All terminology used in this chapter and not defined below shall be interpreted to conform with applicable American National Standards Institute Publications.
For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
A-WEIGHTED SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL. The sound pressure level as measured with a sound-level meter using the A-weighted network. The standards notation is dB(A) or dBA.
AMBIENT SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL. The sound pressure level of the all-encompassing noise associated with a given environment, usually a composite of sounds from many sources. It is also the highest A-weighted sound pressure level exceeded 90% of the time during a given measurement period, which shall not be less than ten minutes.
CONTINUOUS SOUND. Any sound that exists, essentially without interruption, for a period of ten minutes or more.
DECIBEL. Logarithmic and dimensionless unit of measure often used in describing the amplitude of sound. Decibel is abbreviated dB.
DEVICE. Any mechanism that is intended to produce, or that actually produces noise when operated or handled.
DYNAMIC BRAKING DEVICE. A device used primarily on trucks which allows an internal combustion engine to act an air compressor for the purpose of braking without the use of wheel brakes, commonly referred to as "Jacob's Brake."
EMERGENCY WORK. Work required to restore property to a safe condition following a public calamity or to protect persons or property from an immanent exposure to danger.
EMERGENCY VEHICLE. A motor vehicle used in response to a public calamity or to protect persons or property from an imminent exposure to danger.
LEQ. The average sound level measured over the measurement period.
MOTOR VEHICLE. Any vehicle that is self-propelled by mechanical power, including, but not limited to, passenger cars, trucks, truck-trailers, semi-trailers, campers, motorcycles, mini-bikes, go-carts, snowmobiles, racing vehicles and riding mowers.
MUFFLER. An apparatus consisting of a series of chambers or baffle plates designed to transmit gasses from a motor vehicle exhaust system while reducing sound.
NOISE. Any sound that is unwanted and causes or tends to cause an adverse or physiological effect on human beings.
NOISE DISTURBANCE. Any sound that annoys or disturbs a reasonable person with normal sensitivities or that injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, hearing, peace, or safety of another person.
OWNER. Any person who alone or jointly or severally with other:
(1) Has legal title to any premise, dwelling, building, or structure with or without accompanying actual possession thereof; or
(2) Has charge, care, or control of any premise, dwelling, building or structure as legal or equitable owner or agent of the owner, or is an executor, administrator, trustee, or guardian of the estate of the owner.
PERSON. Any individual, public or private corporation, partnership, association, firm, trust, estate, the state or any of its departments or political subdivisions, institution, bureau or agency thereof, county, city or any legal entity that is recognized by the law.
PLACE OF PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT. A commercial establishment that provides some form of public performance including, but not limited to, dance, music, comedy, poetry or literary readings.
PLAINLY AUDIBLE NOISE. Any noise for which the information content of that noise is unambiguously transferred to the listener, including, but not limited to, the understanding of spoken speech, comprehension of whether a voice is raised or normal, or comprehension of musical rhythms.
PROPERTY BOUNDARY. An imaginary line at the ground surface, and its vertical extension that separates the real property owned by one person from that owned by another person.
PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY. Any street, avenue, boulevard, highway, alley, or similar place that is owned or controlled by a public or governmental entity.
SOUND. A temporal and spatial oscillation in pressure, or other physical quantity with interval forces that cause compression or rarefaction of the medium, and that propagates at finite speed to distant points.
SOUND LEVEL METER. An instrument, including a microphone, amplifier, RMS detector and integrator, time averaged, output meter or visual display or both, and weighted networks, that is sensitive to sound pressure fluctuation. The instrument reads sound pressure level if properly calibrated and is of type 2 or better as specified in American National Standards Institute Publication S1.4-1971 or its successor publications.
SOUND PRESSURE. The instantaneous difference between the actual pressure and the average or barometric pressure at a given point in space due to sound.
SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL. The square root of the time averaged square of the sound pressure and abbreviated LP or SPL.
STATIONARY NOISE SOURCE. Any device, fixed or movable, that is located or used on property other than a public right-of-way.
STEADY NOISE. A sound pressure level that remains essentially constant during the period of observation and does not vary more than 6 dB(A) when measured with the "slow" meter characteristics of a sound level meter.
USE DISTRICT. Use districts for the purpose of the enforcement of this chapter shall refer to the actual land use and shall be grouped into the following categories:
Residential
Commercial
Industrial
(Ord. 98-05, passed 2-24-98)