Edinburg wants to crack down on noise disturbances

Rows of speakers (Chad Baker | Getty Images | Metro)

Noise complaints within the city of Edinburg might be regulated a little more strongly with the passage of a new noise ordinance.

The Edinburg City Council approved an ordinance that lists specific situations and exceptions to what constitutes a loud noise violation, giving police a more solid basis on which to tamp down on loud noises.

“Ideally, this would make it easier for potential violators to know what they can and can’t do and also easier for PD and code enforcement to enforce those restrictions,” City Attorney Omar Ochoa told the city council on Tuesday.

The ordinance adds a definition for “impulsive sound,” which is “a sound of short duration, usually less than one second, with an abrupt onset and rapid decay,” according to the ordinance.

Examples of those include explosions, drop forge impacts and the discharge of firearms.

It also adds a definition for “decibel” which is “the weighted sound pressure level obtained by the use of a sound level meter and frequency weighting network such as A, B or C as specified in American National Standards Institute specifications for sound level meters.”

The ordinance also sets specific standards for businesses and standards for residences.

“In addition to noise, it also adds vibration as a measure of disturbance as well,” Ochoa said, “so not just relying on the noise but also the vibration caused from that noise.”

Speaking to the city council members, Edinburg Police Chief Jaime Ayala said the approved changes will enable police officers to enforce their nuisance ordinance more effectively.

“Having the ability to have the enforcement tool in place would allow us to address some repetitive, continuing noise violations if the ordinance were in place,” Ayala said.

However, city officials expect there will still be some difficulty in issuing a citation in response to every noise complaint.

“Even (with the ordinance), it’s hard to enforce it many times because by the time the police is called, time has passed,” said City Councilman Johnny Garcia. “Either they’re going to be within the time frame that it’s already allowed or, two, they’re just going to lower it down.”

He said a lot of it comes down to communication among neighbors and the owners of businesses that are causing the noise.

“Communicate with the owner or have the owner communicate with you, find some kind of a sound barrier that maybe you can put between the properties or work something out,” Garcia said. “I think it’s all about being good neighbors.”