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Council discusses noise-ordinance challenges after residents complain about bass noise
Summary
Council members reviewed complaints about low-frequency 'bass' noise, discussed the limits of existing meters and enforceability, and agreed staff would research standards and practical evidence options before returning recommendations.
Council members spent a portion of the July 13 meeting discussing recurring low-frequency 'bass' noise complaints and the practical challenges of measuring and enforcing such complaints under the city’s noise ordinance.
Members described situations where neighbors feel vibrations rather than hear discrete sound, and they questioned whether the municipality’s existing meters capture the relevant low frequencies. One council member said the city's meter 'is so expensive' and acknowledged the device's limitations for measuring bass; members noted manufacturers’ documentation might not provide an enforcement standard that fits a point-in-time residential complaint.
The council discussed available approaches — asking complainants to provide video evidence, reviewing manufacturer specifications for the meter, studying how peer communities set baselines, and the difficulty of setting an enforceable, uniform bass standard that would be fair to residents and businesses. A council member said officers had limited enforcement options for moving noise sources and recommended further research before drafting any new ordinance language.
No changes to the noise ordinance were adopted July 13; council members asked staff to continue researching measurement standards, costs and enforceability options and to report back.
