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Council examines Chapter 91 code updates, debates lighting, dark‑sky aims and noise rules
Summary
The council reviewed proposed updates to Chapter 91 of the municipal code, focusing on how to define and enforce lighting and noise standards without creating subjective or unenforceable rules; members asked for model ordinances and legal review.
Council members and residents reviewed the draft Chapter 91 code revisions and spent substantial time debating lighting standards, dark‑sky goals, enforceable definitions and noise provisions. One council member with law‑enforcement experience (S4) emphasized safety considerations, saying his background led him to favor some exterior lighting for security; another attendee warned that vague enforcement language could be subjective and should be tightened.
Speakers flagged specific problems in the draft, including a proposed brightness test that would treat a low‑powered fixture as a violation if a cardboard target showed light at one foot distance, and a penalty section that appeared to describe criminal sanctions. Chair (S1) cautioned that the code cannot declare someone guilty of a crime without proper legal process, saying on the record that the draft needs legal review: “you can't say, I've decided you're guilty of a misdemeanor,” and urged council staff to take the chapter to the city lawyer for targeted edits. The council directed staff to gather model ordinances from comparable rural towns and Lane County to create measurable, defensible standards rather than subjective language.
