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The unreasonable making of, or knowingly and unreasonably permitting to be made, any unreasonably loud, boisterous or unusual noise, disturbance, commotion or vibration in any residential area, noise sensitive receptor, public street, commercial establishments adjacent to residential property or other place or building is prohibited. Unreasonable sound caused by the following activities and during the specified hours below is prohibited.

A. Construction and/or Commercial Activity.

1. Loading or Unloading Merchandise, Materials, Equipment. The creation of unreasonably loud, raucous, and excessive noise in connection with the loading or unloading of any vehicle at a place of business or residence.

2. Construction or Repair of Buildings, Excavation of Streets and Highways. The construction, demolition, alteration or repair of any building or the excavation of streets and highways other than between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., on weekdays, or noncommercial exterior construction related activities other than between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

a. In cases of emergency, construction or repair noises are exempt from this provision.

b. In nonemergency cases, the entity wishing to conduct construction or loud commercial activity may reach an agreement with the City Manager outlining hours in which noise may be conducted between the hours listed above and for the length of time such noise will be permitted.

B. Noise Produced From Vehicles.

1. Vehicle Horns, Signaling Devices, and Similar Devices. The sounding of any horn, signaling device, or other similar device, on any automobile, motorcycle, or other vehicle on any right-of-way or in any public space of the City, for more than ten consecutive seconds. The sounding of any horn, signaling device, or other similar device, as a danger warning is exempt from this prohibition.

2. Radios, Sound Systems.

a. Unreasonable music or other noise emitted from a vehicle’s speakers while parked on residential street or noise sensitive receptor between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.

C. Signaling Devices.

1. Nonemergency Signaling Devices. Sounding or permitting sounding any amplified signal from any bell, chime, siren, whistle or similar device, intended primarily for non-emergency purposes, from any place for more than ten consecutive seconds in any hourly period. The reasonable sounding of such devices by houses of religious worship, ice cream trucks, seasonal contribution solicitors or by the City for traffic control purposes are exempt from the operation of this provision.

2. Emergency Signaling Devices. The intentional sounding or permitting the sounding outdoors of any emergency signaling device including fire, burglar, civil defense alarm, siren, whistle, or similar emergency signaling device, except in an emergency or except as provided in subsections (a) and (b), below

a. Testing of an emergency signaling device shall occur between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Any testing shall use only the minimum cycle test time. In no case shall such test time exceed five minutes. Testing of the emergency signaling system shall not occur more than once in each calendar month.

b. Sounding or permitting the sounding of any exterior burglar or fire alarm or any motor vehicle burglar alarm, shall terminate in compliance with Section 8.08.110 and further comply with all provisions of Chapter 8.08.

D. Devices amplifying sound for the purpose of communicating information or entertainment:

1. Loudspeakers, Amplifiers, Public Address Systems, and Similar Devices.

a. The unreasonably loud and raucous use or operation of a loudspeaker, amplifier, public address system, or other device for producing or reproducing sound between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on weekdays, and 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. on weekends and holidays in the following areas:

i. Within or adjacent to residential or noise-sensitive areas;

ii. Within public space if the sound is plainly audible across the real property line of the public space from which the sound emanates, and is unreasonably loud and raucous. This shall not apply to any public performance, gathering, or parade for which a permit has been obtained from the City.

2. Radios, Televisions, Boomboxes, Phonographs, Stereos, Musical Instruments and Similar Devices. The use or operation of a radio, television, boombox, stereo, musical instrument, or similar device that produces or reproduces sound in a manner that is plainly audible to any person other than the player(s) or operator(s) of the device, and those who are voluntarily listening to the sound, and which unreasonably disturbs the peace, quiet, and comfort of neighbors and passers-by, or is plainly audible at a distance of 50 feet from any person in a commercial, industrial area, or public space. The use or operation of a radio, television, boombox, stereo, musical instrument, or similar device that produces or reproduces sound in a manner that is plainly audible to any person other than the player(s) or operator(s) of the device, and those who are voluntarily listening to the sound, and unreasonably disturbs the peace, quiet, and comfort of neighbors in residential or noise sensitive receptors, including multi-family or single-family dwellings.

E. Other Sound Producing Sources.

1. Yelling, Shouting, and Similar Activities. Yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling, or singing in residential or noise sensitive receptors or in public places, between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., or at any time or place so as to unreasonably disturb the quiet, comfort, or repose of reasonable persons of ordinary sensitivities. This section is to be applied only to those situations where the disturbance is not a result of the content of the communication but due to the volume, duration, location, timing or other factors not based on content.

2. Animals and Birds. Unreasonably loud and raucous noise emitted by an animal or bird for which a person is responsible. A person is responsible for an animal if the person owns, controls or otherwise cares for the animal or bird.

3. Blowers, and Similar Devices. In residential or noise sensitive receptors, between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., the operation of any noise-creating blower, power fan, or any internal combustion engine, the operation of which causes noise due to the explosion of operating gases or fluids, provided that the noise is unreasonably loud and raucous and can be heard across the property line of the property from which it emanates. The operation of any gasoline engine without having the same equipped with and using thereupon a muffler.

F. Enforcement of Prohibited Noise. No person or person in charge of property shall produce or permit to be produced, with a sound producing source, sound that:

1. When measured at or within the boundary of property on which a noise sensitive unit which is not the source of the sound is located:

a. Exceeds 50 dBA at any time between the hours specified in the above sections

b. Is plainly audible at any time between the hours specified in the above sections

c. Within a noise sensitive receptor that is not the source of the sound or on a public right-of-way at a distance of at least 50 feet from the source of the sound. (Ord. 4-2023 § 1 (Att. A), 2023.)