(A) The City Council finds that excessive noise is injurious to the public health, safety and welfare, interferes with the quiet enjoyment of life and property, and interferes with the tranquility and privacy of the home. Accordingly, the city has a compelling interest in imposing time, place and manner restrictions on such noise on a content neutral basis and in a manner that does not unreasonably infringe on the rights of the city’s inhabitants and visitors to engage in free speech or the free exercise of religion.
(B) For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
A-WEIGHTED SOUND LEVEL. A specific weighting of the sound pressure level for the purpose of determining the human response to sound. The specific weighting characteristics and tolerances are those given in the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
AMBIENT NOISE LEVEL. The sound level that exists at a point of measurement in the absence of the sound from the source of interest, the noise emission of which is being measured, constituting the total effect of all other sounds coming from near and far. The total of all noise in the environment, other than the sound from the source of interest.
CITY OFFICIAL. Any duly authorized representative of the city as designated by the City Administrator.
COMPRESSION ENGINE BRAKE. A braking system on an internal combustion engine powered vehicle that allows the driver to remove portions of the vehicle’s engine compression from service by exhausting compressed engine gasses from the cylinders before they have a chance to force the cylinder back down thus depriving the engine of power and slowing the vehicle, but also creating a loud roar or growling sound.
HIGHWAY. Any street, road or public way in the city.
L10 LEVEL. The noise level, expressed in dBA, which is exceeded 10% of the time for a one-hour survey, as measured by test procedures approved by the city official.
MOTOR VEHICLE. Any self-propelled vehicle not operated exclusively upon railroad tracks and any vehicle propelled or drawn by a self-propelled vehicle, except snowmobiles.
NOISE. Any erratic, intermittent and/or statistically random oscillations which result in disturbing, harmful or unwanted sound.
NOISE LEVEL. The same as SOUND LEVEL.
PERSON. An individual, firm, partnership, corporation, trustee, association, the state and its agencies and subdivisions, or any body of persons whether incorporated or not. With respect to acts prohibited or required herein, PERSON shall include employees and licensees.
SLEEPING FACILITY. Any structure or property normally used on a regular basis for overnight lodging, including without limitation, hotels, motels, boarding houses and campgrounds.
SOUND. A temporal and spatial oscillation in pressure or other physical quantity in a medium with internal forces which causes compressions and rarefactions of that medium and which is propagable at finite speed to distant points.
SOUND LEVEL (NOISE LEVEL). The A-weighted sound pressure level, expressed in dBA, obtained by use of a sound-level meter having characteristics as specified in the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Standard S1-4-1961.
SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL (SPL). Expressed in decibels (dB), is 20 times the logarithm to the base ten of the ratio of the observed sound pressure to a reference pressure of 20 micropascals.
(1992 Code, § 1082:00) (Ord. 1382, passed 9-6-2005)