Council Gets An Earful About Loud Music

AVON PARK - The City Council heard some noise from a resident complaining about people blasting their stereos all over the city, and agreed that the existing noise ordinance wasn't enough to mute them.

The council asked City Attorney Gerald Buhr and Police Chief Matthew Doughney to figure a way to increase the penalties for playing loud music, after Charles Devlin said that he could hear them across Lake Tulane most weekends.

"Every single night without exceptions you hear loud music," Devlin told the council.

Florida has a statewide noise law that gives a $74.50 non-criminal citation when someone's stereo can be heard more than 25 feet from his or her car. One rationale for the law, as Devlin said Tuesday, is so that somebody's stereo doesn't make it hard for other drivers to hear police sirens if they're coming their way.

The citations in place lack any bite, Devlin said. Despite the department's tightening enforcement, he said the people haven't turned their stereos down. He drove through the city one day and was able to hear loud music all over South Delaney Avenue.

Doughney said the statute used to penalize the offenders doesn't stick any lingering penalty once the fine is paid. Since it's considered a non-moving violation, offenders have a clean record once they pay the fine. On top of that, they need to be caught in the act.

"Like I told Devlin, when you're out fishing, you don't catch all the fish," Doughney said. "We will continue to be responsive. Sometimes we need to be more out-of-the-blue."

Councilwoman Brenda Gray had her own complaints after hearing that, as she described one man she reported several times for blasting his speakers up.

"He got tickets every day," Gray said, yet he never stopped.

Councilman Al Joe Hinson suggested that the city could impound cars for noise violations. Sarasota passed a similar law earlier this month.

Doughney didn't say Wednesday afternoon that he was looking particularly into what Sarasota was doing, though that will be one option.