Alternative to Noise Ordinance Proposed

MILLERTON — Life in the country can be so peaceful, so relaxing, so... quiet? Well, it depends who you ask. Certainly there are some residents of Millerton who may not always agree with that description. That’s why Village Attorney Michele Haab has been investigating the ins and outs of writing a noise ordinance.

"I did some research into laws regulating noise," she said during last Monday’s Village Board meeting. "I don’t think we want to be in the vanguard of that."

Enforcing noise ordinances is tough — and expensive. A decibel reader costs roughly $2,000, according to Haab.

"If it exceeds a certain decibel, you have to prove it," she said. "You have to read [the decibel monitor] and to do that you have to go to school."

So instead of a noise ordinance, Haab asked the Village Board to consider an alternative.

"I’m asking you to consider an amplified music permit, which is either issued by the police chief or the village clerk," she said. "You can say you can only have one a year, or play the music for a maximum of four hours, etc. It must be signed by the property owner, so a tenant must get his/her landlord to sign off on it."

There’s also the possibility that the permit could require neighbors be notified. It can also carry a fine and jail time. And monitoring noise is not as ambiguous as some may fear.

"There are definitions of what is amplified music," Haab told the board.

"I think there are a lot of quality of life issues in the village of Millerton," resident DeLora Brooks said. "There’s ATV [All Terrain Vehicles] usage. There’s that kind of noise level. There are motorcycles idling in the driveway next to me. I shouldn’t have to go through that kind of inconvenience. Everybody parties once in a while, but there are things that happen all the time.

"This is why I live in Millerton and drive 100 miles to work each way," she added, "because I want quiet and I want to live in a village."

According to Haab, the problem with trying to have a law regulating noise is that there has to be a set standard. Even then it’s tough for enforcement because when police officers arrive on the scene, the music (or whatever type of noise has been reported) will most likely have been lowered.

"For every noise you’re going to get an argument as to why it can’t be enforced," Haab said in response to Brook’s complaint about loud tractor-trailer trucks rumbling through the village.

Village Trustee Anne Veteran said one has to be pragmatic when dealing with issues like noise regulation.

"You can sit here and complain, but it’s ridiculous," she said. "I understand [your frustration], but you can’t address every single noise. I do think we should add music and stuff [to the code book], but you can’t address every noise and truck and car."

The board, with Haab’s assistance, will continue to examine ways in which it can regulate noise in the village. It’s hoping to find a solution, one which can be enforced, in the near future.