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Scofield council reviews draft noise, nuisance and lighting ordinance, sends sections to town attorney
Summary
The Scofield Town Council reviewed a proposed noise, nuisance and outdoor lighting ordinance that sets daytime and nighttime decibel limits, outlines enforcement options and exemptions, and asks the town attorney to refine several sections; council members asked for more precise measurement standards and clarification of exclusions for trains and agricultural activities.
The Scofield Town Council spent a substantial portion of its May 19 meeting reviewing a draft ordinance intended to regulate noise, nuisances and outdoor lighting within town limits. Council members and planning commissioners discussed proposed definitions, decibel thresholds, enforcement mechanisms and exemptions and agreed to send multiple sections to the town attorney for legal review.
Under the draft (Ordinance 05-19-2025), residential and commercial daytime sound limits are proposed at 60 dBA and nighttime at 50 dBA; agricultural properties would have higher thresholds (70 dBA daytime, 60 dBA nighttime). The draft also defines weighted sound pressure levels and percentile-based measurement approaches and includes provisions aimed at preventing “repetitious” all-night vehicle noise and noisy social gatherings.
Speakers asked for more practical measurement guidance. Liberty Smith noted the town should consider acquiring a sound meter to establish baseline readings, saying the council could buy an inexpensive meter “for, like, $50 on Amazon” to get an idea of local levels. Council members also questioned construction-hour limits, suggesting the proposed 8 a.m.–7 p.m. window may be restrictive for some contractors.
Council members emphasized that some sources would need clear exemptions. The draft currently excludes certain transportation- and highway-related noise (including trains) on the basis of limited town jurisdiction; one speaker said train horns and state-highway traffic are largely outside local control. The attorney’s advice will guide how the town frames those exemptions without inviting legal challenges.
The draft includes criminal and civil penalties: the town attorney recommended language reflecting Utah Code 10-3-703 (noting Class B misdemeanor exposure) and also proposed civil fines of up to $1,000 per day. Council members said enforcement will require clear graduated steps before penalties are imposed, and that reliance on Carbon County magistrate processes could carry additional costs.
Lighting rules in the draft seek to preserve Scofield’s “rural character and night sky enjoyment,” with new lighting required to comply after July 1, 2025, shielding requirements for fixtures and limits on correlated color temperature (no more than 3,000 K). Exemptions are listed for holiday and safety lighting and for certain commercial/security uses under restrictions.
Next steps: the council asked staff to forward the draft to the town attorney for legal review and to return with a cleaned final draft that narrows vague standards (for example, clarifying what constitutes “visual blight” or an “unreasonable noise”). No ordinance adoption vote was taken; the council characterized the draft as a work in progress that needs additional specificity and legal vetting before formal adoption.
