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Residents tell Polk County board sheriff calls noise disputes 'civil'; request local noise ordinance after months of harassment
Summary
During public comment, residents described months of loud music, honking and alleged harassment; they said a judge denied a protection order and that sheriff's staff told them the county has no enforceable local noise ordinance, prompting calls for the board to consider adopting one.
Several residents described recurring loud music, frequent honking and trash blown into yards and asked the Polk County board to adopt or enforce a local noise ordinance.
One commenter (Speaker 6) described repeated disturbances and asked politely for relief: “I don't wanna be a pain, but could you please turn your music down? I don't wanna hear it in our house,” and later said the problem has continued since October 10. Another commenter (Speaker 7) described attempts to seek legal protection: “We even went over and tried to file a protection order. The judge denied it,” and said sheriff's deputies had told them noise was a civil matter and that there was no local noise ordinance to enforce.
Speakers described related neighborhood issues: large amounts of trash left outside, litter blowing into adjacent yards, conversion of a shed into a chicken coop with a rooster, and attempts to install a privacy fence to reduce impacts. Commenters said they had documented incidents and notified the sheriff's department but were advised to pursue civil remedies or hire counsel for charges.
Board members acknowledged the comments; Speaker 1 said, “I appreciate that comment,” and participants discussed sending follow-up letters and contacting the sheriff's office. The transcript records community frustration at limited county enforcement and uncertainty about which local ordinances, if any, apply; no new ordinance or formal directive to staff was recorded during the meeting.
The public comment period closed after residents urged the board to consider options for nuisance noise and litter enforcement.
