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Bettendorf resident says overnight noise from city property is harming her health; city says investigation ongoing
Summary
At the Oct. 21 Bettendorf City Council meeting, resident Elena Bell complained that persistent overnight noise from a city-owned site is exceeding the residential decibel limit and affecting her health; city staff said they are investigating but have not identified the source.
At the Oct. 21 Bettendorf City Council meeting, Elena Bell told the council and staff that persistent overnight noise from a city-owned property across the parking lot from her apartment has repeatedly exceeded Bettendorf's residential noise limits and harmed her health.
"The city is violating its own residential noise ordinance of 60 decibels from 7PM to 10AM consistently, repeatedly, and without consequences," Bell said, adding that she measured sound levels "from the center of my apartment" and that readings had been "somewhere between 65 and 80 decibels."
Bell said she filed written complaints in September and had called police multiple times; she said officers visited twice and confirmed the noise exceeded allowable limits but told her they could not issue a ticket because the source appeared to be city property. She told the council she is willing to relocate if the city assists because "I'm a 59 year old single woman" who cannot easily afford a move.
Bell also reported a separate incident in which she heard multiple shots at 3:41 a.m.; she said a 911 operator told her the police firing range has been at that site for 25 years. "This is when third shift practices, but it was 03:40 in the morning," she said.
City Administrator Decker Plain acknowledged prior correspondence and said staff had inspected the city's air handling units and generator and had found nothing abnormal in their initial checks. "We don't find anything on normal there... we're not sure the source," Plain said. He told the council he offered to visit Bell's apartment at 3:40 a.m. if she called so staff could attempt to locate the source. Plain also noted other possible noises in the area, including nighttime trains and air-handling units on neighboring buildings.
Plain told the council staff and police will continue to try to identify the source and follow up with Bell. No formal enforcement action or resolution was taken at the meeting.
