LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council approved the second reading of new regulations for short-term regulations Thursday evening.

All council members, other than Councilmember Chuck Ellinger, voted yes. Ellinger abstained.

"We want to be a tourist destination, and in order to do that, we have to make sure that we have the housing that can provide that, and we always have -- especially on big events such as the Breeders' Cup, Keeneland, ball games, that it gives an opportunity to have a different experience than being in a hotel room," said councilmember Ellinger.

Ellinger, a short-term rental property owner himself, said changes to the short-term rental ordinances, some of which were made during a council work session Tuesday, should have gotten more attention.

"I thought those were all kind of substantial changes that we probably should've addressed in a committee instead of when we did it in a work session," he said,

Changes include reducing hosted occupancy to 10 people, restricting the number of short-term rentals to two percent or less of units within 1,000 feet of residential zones and restricting conditional use short term rentals from being within 600 feet from each other.

One short-term rental owner spoke before the council, reiterating what he says are benefits of short-term rentals for the community.

"We revitalize houses, we also contribute socially, bringing in people from all over the world and the U.S. to Lexington," said Chris Huestis, owner of short-term rentals in Lexington.

Ellinger said he hopes the conversation around short-term rentals continues next year, with the hope being bringing a balance between regulation and protections for short-term rentals.