Residents urge Ennis commission to enforce noise ordinances after years of complaints

Brent Hughes and Doris Polk told the Ennis City Commission on Tuesday that repeated, late‑night noise from nearby houses has made it difficult for them to live peacefully and that city enforcement has been insufficient.

"Since this problem began, I have made no less than 50 phone calls to the police department reporting repeated and excessive noise disturbances," said Brent Hughes, who gave his address as 604 West Linden. Hughes said officers repeatedly told him citations would be issued, "but not a single citation has ever been written." Doris Polk, 1311 North Sherman Street, said she has complained for about 10 years and that officers either did not arrive or said there was no noise when they did.

The two residents asked the commission to direct city departments to take "immediate and meaningful enforcement action," including fines. Mayor Cameron Rayburn read the public‑comment rules for the record and thanked both for coming forward.

The speakers framed their requests as enforcement of existing ordinances rather than proposed new rules. Hughes said he had followed procedures and would consider civil litigation if the city did not act; Polk urged fines and stronger dispatcher responsiveness.

Commissioners did not take immediate action during public comment; Mayor Rayburn noted that matters raised during the public‑comment period cannot be decided on the spot but can be assigned to staff or placed on a future agenda for formal consideration.

The next step available to residents is staff follow‑up or a future agenda item; the commission did not announce a specific enforcement schedule during the meeting.