Kissimmee delays final vote on revised noise rules, directs staff to present decibel options and business outreach

The Kissimmee City Commission paused a final vote on a proposed revision to the city’s noise ordinance Tuesday after a lengthy public hearing and asked staff to return with additional options and an outreach plan for downtown businesses.

Deputy City Manager Austin Blake and Assistant City Attorney Curtis McGehee walked commissioners through the proposed changes to how the city measures and enforces noise complaints, including a new “sound impact boundary” to establish where noise is measured and a change to downtown hours and decibel limits. Blake said the draft would permit higher levels in the downtown CRA — up to 85 A‑weighted decibels until midnight and a step‑down to 75 decibels after midnight — and would retain stricter measurement and enforcement outside the downtown.

Why it matters: The revised rules would change when and how amplified outdoor sound is allowed downtown and make enforcement more consistent citywide. Commissioners asked staff to return with clearer options to balance downtown economic activity and residents’ sleep and quality‑of‑life…