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Ranlo staff proposes updating noise ordinance with quiet hours and decibel thresholds
Summary
Town staff and the police chief told the Ranlo board that unclear ordinance language hampers enforcement and recommended updating references (e.g., phonographs to modern devices), considering townwide quiet hours (proposed 11 p.m.–7 a.m.) and using decibel meters to set enforceable thresholds.
A staff member told the Ranlo board the town has struggled to enforce its noise ordinance in part because the language is dated (references to “radio or phonograph”) and lacks clear, townwide time and decibel standards.
The staff member and the police chief outlined two recommended steps: modernize device language (to include Bluetooth speakers and televisions) and consider a clear, enforceable quiet-hours window; the staff member proposed a townwide 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. standard as a reasonable starting point.
The police chief described practical enforcement options, including the use of a decibel meter and documenting readings on body cameras or meter logs to create clear evidence for violations: “If they’re X amount of feet away and it’s reading 86 and the level is at 85, then they would say that’s a violation,” the staff member explained as an example of how a meter creates an objective standard.
Board members asked whether the proposed hours should be limited to residential areas; staff said they could draft alternative language to differentiate residential and commercial areas if the board preferred. The board did not adopt any ordinance language at the meeting; staff recommended bringing a draft amendment back for further consideration.
