The Arcata City Council moved forward in a 3-1 vote, with Mayor Sofia Pereira recused, a municipal code amendment last night that will establish regulations for short-term rentals and cap their number at 100, with some exceptions.

Councilmembers Brett Watson, Stacy Atkins-Salazar and Emily Goldstein voted in favor and Sarah Schaefer against.

Several councilmembers, in response to public comment against limiting the number of short-term rentals, noted Arcata's notorious lack of available housing, noting it wasn't just about students, but families and other individuals and protecting the integrity of neighborhoods.

The cap of 100, down from the initially proposed 125, represents about 1.2 percent of Arcata's housing stock, Community Development Director David Loya told the council.

The item dates back to early 2018 when a previous council initiated the process, according to the staff report, but was stalled in October of 2019 due to potential conflicts for two members when the council had a total of four seats filled.

The ordinance would have required three votes to pass.

Current council members requested the item come back during a Jan. 6 meeting, the agenda report states. It is slated to go back for approval on Feb. 17.