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Resident says chronic rooster noise has disrupted sleep; council says ordinance rewrite is coming
Summary
A resident told the council roosters at a nearby property have produced persistent, early‑morning noise for more than a year, citing recordings and unsuccessful complaints to law enforcement; council members said a rewritten ordinance and improved enforcement are under consideration.
A Choteau resident addressed the council during the public‑comment period on Aug. 20 with a sustained complaint about roosters at a neighbor’s property, saying the noise has disrupted sleep for more than a year and that previous complaints to local law enforcement produced little action.
The resident, identified in the transcript as Mr. Burnell, described recording episodes of crowing with peaks the recording measured at 77 decibels inside his house and said he had counted dozens of crowing events in a minute. He told the council he had filed complaints with city staff and the sheriff’s office and said he received no meaningful enforcement response.
Council members acknowledged the concern and said staff has drafted a rewritten ordinance addressing poultry and other animal noise. The chair said, “We have rewritten a new ordinance. We just have to put it through,” and suggested the council may need longer or additional public hearings to consider the changes. Staff said they will meet with the code enforcement officer to review the complaint forms and ensure future filings include the documentation needed for prosecutable citations.
The council did not take immediate action at the meeting but indicated follow‑up steps, including a staff review of existing complaints and scheduling further public hearings on any proposed ordinance changes.
