City staff told the Public Administration Committee July 20 that the existing noise ordinance already provides authority to enforce a broad definition of "noise disturbance" and recommended updating departmental training and enforcement policy rather than amending the ordinance.

Assistant City Manager Emily Goner and other staff summarized the complaint that had prompted the review — loud music heard from a private residence — and noted enforcement staff had sometimes treated the daytime window of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. as a de facto exemption. Goner said the code defines a noise disturbance as a sound that "annoys or disturbs a reasonable person of normal sensitivities," and that the subsection listing specific per se violations does not limit the broader prohibition.

"I don't think we need new legal language to solve this problem. It's an administrative matter fundamentally," one committee member concluded after staff explained the ordinance structure. Staff recommended retraining officers and code-enforcement personnel so they understand that disturbances may be enforceable outside the narrow list of per se examples and that the 7 a.m.–10 p.m. window is not a blanket exemption.

Committee members asked about measuring and enforcement tools, noting other cities use plainly audible standards, distance measurements or decibel thresholds; staff recommended against introducing decibel meters for routine enforcement but suggested clarifying guidance and officer training. The committee did not change the ordinance at the meeting and asked staff to coordinate re-education with the police department and update enforcement policy as needed.