KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The city of Kissimmee approved changes to its noise ordinance after an increase in the numbers of calls police received about this issue.
“From Jan. 1, 2022, until Feb. 1, 2023, we responded to over 2,200 complaints of noise,” Kissimmee Police Lt. James Napier said.
The city approved the new ordinance unanimously Tuesday evening.
City leaders hope to tone it down in the downtown area and in residential neighborhoods if commissioners approve the amendment.
“Code enforcement or law enforcement now has clear direction on what is considered too noisy, what is a nuisance,” said Austin Blake, the assistant city manager. “Our ordinance says that they will stand at the property line to determine what is an acceptable noise volume.”
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Officials said in the downtown area, vehicle exhaust and stereos are behind those complaints, and in the residential areas, it’s the parties.
“Typically, when we give a warning we explain to people, we might say, ‘I could hear the music as I was pulling up on the block with my windows closed. You have to understand your neighbors are sleeping they may not want to be as up and partying and doing what you’re doing. They may have to work in the morning and you need to be respectful and mindful,’” Napier said.
The rewritten ordinance would make it easier for law enforcement to ensure the ordinance isn’t being violated.
“The previous ordinance dictated that it needed to be measured with a decimal meter, which we were not provided with nor that training, so this puts it into a much easier framework for responding law enforcement officers,” Napier said.
The assistant city manager said the previous ordinance made it difficult to determine noise levels.
“Where did you stand on the property line to try to figure out if it was too noisy?” Blake said.
The city of Kissimmee said fines for those who violate these ordinances are going to be on a sliding scale, starting at $50 for the first offense up to $500, depending on how many repeat offenses you have in a 12-month period.
The new ordinance goes into effect in 90 days.
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