The City of St. Augustine is looking to revise its current noise ordinance, and it’s drawing a mixed reaction from businesses and downtown visitors.
The current law calls for a reduction of noise by 10 P.M. on weekdays and 11 P.M. on the weekends.
Penalties for violators are listed as a $100 fine for the first offense, and $499 fine for every offense after that.
Now, the St. Augustine Assistant Police Chief, Anthony Cuthbert, says the city is working with a third-party noise consultant, Eric Zwerling, to assess the city’s ‘nightlife-related noise sources’ and come up with a new plan based on that assessment.
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While the city is still working to establish the guidelines of the revised noise ordinance, some downtown guests like John Wisniewski think more strict limits may be a bit too much.
“It’s a tourist town, let people have fun,” Wisniewski says.
But one downtown business says they feel differently.
“I don’t know if you guys know the saying nothing good happens past 12 A.M.,” Noah Williams shares.
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Williams, who works at Casa Maya in Downtown St. Augustine, says their business has dealt with shattered windows and dented gates from people they suspect visited late-night neighboring bars.
He says he supports the idea of the city possibly cracking down on noise, hopeful that the change could control partygoers at neighboring bars.
As for the process of what happens next, Assistant Chief Cuthbert says:
- A completed draft of the revised ordinance will be sent to the City Attorney for legal review
- A final version of the ordinance will be submitted to the City Commission by May 29th
- The first reading of the revised ordinance will be read before the City Commission on June 9th
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While the details of the revised ordinance are still being worked out, Assistant Chief Cuthbert says the city is working ahead. The police department has added four noise monitors to the two that the city already has, and says Zwerling, the noise consultant, will work with the department to train and certify officers on how to use the monitors once the ordinance is adopted.
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