To: Board of Supervisors
From: John Kopchik, Director, Conservation and Development
Report Title: Consider Authorization of Public Outreach Regarding Noise Related Issues
?Recommendation of the County Administrator ? Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
AUTHORIZE Department of Conservation and Development (DCD) staff to evaluate whether additional regulation of noise is necessary and practical and report back to the Board of Supervisors with its findings and recommendations.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Staff costs associated with this work are expected to be modest ($15,000 to $30,000) and may be accomplished utilizing existing staff and budget.
BACKGROUND:
Noise concerns are frequently raised with the County by members of the public. Specific noise complaints are reported to Board of Supervisors offices, DCD Code Enforcement, the Sherriff's Office and other departments. These complaints often relate to large events, loud parties and construction, but other noise concerns are also raised. Community noise concerns have been discussed repeatedly at some Municipal Advisory Committee (MAC) meetings. DCD and Sherriff's Office staff have been invited to attend these meetings to make presentations and hear community concerns. Concern with noise issues and calls for a "noise ordinance" were expressed at community meetings convened by Supervisors and DCD as part of the Envision Contra Costa Process to gather input for the ongoing update to the County's General Plan and subsequent update to the County's Zoning Code.
The County has existing regulations to address noise, and in fact has recently expanded regulation to address the emerging problem of loud commercial events. But the County's regulations are not comprehensive. Expanding regulation of noise and effectively enforcing would be challenging but is worthy of further evaluation.
Existing Regulation, Gaps in Regulation and Challenges
The current County General Plan has noise standards appropriate for...
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