Committee to bundle minimum/maximum fine adjustments and sound-amplification permit into a single ordinance

Council members discussed consolidating multiple minor ordinance updates into a single omnibus amendment and adding procedural clarity for permits that allow use of sound amplification in public spaces.

The committee agreed to ask staff to prepare one ordinance that amends the various sections that set minimum and maximum fines so the borough can advertise all changes simultaneously. Staff said preparing a single ordinance would be the most efficient course of action and could be ready for the next law meeting.

The committee also discussed Chapter 160, the code section covering transient or public speech amplification. Committee members said the existing provision requires the permit “be picked up from the borough manager” and lacks a formal application process and fee schedule. Members agreed to update the code so a designee may issue permits and to adopt a simple application form with no fee attached, rather than embedding application language into the ordinance itself.

Members said the changes aim to give magistrates and enforcement officers consistent minimums and maximums when issuing citations, and to provide a clear permit process for people using megaphones or speaker systems in public spaces. No formal vote was recorded at the committee meeting; staff were instructed to draft the omnibus ordinance and the sound-amplification application and to bring both back for advertisement and formal action at a future meeting.

The borough solicitor and code staff will draft the consolidated ordinance language and prepare public notice for advertisement.