Sarasota commission opens debate on rewritten noise ordinance, directs staff to fill technical details

The Sarasota City Commission on Jan. 21 took the next step toward overhauling the city—s sound regulations, directing the city attorney to work with staff and the police department to fill several technical gaps in a reorganized ordinance that would add a nighttime "plainly audible" standard.

City Attorney Robert Fournier told commissioners the draft reorganizes chapter 20 of the city code to make enforcement clearer and removes categories that have proved confusing, such as separate rules for "amplified" sound and the distinction between "continuous" and "impulsive" sources. Instead, it would distinguish between sound coming from inside a building and sound originating outdoors, and it would add a plainly audible test that could create a rebuttable presumption of violation after certain hours.

Fournier said the ordinance does not change the city—s existing decibel limits but moves them into a clearer structure. He told the commission the new plainly audible option is modeled on language used by other Florida cities and on case law from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the Florida Supreme Court, and that the commission would need to set the hours and the measurement distance as part of adoption.

Speakers at a crowded public hearing, overwhelmingly downtown residents, urged specific protections. "What they did was they built a giant sound stage right outside our building with massive speakers," said downtown resident John Simon, describing repeated special-event noise and bass that rattled windows. "It—s another thing to have proximity have a 100-decibel level right next to your building," he said.

Business owners and managers urged clearer enforcement procedures. Stroke Seafood owner Dwight Cherry, who said his restaurant has received dozens of complaints, told the commission he wants officers who respond to noise calls to be consistent: "If they—re gonna make the complaints, they need to know who—s making them," he said, and he emphasized the need for properly calibrated noise meters.

After public comment and discussion, Commissioner Albright moved — and the commission seconded — a direction for the city attorney to consult with city staff and the Sarasota Police Department to draft specific hours, distances and related provisions for the plainly audible standard and return a completed draft for first reading. The motion passed by roll call vote.

The city attorney emphasized the commission could adopt the reorganization now and defer decisions about precise decibel numbers to a later technical study or consultant if commissioners want a more detailed review.

Commissioners said they preferred that the ordinance build clearer structure for enforcement first, and then refine numeric limits. Vice Mayor Trice and others urged outreach to downtown residents before final adoption so the public can weigh in on proposed times and measurement points.

The commission did not adopt the ordinance on final reading; its vote ordered staff to draft the missing technical elements and return a complete first-reading package for further consideration.