Gilbert council approves wide-ranging code updates including noise, parking and bike-light rules
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Summary
Council passed several code amendments Dec. 17 expanding the town’s noise ordinance (covering tire squealing, revving, exhausts and amplified music), tightened parking rules, adopted bicycle lighting requirements, and left in place process steps for an exemption on false-alarm assessments after debate.
The Gilbert Town Council on Dec. 17 approved multiple municipal code amendments aimed at regulating public-obstruction, vehicle noise, parking behavior and bicycle lighting.
Assistant Chief Mike Angstead summarized the package (items 11–19), explaining item 11 targets obstruction at bus shelters and public places, item 14 expands the town’s vehicle-noise prohibitions to include tire-squealing, excessive horn use, revving while stationary, and unreasonably loud exhaust modifications, and items 15–17 add rules about parking within marked stalls and require lighting and reflectors on bicycles and motorized bicycles at night. The chief said the proposed amendments mirror language used successfully by neighboring municipalities.
Council members debated the practical enforcement of a ‘‘reasonable’’ standard for noise and whether commercially purchased exhaust systems could be penalized. City attorney Zach Altman and the assistant chief said the ordinance uses a common legal reasonableness standard and decibel-based enforcement used elsewhere would be impractical for vehicle instances. Members also discussed exemptions for law-enforcement actions and outreach and education plans for new bicycle-light requirements. The chief said the town will conduct an education campaign and officers would emphasize conversations before issuing citations.
The council voted to approve a grouped motion covering items 11, 12, 13, 15, 16 and 17 (motion passed 6-0). Council later approved item 14 (the vehicle/noise expansion) with a 5-1 vote (Council Member Torgerson dissenting) and approved item 19 (special noise sources/amplified devices) 4-2 with Torgerson and Bongiovanni dissenting. Item 18 (an exemption from false-alarm assessments for government-operated systems) received notable opposition and the council took no action on it during this meeting.
The council directed staff to prepare public education materials in advance of enforcement and noted the possibility of refining language or removing sections at council discretion in future meetings.
