For the purpose of this division, the following words and phrases are defined below unless it shall be apparent from the context that a different meaning is intended:
Construction shall mean on-site erection, fabrication, installation, alteration, demolition or removal of any structure, facility or addition thereto, including all related activities including, but not restricted to, clearing of land, earth moving, blasting, landscaping, mixing or pouring concrete, and the operation of vehicles or equipment in connection with such activities.
Disturbing noise shall mean noise which is perceived by a person of ordinary sensibilities as interrupting the normal peace and calm of an area.
Emergency work shall mean any work performed for the purpose of preventing or alleviating physical trauma or property damage threatened or caused by an existing or imminent peril.
Motor vehicle or vehicle shall mean any vehicle propelled on land by a motor, including, but not limited to, passenger cars, trucks, truck-trailers, semi-trailers, campers, go-carts, automobiles, motorcycles or buses. It shall exclude trains and emergency response vehicles such as police, fire and rescue vehicles.
Noise control officer shall mean any police officer or other person so designated by the town manager.
Occupied residential structure shall mean any structure that is occupied for residential use or that reasonably appears to be occupied for residential use; it is not necessary that a person be inside the structure at the time an unreasonably loud or disturbing noise is caused or created.
Person shall mean any individual, association, partnership or corporation, including any officer, employee, department, agency or instrumentality of the United States, the state or any political subdivision thereof.
Unreasonably loud noise shall mean noise which is substantially incompatible with the time and location where created or heard to the extent that it brings about an actual or imminent interference with peace, rest, or good order.
Technical terms:
(1) A-weighted sound level: The sound pressure level in decibels as measured on a sound level meter using the A-weighting network. The level so read is designated dB(A).
(2) Decibel (dB): A unit for describing the amplitude of sound, equal to 20 times the logarithm to the base 10 of the ratio of the pressure of the sound measured to the reference pressure, which is 20 micronewtons per square meter.
(3) Sound: An oscillation in pressure, particle displacement, particle velocity or other physical parameter, in a medium with internal forces that causes compression, and rarefaction of that medium. The description of sound may include any characteristic of such sound, including duration, intensity and frequency.
(4) Sound pressure level: 20 times the logarithms to the base 10 of the ratio of the root mean squared (RMS) sound pressure to the reference pressure of 20 micronewtons per square meter.
(5) Sound-level meter: An instrument which includes a microphone, amplifier, RSM detector, integrator or time average, output meter and weighting network used to measure sound pressure levels.
(6) Sound level: The weighted sound pressure level obtained by the use of a sound level meter and frequency weighting network, such as A, B, or C as specified in American National Standards Institute Specifications for sound level meters (ANSI S1.41971 or the latest approved version thereof). If the frequency weighting employed is not indicated, the A-weighting shall apply.
(7) Slow response: A measuring technique to obtain an average value when measuring a noise level that fluctuates over a range of four dB or more. By way of illustration only, a sound level meter set on "slow response" would record a sound level between two and six decibels less than the reading for a steadying signal of the same frequency and amplitude when a tone of 1,000 Hz and for a duration of 0.5 seconds is applied.
(8) Amplified sound: Any sound using amplifying equipment, whose source is outside or whose source is inside and the sound propagates to the outside or to other dwellings or interior locations under separate ownership or occupancy.
(Code 1982, § 13-11; Ord. No. 93-29, 5-13-1993; Ord. No. 2013-Code-05, 10-10-2013)