Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Noise Ordinance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee to rework noise ordinance tables and enforcement approach; schedules fuller review before public hearing
Summary
Committee members directed staff to rework the city noise ordinance’s measurement tables and footnotes to simplify enforcement, removing special-case tables and clarifying audible-enforcement language. Staff will circulate updated text for committee review before an October hearing; the chief and health department will be consulted.
The Ordinance Committee directed staff to rework portions of the city noise ordinance — specifically the sound-level tables, related footnotes and variance language — to improve enforceability and clarity. Committee members asked staff to circulate a cleaned draft for review before scheduling a public hearing.
Staff identified the areas of concern as Table 2 (maximum permissible outdoor and indoor sound levels for residential, commercial and industrial zones), a footnote that increases permitted levels where a residential receptor is near a commercial or industrial zone, and Table 3, which provides district-specific allowances (for example treating Washington Street differently). Staff said the combined effect of multiple tables and the footnote made enforcement difficult for police.
The draft under consideration contains a provision to allow police officers to issue citations without conducting meter measurements in cases that meet a plainly-audible standard at 100 feet; staff said that practical enforcement mechanism would let officers address loud disturbances promptly without complex measurement procedures. The police chief and health department staff have reviewed portions of the proposal and will be re-engaged as staff prepares a consolidated redline.
Committee members agreed it would be prudent to remove the special-case table and simplify footnotes so enforcement matches the way other municipalities structure noise codes. Several members asked staff to circulate proposed changes to the noise tables (sections noted as §68-5 and §68-11 in discussion) and the revised variance process before the committee’s next meeting so that stakeholders including business groups and Washington Street interests can review them prior to formal public hearing. Staff committed to distributing an updated draft promptly for Committee review.
