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CLEAR Temp: 52 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Saturday, September 20, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend August 13, 2003 Medford turns up noise law Ordinance expands hours during which loud noise is banned By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune Turn down that stereo! Medford’s noise ordinance, amended last week, now gives police a tool to stop loud music any time of the day or night. The rule previously only addressed loud music between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. A rule stopping early-morning mowing and other noisy yard upkeep also was added. "We get close to a thousand calls a year," complaining about loud music, said Randy Schoen, Medford police’s deputy chief of operations. "About 40 percent of those were between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m." Advertisement He said that about a year ago, city officials started discussing the difficulty of cracking down on problems with amplified sound during the day. They pondered a noise ordinance that set a decibel level as officially "too loud," but that would have required officers have special training to operate complicated decibel meters that measure sound. "We wanted a tool so if you could hear your neighbor’s music in your house, we could do something about it," Schoen said. He studied sample noise ordinances and decided that the city’s declaration that "no person shall make, continue, cause, or permit to be made or continued any noise disturbance," followed by a list of noise no-nos was as good as any. Taking out the time limit will give police the power to stop noisemakers anytime, he said. "Our goal is to see compliance," he said. "We’ll have officers use their discretion." Schoen said most people quiet down when asked. Only 2 percent of complaints about loud music lead to citations, he said. A noise ordinance violation carries a base fine of $75, but fines can range up to $250. The other change in the noise ordinance bans the use of powered lawn equipment such as mowers, blowers and chain saws between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. in residential neighborhoods. Schoen said police were getting a growing number of complaints about such equipment, usually in the hands of landscape-maintenance companies getting an early start during their busy season. "It’s not an epidemic, but the department was getting several dozen calls a year," he said. Landscape contractors still can get an early start on work in commercial areas. They just have to wait until after 7 a.m. in residential neighborhoods, he said. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times