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Council allows extended drilling hours for Well No. 11 with noise-complaint contingency
Summary
The council approved a temporary change to drilling hours for a new municipal well (Well No. 11), allowing work past 10 p.m. through early morning with the condition that the contractor must stop or alter operations if the city receives noise complaints.
City staff told the council that the contractor drilling the new municipal well (Well No. 11, replacing Well No. 6) asked to work evenings and nights on hot days because compressors were overheating during daytime heat. The contractor requested permission to work after 10 p.m. through 7 a.m. into August; staff said the work site is on port property near the work-release center and is set back from residential areas.
"For them to work after 10:00 through 07:00 in the morning, it requires council approval... and it's contingent upon no noise complaints," a staff member said. Councilors clarified the activity would produce a continuous compressor drone rather than intermittent pounding, and staff said any noise complaints would trigger a review and require the contractor to modify operations or cease nighttime work.
The council voted to allow the extended hours by motion and second; the authorization is conditioned on the absence of noise complaints and on staff monitoring. Staff said the drilling schedule will be flexible and that the contractor will adjust work according to weather and community feedback. No change-of-possession or permanent ordinance was adopted; the action is a temporary operational permission.
Why it matters: Well No. 11 is part of the city's water-supply infrastructure; allowing night work could speed completion but may generate noise impacts for nearby residents if complaints arise. The council's approval balances operational needs with a contingency to address community concerns.
