john r, you are correct, however, Code Enforcement, which stops work at 5pm, and works Mon-Fri, is the dept which was being considered for enforcement. The BCC discussed having one of the officers on call during the after-hours, but all of the officers were reported to live in the Defunk area, so if they got a call for light invasion in Rosemary Beach, about two hours after the reported invasion, a CE officer would arrive. A simple flip of the light switch would cause the officer to question the complainant as to the problem. Part of the proposed law included language that would cause any complainant who was in error in reporting light invasion, to be fined on the second false-complaint.
There is also the problem of indirect light invasion and cumulative light invasion, which will give inaccurate readings on the light meters, if trying to tie it to one property owner. Light may be coming from more than one source, so how do you prove in a court of law that only the light from one property was being read on the meter? The answer is simple, you cannot.
IMO, after listening to the many arguments for and against light ordinances, it will be difficult at best to come up with one which works. A strong focus on Education and Awareness will work better than any ordinance.
There is also the problem of indirect light invasion and cumulative light invasion, which will give inaccurate readings on the light meters, if trying to tie it to one property owner. Light may be coming from more than one source, so how do you prove in a court of law that only the light from one property was being read on the meter? The answer is simple, you cannot.
IMO, after listening to the many arguments for and against light ordinances, it will be difficult at best to come up with one which works. A strong focus on Education and Awareness will work better than any ordinance.