The City Council on Tuesday night voted to extend the moratorium on non owner-occupied short term vacation rentals another six months. The current moratorium was set to expire on Jan. 9.
Chip Henderson, who is heading up an ad hoc committee on STVRs, cast the only no vote. He favored only a 30-day extension.
Councilman Henderson said he plans to ask for a vote soon on proposed amendments to the current ordinance, including a density cap, buffer zone from R-1, a seven-member appeals board, and an administrative hearing officer (AHO).
He earlier said the amendments would be an addition to the current STVR ordinance and would continue its "overlay zones" that bar rentals from certain districts.
The committee held a number of meetings, but in the end found that City Council members could not reach consensus on a replacement STVR ordinance. Several council members still do not want any rentals in their districts.
Several council members said they want to see much stricter enforcement of the industry. It was found that some 500 rental operators are doing so illegally.
Chris Anderson of the mayor's office said the administrative hearing officer should be in place by March, and funds from the hotel/motel tax receipts would be used to hire three more enforcement staff members. Only one is now over rentals.