Quieter on the block? Wadsworth seeks noise ordinance changes

WADSWORTH − An update to the city's noise ordinance will be considered by council members after proposed changes to enact quiet zones gained committee approval Tuesday. New legislation would establish "quiet zones" on weekdays from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. and on weekends from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. A scale would also be established that classifies a first-time offense as a minor misdemeanor. A second offense within 12 months would be considered a fourth-degree misdemeanor and more than two offenses inside of that same time would qualify as a third-degree misdemeanor. The noise ordinance has not been updated since 1980, said Public Safety Director Matt Hiscock. "Our ordinance is very archaic after not being updated for so long," he said. "It was a very general, early generation noise ordinance. We get average noise complaints like any community and the officers need to make discretionary calls on those on what is or is not reasonable. "Establishing some sort of time frame gives the officers and citizens a better idea on what should be expected." Some talks suggested setting a decibel threshold and possibly using noise measuring equipment in police vehicles. "We had talked about using decibels but once we looked into it and did some research, some valid points were made here and by the prosecutor's office on why that might not be a good idea," Hiscock said. "It's going to rely on the discretion of those who are generating the noise and the officers evaluating that noise. "At the end of the day, fif someone receives a citation they have every right to object to that and go through the court process." Hiscock said he could not recall an instance where repeated noise ordinance violations led to a resident being charged with a third-degree misdemeanor. Current talks center on updating the city's general noise ordinance. Separate laws have been written that deal with specific sources of loud noise including loud vehicles and screeching tires. "An officer gets to a house and can hear loud music from the tree lawn," police Chief Randall Reinke said . "Then they consider whether it's three in the afternoon or 11 at night. Is it winter or summertime when a lot of people have their windows open? A lot of it relies on that discretion and common sense through their own experiences. I think getting these set hours in there will give us some more guidance and a better idea of what's appropriate." Reinke was unsure of how many citations have been written over the past year but said there is a definite increase in the summer. "We try not to issue citations," he said. "The number issued is much lower than how many complaints we receive. Typically, an officer will give a warning or even a couple warnings. It depends on the circumstances. There are certainly some situations that are egregious and ongoing. There are some habitual offenders where it can be their dogs barking or running loose. Sometimes it's someone open burning. You cite them but there's still repeated offenses." Contact reporter Jonathan Delozier at (330) 721-4050 or jdelozier@medina-gazette.com.