Plain City Council tabled the first reading of a new noise ordinance Monday, instead electing to create a committee of interested parties that will review the proposal first.
As was the case for the past several council meetings, a number of residents were present to push the board to tighten restrictions on noise in the Uptown district.
Mike Walter, who has previously been vocal in his concern, suggested creating the committee.
“We just want to be part of it in a big way because we’re affected in a big way,” Walter told council.
The proposed ordinance was written following a review from the village’s legal counsel and includes detailed definitions of various sounds, locations and measurements.
A major concern surrounding the current code is its broad definitions. Plain City Police Department Chief Dale McKee has repeatedly said it leaves too much up to interpretation and is difficult for officers to enforce.
At the September work session, a majority of council members agreed that adding decibels to the framework would make the code more objective.
Council member Frank Reed, however, continued an argument Monday he first made at the work session to keep the term “plainly audible” as the standard for excessive noise.
“It doesn’t matter what the decibels are, (neighbors) don’t want to hear it,” Reed said.
Council members Lauren Giaimo and Michael Terry disagreed with Reed’s approach, arguing that the current wording is too subjective. McKee offered the same dispute at the earlier work session.
“That’s what our current ordinance is and it’s causing issues,” Terry said.
Though he said he is in favor of using decibel levels to enforce the noise ordinance, Terry requested tabling the ordinance for more information.
He said he did not “fully understand” the levels included in the proposed legislation because he does not have a base knowledge of how many decibels equates to what kind of noise in reality.
Giaimo agreed. She said it could be helpful to create a scenario in which council members could hear different noises at various decibels.
Village Administrator Nathan Cahall said he would create a document that lists certain sounds – such as a lawnmower across the street – with their corresponding decibels.
In the meantime, Council President John Rucker said he thinks forming a committee to review the noise ordinance and make recommendations is a “great idea.”
Council member Shannon Pine agreed, though she specified that council needs to ensure there are “opponents and proponents” as members.
Walter said he is interested in serving on the committee. Mayor Jody Carney said she would contact Andy Leer, a West First Avenue resident, to gauge his interest. He volunteered to help earlier in the meeting, noting that he studied audio and recording technology in college.
Though Walter said he and many of his neighbors would be willing to sit on the committee, he added that a noise ordinance may not alleviate current complaints.
He said he feels the village’s zoning is at the root of the problem.
Walter questioned why a stage – referencing the one at The Grainery – was permitted to be built in an area with nearby residences.
“How did we get a music amphitheater put downtown?” he asked, adding, “We can’t allow this to become the precedent.”
Terry called the Uptown district a “brackish” area, meaning it is a mix of commercial and residential uses. He said the variety of uses makes it difficult to please everyone.
Still, Giaimo said she believes there is a middle ground.
“There has to be some sort of medium we can reach that will still allow businesses to thrive,” she said.
Carney said she feels the committee, which will include residents, business owners and at least one council member to mediate, is a step toward that goal.
She said she will bring a list of committee nominees for council to approve to the Sept. 27 meeting.
In other business:
– Council voted 5-1 on two separate resolutions that will implement community reinvestment area abatement agreements for the properties located at 160 W. Main Street and 156 W. Main Street. Reed dissented in both instances.
– Council waived a second reading and unanimously approved an agreement with J&J Schlaegel for the Jackson Boulevard and Wesley Avenue water main improvement project. The bid approved is $363,957.
– The capital improvement projects and personnel and finance committees were merged.
– Ronald Price was unanimously appointed to the Design Review Board. Derek Gibson and Becky Atcheson were also unanimously appointed to the Personnel Appeals Board.
– Council tabled an ordinance regarding updates to code regarding the Uptown Historic District.
– Carney read a proclamation in recognition of September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.