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Middlesex County board rescinds April 7 noise ordinance, directs review committee
Summary
The county board voted to rescind the noise ordinance adopted April 7, 2026, leaving no local noise ordinance in effect while staff forms a citizen review committee to draft a replacement; the board emphasized public input and noted the 2004 ordinance will not be revived.
The Middlesex County board voted to rescind the noise ordinance enacted April 7, 2026, and directed staff to assemble a citizen review committee to help draft a replacement, the board announced at a public hearing.
County staff told the board the rescission follows legal developments that rendered language in the county’s prior ordinance unenforceable and emphasized that rescinding the April 7 ordinance would not revive the county’s 2004 noise ordinance, which staff said has been repealed. Staff warned that adopting the rescission would leave the county without a local noise ordinance until a new ordinance is adopted.
Board members placed a motion on the floor "to adopt the ordinance as presented in your packet rescinding the noise ordinance enacted April 7th of 2026." Mr. Bill Harris moved the motion; Mr. Reggie Williams seconded. After a brief discussion about enforcement and public involvement, the board approved the rescission in a roll call vote. Mr. Reggie Williams, Mr. Bill Harris, Mr. Kittinden and Mr. Don Harris were recorded as voting yes. The clerk announced that the April 7 noise ordinance has been rescinded.
A staff member told the board the county will form a noise ordinance review committee and that roughly "10, maybe 11, maybe 12" people had expressed interest; staff will gather additional names and the board plans to appoint committee members at its July meeting. "It's the people's ordinance," the staff member said, urging broad participation from residents on all sides of the issue.
Several board members noted that, although the rescission removes the local ordinance adopted April 7, existing public-safety statutes and sheriff’s department powers remain available for enforcement where appropriate. The board underscored that the rescission does not restore the 2004 ordinance and that the committee process is intended to develop a new, enforceable code with public input.
Next steps: staff will collect applications and nominations for the review committee, and the board will consider appointments at its July meeting. No new ordinance was adopted at the meeting; the board’s action was limited to rescinding the April 7, 2026 ordinance as presented.
