Mesquite Ordinance Changes Mean Your Noise That 'Distresses, Or Disturbs' Could Mean A $2000 Fine
MESQUITE (CBSDFW.COM) — It's probably not a good idea for folks in Mesquite to have the speakers in their cars vibrating, or walls shaking in the house from the cranked up stereo. The City Council has approved updates to part of the City Code that addresses noise complaints.
"Too often there are those in our city who simply have no thought or regard for their neighbors and don't care about the misery and suffering caused by hours of late night parties and music that causes homes to literally vibrate down the street," said Mayor Bruce Archer.
The amended ordinance approved on March 15 includes allowing city staff to address complaints of noises that are plainly audible under certain circumstances and locations. This eliminates the need for a decibel meter or witness when noise can obviously be heard from a property line or across the street from a location.
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The city is also establishing new noise zones of residential, commercial, manufacturing and entertainment properties, to make it easier to investigate a complaint and enforce the ordinance.
"This ordinance won't fix everything overnight, but it will give our police department more tools in their toolbox to better resolve these disturbances and give more residents hope that they don't have to keep enduring these problems," Archer said.
Other amendments to the ordinance include updating the daytime and nighttime maximum permissible sound levels to correspond with other local cities.
Nuisance standards language has also been clarified to identify noise that is in violation if it "annoys, distresses, or disturbs the quiet, comfort, or repose of a reasonable person with ordinary sensibilities."
The City is still making temporary exceptions for special events that individuals have gotten permits for.
Violations of the noise ordinance is a Class C Misdemeanor offense that is subject to a maximum $2,000 fine.
