POLAND — By a 5-1 vote Poland Village council on Tuesday set a one-year moratorium regarding short-term rental of village homes.

The measure, which will last through Dec. 31, came with the recommendation of village solicitor Jay Macejko after a cease-and-desist letter was delivered last week to property owners Dan and Sunny Sneddon for a short-term rental on their home at 211 Diana Drive.

Councilman Mike Thompson voted no.

Neighbors of the Diana Drive property had raised concerns and notified village officials that the property was listed for short-term rentals via Airbnb, a property rental web site.

Questions surrounded proper zoning. The property is zoned residential, but short-term rentals could require a conditional-use permit. The moratorium will allow council time to review ordinances, verifying which parts “match up” with short-term rentals, officials said.

Once a cease-and-desist order was delivered last week, the Sneddons followed the mandate immediately.

“It seems like they want to work with us,” Macejko said.

The Sneddons said last week they used a third-party company — MyLodgeTax by Avalara — to research local laws.

“They offer permitting, licensing and tax-paying solutions,” Dan Sneddon said. “They said we did not require their services in this location and refunded our money.”

The couple told the council they want to work with the village to develop ordinances involving short-term rentals.

The couple said they purchased the property in September with the intent to relocate there. However, those plans were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. So, to help make mortgage payments, they opted to use the home for short-term rentals, and intended to take measures to “filter” and limit the number of guests. Sunny Sneddon said she promoted Mill Creek Park and local businesses, among other local features.

“We set this up because our area needs it,” she said. “Airbnb is not a bad thing.”

The property was first launched on Airbnb on Christmas Eve, and garnered 4,500 views in its one week.

Residents attending Tuesday’s meeting expressed concern of the unknown of short-term rentals and supported the moratorium.