Jefferson County officials spent much of their Oct. 20 meeting reviewing a draft large-event permit and noise ordinance after residents and supervisors raised concerns about sound levels, security and underage entry tied to the Symmetry Music & Arts Festival.

The county attorney read a working draft that would require event organizers to obtain a permit for gatherings of 100 or more people, measure sound with a calibrated meter to ANSI standards, and meet daytime and nighttime decibel limits: no more than 80 dB at neighboring property lines between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., and no more than 60 dB at neighboring property lines between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. The draft also calls for a safety and emergency plan, fencing and crowd-control provisions, and enforcement tools including immediate permit suspension and fines up to $650 per violation.

"No large event should produce noise exceeding 80 decimals when measured at any neighboring resident's property line," the county attorney said while reading the draft. He told supervisors the document was a starting point, not final law.

Don Revolinski, who presented economic figures for the Symmetry festival, said the event drew about 1,200 attendees, filled local lodging and generated an estimated $1.2 million in local economic output by the organizer’s model. He said organizers had hired an acoustics consultant, deadened sound at the sides and rear of the main stage, and limited the main stage to 1:30 a.m. "We are definitely cognizant of sound bleed to the different neighbors," Revolinski said.

Residents and supervisors pressed on enforcement and technical limits. Several residents said the bass — low-frequency sound — traveled miles and shook windows even with windows closed. One resident said his small children could not sleep because of the bass. Supervisors asked whether an 80 dB standard would address low-frequency bass and whether measurement at a property line would capture the perceptible impacts neighbors reported.

Board members said the draft should be revised and refined with input from law enforcement, public health, the county’s medical-response partners and acoustical experts before the board considers formal adoption. Supervisors repeatedly stressed that any ordinance will apply broadly — to festivals, weddings and other large gatherings outside municipal boundaries — and should not target a single organizer.

The board did not vote on the draft. Supervisors directed staff to circulate the draft for further comment, tighten language on measurement and enforcement, and return with revisions and additional stakeholder input.

Ending: County staff will produce a revised event-permit draft reflecting the technical and enforcement questions raised and return it to the board for further review and public input.