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Middlesex board prefers simple distance test over sound meters; zoning seen as route for kennel fixes
Summary
Staff recommended distance-based enforcement to avoid equipment certification and training; the board signaled it will pursue zoning or permit changes to address kennel siting and sound-mitigation options like sight barriers or sound walls.
County staff told supervisors that the draft ordinance favors a distance-based enforcement method so deputies do not need certified sound meters and related training in court. "A sound meter would require the enforcing officer to have a meter with them and to also have the training and the recertification and calibration," the County Attorney said. The distance approach uses whether noise is audible at defined points or within specified feet from property lines.
Several board members suggested the ordinance alone might not address kennels and recommended zoning or permit conditions as complementary tools — for example, requiring visual barriers or sound-mitigation infrastructure at kennel sites. One supervisor suggested that preventing dogs from seeing passersby (a sight barrier) could substantially reduce barking. The board agreed to adopt the ordinance now as a first step but asked staff to research kennel-permit language and zoning changes that could strengthen mitigation if enforcement proves insufficient.
