16.A.
City Council Meeting - FINAL
- Meeting Date:
- 11/20/2018
- From:
- Claire Harper, Recreation Supervisor
Information
TITLE
Discussion: Sound level regulations at special events.
STAFF RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Continue discussion in light of new information received from sound consultant and receive direction from Council on sound levels at special events.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
At the Council meeting on August 28, 2018, staff received direction to move forward with lowering the permitted decibel level at special events from 90 dBA, 100 feet from the speaker locations, to 75 dBA, 100 feet from the speaker locations. After the meeting on August 28, staff received additional options from its sound consultant to address some of the concerns discussed. Staff also received input from several event producers that lowering the permitted sounds levels to 75 dBA would negatively impact events. Staff would like to present this new information to Council to confirm its prior direction prior to bringing back proposed amendments to the Special Event Ordinance which will include this policy decision.
INFORMATION:
The current special event rules and regulations state that decibel levels read from 100 feet of the speaker locations must not exceed 90 decibels, “A” weighted.
Through the Future Agenda Item Request process, Council requested to review the sound level regulations for special events, including the maximum decibel level, a discussion on the bass level, and consideration of possible changes to these sound limits. MD Acoustics was hired to perform a sound study during a permitted special event in Wheeler Park on June 2, 2018.
On August 28, 2018, the results of the sound study were presented to Council. MD Acoustics recommended the following options:
Council's recommendation to staff was to lower the decibel level to 75 dBA, 100 feet from the speaker locations. Staff has received input from several event producers that 75 dBA would negatively impact events.
After the August 28, 2018 meeting MD Acoustics provided additional options to address some of the concerns discussed.
Staff is looking to confirm Council’s direction regarding sound level regulations to include in the draft ordinance (City Code Chapter 8-12) that will be presented for first read on Tuesday, December 4, 2018.
Through the Future Agenda Item Request process, Council requested to review the sound level regulations for special events, including the maximum decibel level, a discussion on the bass level, and consideration of possible changes to these sound limits. MD Acoustics was hired to perform a sound study during a permitted special event in Wheeler Park on June 2, 2018.
On August 28, 2018, the results of the sound study were presented to Council. MD Acoustics recommended the following options:
- Make no changes to the noise limit.
- Change the noise limit to state the following: “Decibel levels read from 100 feet of the speaker locations must not exceed 100 decibels, "C" weighted.” This would better incorporate low frequency sound pressure levels with overall sound levels.
Council's recommendation to staff was to lower the decibel level to 75 dBA, 100 feet from the speaker locations. Staff has received input from several event producers that 75 dBA would negatively impact events.
After the August 28, 2018 meeting MD Acoustics provided additional options to address some of the concerns discussed.
- Change the noise limit to state the following: “Decibel levels read from 50 feet of the speaker locations must not exceed 90 decibels, "A" weighted.”
- Change the noise limit to state the following: “Decibel levels read from 50 feet of the speaker locations must not exceed 100 decibels, "C" weighted.”
Staff is looking to confirm Council’s direction regarding sound level regulations to include in the draft ordinance (City Code Chapter 8-12) that will be presented for first read on Tuesday, December 4, 2018.