Proposed Revisions to Noise and Amplified Entertainment Ordinances

Updated Changes

At the 12/5/23 City Council afternoon meeting, Council authorized a repeal of the Amplified Entertainment Ordinance and enacted the Nightlife Permit Ordinance. At the 1/2/24 City Council afternoon meeting, Council authorized updates to the Noise Ordinance. Both authorizations come after a multi-year effort to research, rewrite, collect public feedback and edit the ordinances.

Read the updated Noise Ordinance.
Read the Nightlife Permit Ordinance.

What's New:

June Proposed Revisions	October Proposed Updates
Noise Ordinance penalties: $100; $300	Noise Ordinance penalties: $250; $500
Noise Ordinance limits permitted Special Events	Noise Ordinance excludes permitted Special Events
Nightclub Permit	Nightlife Permit
Nightclub establishment determined by aggregate floor area	Nightlife establishment determined by assembly type
Nightclub establishment defined by live or recorded entertainment	Nightlife establishment defined by live or recorded entertainment after 11:00 p.m.
Nightclub Permits denial does not mention noise ordinance violations	Nightlife Permits can be denied renewal if pattern of noise ordinance violations
All businesses start with clean slate security requirements	Current AEPs/HDEPs with security requirements will continue
Nightclub Permit violations: $5,000; revoked	Nightlife Permit violations: $500; $2,500; $5,000; revoked
Nightclub Permit does not include appeal process	Nightlife Permit includes appeal process

Feedback Form

The online feedback form is now closed. 111 submissions were received and relayed to City Council.

The Office of Special Events' Hospitality and Nightlife team is seeking public feedback in regards to these updated changes. After reading the proposed ordinances, share your feedback with City staff by using form below.

SUBMIT QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK ONLINE

Submit your questions and feedback to City staff.
Staff will create a feedback summary report for City Council.

Listening Sessions

A total of three in-person listening sessions were held in August and October to gather feedback on proposed revisions to the noise and amplified entertainment ordinances.

Initial Changes

After a comprehensive review, two proposed ordinances were presented by the City Attorney's Office for Council’s consideration during the June 20 City Council Meeting. These ordinances:

revise the City’s noise ordinances to regulate all sound, including indoor and outdoor amplified entertainment of all kinds, by imposing a “reasonable person” standard. The proposed noise ordinance contains a general prohibition of unreasonable noise, subject to specified exceptions, and continues to prohibit specific unreasonable noises. Decibel limits that appear in the current City Code are eliminated.
repeal existing amplified entertainment permit ordinances in their entirety, including repeal of the hospitality district entertainment permit provisions of the City Code, and
adopt a new ordinance to ensure that nightlife businesses continue to comply with building code, fire code, and security requirements. The ordinance no longer regulates noise and all nightlife-related sound is regulated through the new noise ordinance.

Review the memorandum describing proposed changes to the noise ordinance and repeal of amplified entertainment permits to enact the nightclub permit.
Watch the council presentation video below.