities of Clark County are grounded in common sense, and overall routinely followed, unfortunately some REALTOR® members inadvertently may not be in full compliance with a local sign code/ordinance in a particular listing community. That is why ultimately the onus lies with individual REALTORS® to preserve and protect the REALTOR® reputation of being a good community partner, so that when your leadership and Government Affairs team makes the case to preserve open house signs, elected officials cannot point to bad actors as a reason to tighten sign codes/ordinances.

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The Douglas County Planning Commission has been updating their Vacation Home Rental Ordinance (chapter 5.40 of Title 5) since July. In July, the Planning Commission recommendation to the Douglas County Commissioners was to only allow short-term rentals in the Tahoe Township portion of Douglas County. In subsequent meetings, there were additional conditions proposed to be added to the ordinance, further restricting private property rights. County staff is supposed to be holding stakeholder meetings to address concerns, and the Government Affairs Committee will be there.

New permit violations are also in the works, for those renting out their house 28 consecutive days or less without a valid Douglas County permit; they could face egregious fines, inspections, permit denial, and delays. The Government Affairs Committee has been at the table voicing your concerns will inform the membership of any new changes and effective dates as they are decided.

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Advancing further along the process, TRPA's Regional Plan Implementation Committee will be reviewing the Shoreline code changes for recommendation to the Governing Board at the end of September. Members have reviewed and don't see concerns with the proposed changes. The changes can be viewed at www.shorelineplan.org.

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Members continue to be involved in discussions surrounding BMP workgroups and are currently reviewing possible changes resulting from integrating TRPA's BMP database with stormwater tools and the new Lake Tahoe Info website. With continuous input from the membership and community partners the Laketahoeinfo.org site continues to improve.

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• • Local Open House Sign Codes in Southern Nevada
• • Douglas County Short-Term Rental Ordinance
• • Shoreline Strategic Initiative
• • BMP/Parcel Workgroup Updates
• • Sign Up to Receive Calls to Action

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For more information, please contact:

• Nevada REALTORS® President Heidi Kasama
• Nevada REALTORS® Legislative Chairman Kevin Sigstad
• Nevada REALTORS® CEO Teresa McKee