Noise Ordinance Statement As Published In The Friends Of Mayor Winnecke News Letter

While opponents felt that the ordinance was targeted at a specific entertainment establishment, the proponents felt that it was a citywide problem. The United Neighborhoods of Evansville (UNOE) submitted a letter of support for a more restrictive noise ordinance, while representatives of Marina Pointe highlighted the significant investments made at their venue.

Prior to the meeting, the Courier & Press ran a story focusing solely on the Mayor’s wife’s position. We are confident that a member of city council pitched the story to the newspaper in an attempt to embarrass the Mayor. Here is a link to the story: Courier and Press Story

Leading up to the meeting, both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor had been in contact with the owners of Marina Pointe and neighborhood leaders, in an effort to keep an open mind on the proposed ordinance. Mayor Winnecke said from the beginning that he was willing to support a reasonable noise ordinance that would not place undue hardships on local businesses.

While several amendments were approved, the most significant change was to allow trash haulers to operate at any time. Instead of restricting the start time to 6:00 am or 7:00 am, a majority of council voted to exempt trash haulers completely.

The final ordinance was approved by a 9-0 vote, transferring all enforcement duties to the Evansville Police Department. Following the vote, the city council attorney reminded everyone that noise is measured at the receiving property, not the source of origin. Under city code, it is irrelevant if the source of the noise generates noise louder than 75 dB. Rather, it matters only if the noise reaches a neighboring residence above 75 dB.

This was a long-debated issue that resulted in little change.

FOOTNOTE: This statement was posted by the CCO without editing.