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Council amends Holy Ghost Feast permit after resident noise concerns; police enforcement remains the backstop
Summary
After a resident urged limits on duration and noise, the Town of East Hartford council amended the Holy Ghost Portuguese Society’s four‑day permit to reflect 11:30 p.m. end times on Saturday and Sunday; the society and council said police will enforce quiet‑hours limits if complaints arise.
A resident asked the East Hartford Town Council on Monday to restrict the hours or location of the Holy Ghost Portuguese Society’s annual festival, saying amplified music and multi‑day activity leave nearby homeowners unable to use their yards during the event.
"My concern's about the noise level," Rose Garphy, of 27 Melody Lane, told the council, saying the festival last year ran later and had multiple days of amplified sound near her home.
The society’s president, Dan (speaker 15), defended the tradition and outlined mitigation measures the organization has taken under his leadership, including door‑to‑door outreach, paid on‑site police, trash patrols and multiple portable restrooms. "We have owned this property for 50 years," he said, and described volunteer outreach and food distributions the group runs for the public.
Councilors debated the permit’s hours alongside the town’s noise ordinance, which identifies 10 p.m. as the start of nighttime hours and sets decibel thresholds enforceable by officers. Several council members said past years’ complaints have fallen after changes in the festival’s leadership and that the town typically relies on on‑site police officers to address issues as they arise.
To align the permit with the society’s application, the council amended the motion to set Saturday and Sunday entertainment hours to 11:30 p.m. while noting that police may order sound reduced if it violates the ordinance. The amended permit carried on a voice vote.
The council and the Holy Ghost Society urged neighbors to continue direct outreach and promised attention to complaints. Councilors also said they would revisit the issue if noise complaints return in subsequent years.
The council approved other routine outdoor‑amusement permits during the meeting and encouraged residents who feel affected to report problems to police so the town can act under the ordinance.
