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Residents ask Brownsburg council to clarify noise ordinance so police can act before 11 p.m.
Summary
Residents presented a petition asking the council to amend Brownsburg Code of Ordinances §93.51(b) to remove ambiguous language that they say limits police enforcement before 11 p.m.; town attorney will review proposed language and work with police.
Dr. Ivan Gershagen and other residents asked the Brownsburg Town Council on April 24 to amend Brownsburg Code of Ordinances §93.51(b), saying current wording limits police enforcement of loud-noise complaints before 11 p.m.
Dr. Gershagen said he had documented incidents and created a public web resource that aggregates calls and described a decline in incident severity after recent police attention. He asked the council to amend the ordinance to remove ambiguous phrasing he said hampers enforcement. "I petition the council to amend Brownsburg code of ordinances paragraph 93.51 b by excluding the concerning language... It simply provides Brownsburg Police Department to take action when necessary," Dr. Gershagen said.
Several nearby residents who live near the Laurelton neighborhood echoed the petition during public comment, saying parties and loud gatherings had disrupted sleep and that officers felt the ordinance’s current wording limited their options before 11 p.m. One resident, who said officers were courteous, described a late-evening party that sounded like a concert and said police later acted after 11 p.m.
Town Attorney Scott told residents he would review the proposed language and work with the police department to prepare ordinance language for council consideration. "We'll definitely take a look at the proposed language and certainly work with the police department as well to make sure there's sufficient specificity... we bring it to the council as an ordinance," Scott said.
Major Brian Fultz of the Brownsburg Police Department was thanked by residents for a prompt response to complaints; residents said officers remain cautious because of the ordinance wording. Several commenters urged faster remedy options and suggested the town consider additional steps such as rental caps, though town staff noted potential state-level legal constraints on local rental restrictions.
Scott indicated a basic, straightforward amendment could be prepared and brought back within a short timeline so the council could consider it at a future meeting. Residents and councilmembers said they would welcome the change and asked staff to pursue ordinance language that gives officers clearer enforcement authority without overreach.
