ROCKLAND — The ordinances for Transient Residential Accommodations, aka AirBnB, will continue to be hashed out in Rockland. Yet, following a public hearing during the December 14, 6 p.m., council meeting, those ordinances will likely be referred to as Short Term Rental. This vote by council members (excluding Mayor Frank Isganitis, who abstained) is the result of resident complaints that the word “transient” portrays a negative meaning.

A public speaker at the Monday, Nov. 9, city council meeting described ‘transient’ as cold and unwelcoming. “The whole purpose of this is to bring people to Rockland, to welcome them, and to make them feel respected; and then for them to be respectful..... If we post that transient thing, isn’t that kind of like targeting? Then a burglar might know — hey, that person’s transient. So maybe I can break in there, or watch them or something.”

City Attorney Kevin Beal told council that Transient Residential Accommodations may have come from the Life Safety Code, but any terminology can be used ”as long as it’s properly defined in the ordinance.”

Councilor Valli Geiger questioned terms such as ‘vacation rentals’ or ‘holiday rentals”.

“It’s a happy thing. People are coming to Rockland, they love Rockland, they want to visit it. They want to stay. And even ‘short term rental’ doesn’t really capture what we’re talking about here,” Geiger said.

Councilor Larry Pritchett, who proposed the amendment to change the wording, wanted to be able to include business rentals within the category.

“I have no concerns one way or the other. I just heard a lot of objections to the word transient,” he said.