The very word "noise" seems to emanate negative connotations. No one likes to be assaulted by unsavory sounds.
However, as the saying goes: One person’s noise is another’s music. In this county, Siesta Village seems to be the epicenter for a raging debate over the dichotomy.
The Sarasota County commissioners dove into the fray last week by discussing Sheriff Tom Knight’s decision not to enforce the county’s noise ordinance. In a May 21 letter, Knight wrote, "My staff has informed me that between the many special exceptions, the difficulty with ambient noise measurements and the competing residential and commercial interests, enforcement [of the noise ordinance] has been difficult."
For those same reasons, he added, the state attorney’s office has declined to prosecute such cases.
Finally, the sheriff pointed out that, considering all the genuine law enforcement responsibilities his deputies must shoulder, the only practical means of dealing with village noise complaints is to have Sarasota County Code Enforcement bring out its noise meters.
We believe the sheriff has made the most sensible assessment in regard to utilizing his officers’ time. And while County Commissioner Nora Patterson, who represents the key, said last week that she’d arrange a meeting between Knight and code enforcement officials on how to proceed, we believe this is the perfect time for county officials to take a hard look at the ordinance itself before they go any further.
Indeed, Mark Smith, president of the Siesta Key Village Association, sent an e-mail to all five county commissioners a day after their discussions asking that his group be involved in any meetings about the ordinance. "As with other issues that have confronted us," he wrote, "it has been the inclusion of the different interested groups that has achieved consensus. A balance has to be met between the businesses, the residents, and what can be practically and legally done by the county to achieve that balance."
We are sure the Siesta Key Association will want to be involved in the discussions, as well. Anyone who attends SKA meetings regularly knows that noise complaints get a routine airing.
Sound does seem to travel in mysterious ways, especially at night. We’d be the last ones to say that residents should be forced to do the equivalent of entering sensory deprivation chambers to sleep. At the same time, we believe Mark Smith has zeroed in on the most critical factor for the noise ordinance’s future: achieving a balance between business and residential interests.
We urge the county commissioners to make sure all interested parties are invited to the table to collaborate on dealing with decibel levels in Siesta Village. We concur wholeheartedly with Smith again that consensus is the key to stripping the noise issue of all its negative connotations.
June 17th 2009 - 7:04PM