The following shall be considered an exception and shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter:
(A) Noise emanating from regularly scheduled athletic events of any of the county’s schools or the county’s Parks and Recreation Department facility;
(B) Noise resulting from farming and agricultural operations including, but not limited to, noises generated by machinery, equipment, and farm animals;
(C) Noise as the result of normal or routine lawn/yard maintenance and landscaping;
(D) Noises from safety signals, warning devices, emergency signaling devices, and of any authorized emergency vehicle when responding to any emergency call or acting in time of emergency;
(E) Noises generated from the normal operation of properly equipped aircraft;
(F) Noise from or at parades, street fairs, and similar festivals and/or concert events sponsored, permitted, or sanctioned by the county;
(G) Noise from all churches or any place of worship;
(H) Noise from governmental operations;
(I) Noise from any sanitation operations;
(J) Noise from all lawfully permitted firework displays;
(K) Emergency work necessary to restore property to a safe condition following a fire, accident or natural disaster, to restore public utilities, or to protect persons or property from an imminent danger;
(L) All noises coming from normal operation of motor vehicles properly equipped with the manufacturer’s standard muffler and noise-reducing equipment;
(M) Normal sounds associated with or customary to industrial or manufacturing operations in the normal course of business, provided that said businesses are operating in a lawful manner;
(N) Noise caused by the discharge of firearms by law enforcement officers in the performance of their official duties or during the course of official firearms training;
(O) Discharge of firearms or other methods utilized in the lawful activity of hunting or the taking of wildlife;
(P) Noise made by dogs while hunting or being lawfully trained by hunters or emergency service personnel;
(Q) Noise generated by the discharge of firearms at a firing/shooting range that is operating as a legally permitted facility or a pre-existing facility protected under G.S. § 14-409.46, Sport Shooting Range Protection; and/or
(R) Noise resulting from activities of a temporary duration permitted by law and for which a license or permit therefor has been granted by the county.
(Ord. passed 6-17-2013)