Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Noise Ordinance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges Old Tappan to tighten noise ordinance after years of loud music
Summary
At the March 17 meeting, resident Dan L. Sagorski described two years of disruptive loud music at his home and urged the borough to amend enforcement tools in its noise ordinance; borough officials said the attorney and police will review possible ordinance tweaks and come back with a plan in 30 days.
A resident told the Borough of Old Tappan Mayor and Council on March 17 that persistent loud music from a nearby house has disrupted his family for years and that current enforcement tools are insufficient.
"They're playing at around 100 to 110 DB and I'm about 600 ft away," said resident Dan L. Sagorski, who addressed the council during public comment and said police measured 65 decibels at his property when officers responded. "My window is shaking. It's been two years." Sagorski said his four-year-old picks up profanity from the music and that officers' short visits have not stopped the repeated disturbances.
Mayor Thomas Gallagher responded that the borough received Sagorski's letter, that the police chief and borough attorney have reviewed the matter, and that they are "definitely looking at it" for ordinance tweaks and enforcement options. Administrator Anna (first name appears in the record as Anna) and police staff noted a state model noise ordinance exists and that using certified sound-pressure meters requires trained operators and periodic calibration.
Council members and staff discussed practical enforcement hurdles: certification and calibration of decibel meters, where to measure sound (near the alleged source or at the complainant's property), objective thresholds versus subjective nuisance language in the code, and the costs of equipping patrol cars. Several council members said they wanted objective criteria so enforcement would not be wholly discretionary.
Council directed staff to have the borough attorney and police chief review the written complaint and model ordinance and to return with proposed, objective changes or an enforcement plan within about 30 days. The mayor invited council members to visit the affected property to hear the noise firsthand.
What the council said it will do next: the borough attorney will examine the model ordinance and potential wording changes; the police chief will advise on measurement procedure and equipment needs; staff will draft options for objective thresholds (or guidance on calibrating enforcement procedures) and present a progress report to the council at the next meeting.
The public comment and the council’s follow-up direction were the most substantive items related to code enforcement at the meeting; no ordinance change was adopted March 17.
