Board debates enforceability of noise rules and appropriate occupancy limits for rentals

A central point in the work session was how existing noise rules are enforced and whether short‑term rentals can be treated differently from single‑family residences. Chief Lewton explained enforcement steps and decibel thresholds; staff noted the ordinance contains a definition of "continuous sound" that affects whether a specific episode meets the statutory test. The county attorney explained that the continuous sound definition primarily governs character corrections (a reduction by 5 dB in some cases) and does not make enforcement impossible for intermittent high‑impact events.

Commissioners debated occupancy metrics: building‑code references to 200 sq ft per person are intended for egress design and do not always apply to homes, while the fire marshal and stakeholders pointed to the state fire marshal rule (commonly cited in the transcript) that uses 150 sq ft per person for transient public lodging. Commissioner McCann and others pressed for clearer time‑of‑day restrictions and operational tools such as noise monitors, posting of a responsible party, and quicker on‑call response. "You have to take in the ambient noise...there's a lot of different factors in there," Chief Lewton said, underscoring measurement challenges.