Proposed Countywide Noise Ordinance

My position on this new noise ordinance is that it will be far too arbitrary if the ordinance does not have a measurable, quantifiable measuring device such as a decibel meter and a fair way of measuring it. What if the officer on duty is hard of hearing? It has been said that "technical difficulties" resulted in the omission of the decibel meter in this new ordinance. This is ridiculous, a child can operate a decibel meter. I have used them in the past with definite, measurable results. The officer goes to the home/complainant, stands 50 feet away and aims the meter at the offending party. Click, and you have your evidence for all to see and report. This should make it easier for the officer rather than being in a situation to have to deal with an angry homeowner who might not agree with the officer's personal opinion. They both look at the device and it either is too loud or it is not, period. The manager should have the opportunity to view the measurement as well. Without the meter, the officer shows up, the homeowner is heated and emotional and determined to convince the officer it is too loud. That puts the officer in a spot to be judge and jury on the spot. Unfair.

To rely on any one's "opinion" of what's too loud is just plain unfair. Clearly a handful of people have an agenda here and their idea of what is too loud may be very different from others. In the end whatever is passed should be fair. Surely other towns have come up with fair ordinances. To adopt an old outdated one without using meters created years ago in Grayton Beach is a lazy approach. One business has been shuttered and a manager of another has been dragged off to jail. We are a tourist destination with urban sections of each town that have been lawfully providing entertainment for many, many years.

If you build a home next to a dump then you should be willing to get used to the smell. If I buy a home next to a restaurant that has had live entertainment for many years then I should be willing to tolerate a fair level of sound emanating from that place. If that place goes overboard with sound issues than there should be a way of measuring that sound that is clearly measurable so it excludes people's emotions and opinions. What's at stake is here is business's income and people's right to peace and quiet; both are equally important.

There are extreme opinions on either side. Our county should work to find a middle ground that is fair to all. If this arbitrary new noise ordinance is passed only the few who scream the loudest will be heard.

The Courts agree with you Dave, and have ruled against other similar County Ordinances in other areas, stating that they were too vague. The most recent Court ruling being only last month. With only a hint of research of other cases, via Google.com, it is easy to see that the enforcement officers of this type of ordinance will have to be certified with proper use of the decibel meter.

Grey areas for Deputies

I hope the county officials will realize the precedents set by those cases. It's harder on the deputies when there is not a clear cut law for them to follow. They deserve better.

noise ordinance

meeting today at 4 pm at the court house annex. Please come and be counted. As a voting block the musicians, entertainers and those employed ib the tourist service industry need to show the BCC how many of us are affected by arbitrary enforcement of vague laws. be courteous, polite, but show up in numbers. The BCC are elected and they can count.

5 PM is when this item comes up on the agenda.

I'm not sure how legally admissible this is, but I would assume anyone with an iPhone would have one in Walton County.

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I'm not sure how legally admissible this is, but I would assume anyone with an iPhone would have one in Walton County.

SoundMeter turns the iPhone into a handheld sound level meter

Or we could use the decibel meters specifically purchased by the county.............that don't get used! :bang:

SJ posted a picture from the courthouse on FB. It's a packed house. The ordinance is next on the docket!

Glad to hear there is a crowd! I was planning on being there, but got hung up on the phone and when I saw it was after 4pm, I thought I'd missed it. Should have known it would have started late.

Glad to hear there is a crowd! I was planning on being there, but got hung up on the phone and when I saw it was after 4pm, I thought I'd missed it. Should have known it would have started late.

You would not have missed it. They spent an hour talking about Oyster Lake so that put the whole schedule off.

Was any conclusion reached at the BCC noise ordinance meeting?

Any info from someone who was there would be appreciated.

photos

What a great turnout! :clap:

more photos

A few more...

we had to leave due to a prior commitment......what was the vote? I was so glad to see such a strong support for the music!

I know most of the people in the pictures were there to support music, but how about some pictures of the complainers?

Any info from someone who was there would be appreciated.

It was a loonnng meeting covering many subjects. The turnout was wonderful overall and I was thrilled to see all the musicians and local music supporters. The issues with the wedding houses was covered fairly heavily and the general consensus seemed to be to seperate that issue from the noise ordinance since it covers many unrelated problems. Several people spoke and for the most part the issues raised were similar to the issues discussed here on Sowal. The actual vote did not take place tonight. There will be another meeting in Defuniak on June 23. The proposed ordinance although not perfect does take into accountant the comments previously made to the Board. Overall I feel like it went well and believe that if we stay engaged throughout the process we will get an ordinance that we all can live with. It may take a hundred lawyers to get the wording right but the will to get it done is there.

Also channel seven news was there. Not sure if they were covering the bed tax issue or the noise ordinance though.

I know most of the people in the pictures were there to support music, but how about some pictures of the complainers?

Excellent question.