To: Board of Supervisors
From: John Kopchik, Director, Conservation and Development
Report Title: Report on noise related issues and possible authorization to prepare new noise regulations.
?Recommendation of the County Administrator ? Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
CONSIDER accepting a report on noise related issues and AUTHORIZE Department of Conservation and Development staff to prepare new noise regulations based on staff recommendation and Board direction.
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 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. The County has existing regulations to address noise but the County's regulations are not comprehensive and thus the exploration of expanded regulations was considered necessary to evaluate the possibility of additional regulations.
On March 5, 2024, DCD staff was authorized by the Board of Supervisors to evaluate whether additional regulations of noise are necessary and practical. The Board direction included proposed outreach to the MACs via letters and a follow-up survey with noise-related questions to ascertain to the community concerns regarding various types of noise impacts typically found in the communities. On June 14, 2024, a memo was mailed to all MACs that included a request from all interested individuals to fill out an online survey linked in the memo. Following the conclusion of the time specified for submitting responses to the survey, DCD staff hosted an open, public, w...
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