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Police, residents debate language in proposed disorderly-actions and noise ordinances
Summary
Lancaster police and residents discussed a proposed disorderly-actions ordinance and a separate noise and open-container ordinance; residents raised concern that 'loud and unreasonable' noise is subjective and should be handled in the standalone noise draft, while police said local ordinances keep fines in town and may avoid court for minor violations.
The Select Board reviewed a proposed disorderly-actions ordinance based on NH RSA 644:2 and a separate draft ordinance addressing noise and open containers in public spaces. Police Chief Jon Woodworth explained that adopting local ordinances keeps fines local and can provide options short of court, while resident Adam Adair questioned language that he said presumes guilt and objected to subjective noise wording without a decibel threshold.
Chief Woodworth responded that the statute provides no decibel standard and enforcement relies on what a reasonable person would deem loud; Adam Adair recommended removing noise language from the disorderly-actions draft and confining it to the proposed noise and open-container ordinance. Both ordinances were scheduled for a Town Meeting vote on March 10.
