Commission narrows Second Sunday permit at Kokomo: outdoor hours and subwoofer limits imposed

The Commission considered a loudspeaker permit for Second Sunday at Cafe Kokomo on Indiana Street proposed for October 14 and debated at length whether the event's sound would disturb nearby residential buildings.

Lieutenant Jack Hart of Bayview Station told commissioners the department recommended denial based on four CAD noise complaints tied to earlier events and because staff found structural sound leaks at the venue. Promoters and Kokomo's general manager (Roosh) said outreach and building insulation work had been done after the July complaints and that trained technicians would monitor decibel levels.

Commissioners traded multiple proposals on hours and equipment: suggestions ranged from trimming total hours to eliminating stacks of subwoofers or using silent-headphone approaches. After several failed votes on competing amendments, the commission approved a compromise restricting the outdoor hours and the low-frequency equipment: outdoor sound approved from 2:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (later amended by a friendly amendment on the floor to 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. then back to 7:30 p.m. and final compromise recorded in the minutes), limiting the outdoor system to no more than two double-18-inch subwoofer bins, requiring a sound test by city staff, and requiring documented outreach to neighbors before the event.

Promoters said the reduced configuration would be less satisfying for headline DJs but acknowledged the commercial need to compromise to preserve neighborhood relations and future events.

Roll call in the transcript records votes for the final compromise. The permit was approved with the stated equipment and outreach conditions and a requirement that the commission receive documentation of outreach before the event.