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Council tables noise ordinance amendment after public comments on loud vehicle backfires; refers vehicle noise to committee
Summary
After a public hearing and extended council discussion on amending Chapter 167 (noise), the Laconia City Council voted to table the ordinance amendment to allow wider public review of revised draft language and to send vehicle/noise enforcement back to the Government Operations/Ordinance subcommittee for further consideration.
The Laconia City Council on June 9 tabled a proposed amendment to Chapter 167 (noise) after hearing public comment about loud vehicle noise and extended council discussion about enforcement and scope.
Resident Robert Woodward of Ward 5 spoke during the public hearing in favor of expanding the city’s noise rules to address modified cars that produce loud “backfiring” noises. Woodward told the council, “The noise is horrendous. It's worse than a gunshot. It's worse than, fireworks. ... It is extremely loud. I've often been startled by it. It disturbs the peace.” He asked the council to consider adding prohibitions on operating a vehicle “in a manner that produces this excessive backfire noise.”
City Manager Kirk Biotti described the ordinance amendment packet as principally adding explicit time frames for when certain noisier activities are allowed and clarifying that some construction and exterior work in residential areas should not begin very early in the morning. “It puts into ordinance a time frame, for noise,” Biotti told the council while outlining the committee’s goals.
Council discussion included concern that the draft language did not expressly reference vehicles and that state vehicle inspection law affects the city’s ability to regulate mufflers and vehicle noise. Several councilors recommended referring vehicle-specific provisions back to the Government Operations/Ordinance subcommittee for additional drafting, especially if the state moves to eliminate vehicle inspection requirements.
Councilor Jeannie (Councilor Jeannie spoke during discussion) recounted witnessing loud vehicle backfire noise while dining downtown and said the matter “is becoming a concern throughout the neighborhoods.” The council then voted to table the proposed ordinance amendment, with a roll-call showing five members in favor of tabling and one opposed. The council asked staff to post the revised draft publicly and to return the measure to committee for additional work on vehicle-related noise provisions before the council takes final action.
The ordinance amendment as circulated would add clearer permitted-time windows and clarify commercial versus noncommercial activities for construction and use of noisy equipment in residential districts; councilors asked that vehicle noise (modified mufflers, backfiring) be examined as a separate, committee-level follow-up.
