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Resident asks Council to extend Sunday landscaping hours; committee adds Noise Ordinance 634.04 to agenda
Summary
During public comment a resident urged extending Sunday noise/landscaping hours from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Council asked staff to draft wording, Chief Tarase described citation practice, and Krejci moved to add Noise Ordinance 634.04 to the committee agenda (motion carried).
During new business on June 17, resident Joseph Safranek (8093 Washington Ave) asked the Building & Building Codes Committee to consider changing the Sunday noise ordinance to allow landscaping until 8 p.m., saying he is often prevented from finishing yard work because he was told by officers to stop at 6 p.m.
Safranek said he frequently works later in the week and sometimes must complete yard work on Sundays after rainy Saturdays. "I’m the only one on the street who gets the police called on after 6pm," he said, and asked whether the city would consider extending Sunday hours or better policing to avoid unequal enforcement.
Committee members probed enforcement procedures. Police Chief Keith Tarase said citations are typically issued only after a repeat return: officers will ask a resident to stop and, if there is a second complaint related to the same address, that follow‑up can lead to a citation and court referral. Tarase also reported that recent calls to the address in question this year were handled as building‑department citation matters and that the last noise‑disturbance call was in 2023.
Council members said the current ordinance wording is confusing: Krejci noted the ordinance sets different hours for Sundays (10 a.m.–6 p.m.) versus other days (commonly 8 a.m.–9 p.m.) and volunteered to draft clearer language. Michael Wos said he supported extending allowable summer Sunday landscaping hours to 8 p.m.; Marnecheck and others wanted to review prior discussions and the proposed wording before changing citywide rules.
Krejci moved and Barath seconded to add Noise Ordinance 634.04 to the Building & Building Codes Committee agenda for further review; the motion carried (Yeas: Barath, Krejci). Council said it would notify residents of any substantive change using local channels including the city website and Facebook.
What’s next: Krejci will draft suggested ordinance language and return the proposal to the committee in July for further consideration.
