Department of Community Services staff have been tasked with developing provisions to address ongoing complaints from nuisances associated with late night use of amplified sound equipment. Thus, staff is proposing to amend the County Code of Ordinances to add Chapter 20 to Title 5 (Public Welfare, Morals, and Conduct) that would establish an enforcement program and authorize administrative fines for violations of nuisance related to excessive late night use of amplified sound (Attachment A).

The ordinance is limited in scope and is not a full-scale noise ordinance, but merely proposes to restrict the use of amplified sound systems between the hours of 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM the next morning. Exemptions from the ordinance include emergency personnel and warning devices, any duly authorized permitee approved to used amplified sound, agricultural farming activities and operations that rely on amplified sound to deter wildlife or administer field work, and uses authorized at the County Airport and County Parks.

The ordinance was drafted in concert with the Planning and Code Enforcement Divisions and Sheriff's Office, prior to seeking public comment. A draft ordinance was then circulated for agency and interested parties comments during the month of August. Based on agency and public feedback, Staff has modified the ordinance to remove ambiguity, better address enforceability, and identify authorized use of amplified sound. Although the proposed ordinance is not a land use ordinance that requires Planning Commission review, Staff is seeking the Planning Commission's input and additional public comment prior to taking the ordinance to the Board of Supervisors for final consideration.

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