(A) For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
(B) All terminology used in this chapter not defined below, shall be in conformance with applicable publications of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or its successor body.
AMBIENT NOISE LEVEL. The sound pressure level of all the encompassing noise associated with a given environment, being usually a composite of sounds from many sources.
CHIEF. CHIEF OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT or CHIEF OF THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DEPARTMENT, or their duly authorized representative.
DECIBEL. A logarithmic (dimensionless) unit of measure often used in describing the amplitude of sound. DECIBEL is denoted as dB.
DEVICE. Any radio, tape recorder, cassette player, compact disk player, stereo, television or musical instrument.
EMERGENCY VEHICLE. A motor vehicle used to respond to a public calamity or to protect persons or property from imminent danger.
EMERGENCY WORK. Work made necessary to restore property to a safe condition following a public calamity, work to restore public utilities or work required to protect persons or property from an imminent exposure to danger.
MOTOR VEHICLE. Any vehicles, such as, but not limited to a passenger cars, trucks, truck-trailers, semi- trailers, campers, motorcycles, minibikes, go-carts, snowmobiles, amphibious craft on land, dune buggies or racing vehicles, which are propelled by mechanical power.
MUFFLER. Any apparatus consisting of baffles, chambers or acoustical absorbing material whose primary purpose is to transmit liquids or gases while causing a reduction in sound emission at 1 end. To qualify, the apparatus must cause a reduction in sound pressure level (x) dB (A) upon insertion into the system for which it is intended.
NOISE. Any sound which is unwanted or which causes or tends to cause an adverse psychological or physiological effect on human beings.
NOISE DISTRIBUTION. Any sound or vibration which annoys, disturbs or perturbs reasonable persons with normal sensitivities, or any sound which injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, hearing, peace or safety of other persons.
PLAINLY AUDIBLE. Any noise for which the information content of that noise is unambiguously communicated to the listener, such as, but not limited to understandable spoken speech, comprehension of whether a voice is raised or normal, or comprehensive musical rhythms or vocal song.
POWERED MODEL VEHICLE. Any powered vehicles, either airborne, waterborne or landborne, such as, but not limited to, model airplanes, boats, cars or rockets, which can be propelled by mechanical means, and which are not designed to carry persons or property.
PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY and PUBLIC SPACE. Any street, avenue, boulevard, highway, parkway, sidewalk, alley or public space which is owned or controlled by a public governmental entity.
PUBLIC SPACE. See PUBLIC RIGHT-OF- WAY.
SOUND LEVEL METER.
(a) An instrument, including a microphone, amplifier RMS detector and integrator or time averager, output meter and weighing networks, that is sensitive to pressure fluctuations.
(b) The output meter reads sound pressure level when properly calibrated and the instrument is of Type 2 or better as specified in American National Standard Institute Publication Sl. 4-1971, or its successor publication.
WEIGHTED SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL. The sounds pressure level as measured on a sound level meter using the A-weighing network. The level so read shall be designated db (A) or dBA.
(Prior Code, § 97.01) (Ord. 4083, passed 3-24-1975; Am. Ord. 8060, passed 3-31-1998)