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By MACKENZEE SIMMS | Staff Writer

PELHAM – On Monday, Nov. 18, the Pelham City Council unanimously passed an ordinance to revise the city’s noise ordinance to restrict excessive noise between the hours of 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

The new hours are an adjustment from the former hours of midnight to 9 a.m.

The first reading of the ordinance occurred on Monday, Oct. 21, when Pelham Police Chief Brent Sugg shared that the city often receives noise complaints from residents that frequently become frustrated that the police cannot intervene until midnight.

“Probably next to traffic and speeding in residential neighborhoods, our next biggest complaint that we receive as a police department is noise violations within residential areas, specifically people with kids that have to go to school the next day,” Sugg said. “Unfortunately, with our ordinance not beginning until midnight, that really limited us.”

In response to resident complaints, Sugg worked with Pelham Assistant City Manager Justin Smith to draft a new noise ordinance they believe will better align with the wishes of Pelham residents.

“We have made some changes to the times that the noise ordinance was applicable to, as well as added some clarity to several of the items around allowable things and not allowable items to try to give the police department and any officers that would be enforcing the code the tools necessary to do their jobs,” Smith said.

Before holding a vote, Pelham Council President Maurice Mercer thanked those that worked on the noise ordinance revisions and shared his hope that the new hours would benefit both residents and police officers.

“I would just like to go on record and thank the committee that was formed to look at this ordinance for us,” Mercer said. “This does make some changes that we hope will reduce noise in the evening time when folks are getting ready for bed, and add more teeth for our friends in blue to investigate that noise.”

As it stands, the new noise ordinance prohibits excessive noise from commercial properties, residential properties and motor vehicles during the hours of 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. The ordinance applies to live and electronically produced music, as well as vehicle sound amplification systems.

 

Exceptions to the noise ordinance include:

-Emergency and public works, such as construction related to restoring essential public services.

-After-hours work for public convenience, such as repairing a street when public welfare renders it impractical to perform the work between 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

-Groundskeeping and maintenance of public recreational facilities, such as golf courses and athletic fields, but only between the hours of 5-7 a.m.

-Sirens, horns and whistles, such as emergency vehicle sirens and train horns.

-Burglar/fire alarms and smoke/carbon monoxide detectors.

-Bells or chimes associated with time keeping at a church or school.

-Noises from authorized activities, such as authorized entertainment and athletic events at facilities operated by the city of Pelham or the Pelham City Schools Board of Education or authorized events within the Pelham Arts and Entertainment District.