Updated city noise ordinance sets timeframes for violations

LACONIA — The city's noise ordinance now restricts certain sounds before 7 a.m. and after 8 p.m. on weekdays, and before 8 a.m. and after 7 p.m. on weekends, after city councilors approved the change at their meeting last week. 

“Loud noise, whether it’s from motorcycles or cars or these jacked-up sound systems, are the bane of my life as it is most of us,” Charlie St. Clair said during the period open to public comment. “It’s very annoying — but you made reference to inspections.

"Inspections, I want to remind you, are just a snapshot in time, right there in that moment when that vehicle is being inspected, then that doesn’t happen for another year. All kinds of things are done to those vehicles or can be done, so I don’t want you to rely on that, I want you to figure out how to make this have teeth for our poor officers.” 

At Ward 4 Councilor Mark Haynes’ request, the government operations and ordinances subcommittee met Jan. 30 to review the noise ordinance. During that meeting, subcommittee members agreed an amendment would be in the public interest.

That amendment, passed June 23, better defines when the operation of certain high-noise devices is permitted in residential districts, as well as other housekeeping corrections. Subcommittee members at the January meeting approved the revised language, then sent it to the broader council, who then held a public hearing on June 9, before tabling the issue, then ultimately passing the amendment. 

“I think you raise an excellent point, Rep. St. Clair, with the potential repeal of the state inspection in this state — that’s creating an issue for safety issues. But I think it’s also, the idea that what was once resulted in failures of state inspections are now becoming advisory,” Mayor Andrew Hosmer said. “Now it’s incumbent on our state police and our local police to enforce some of these safety issues, which is an undue burden on them as well.” 

“They’ve always had that to enforce those things because, again, an inspection is a snapshot in time,” said St. Clair, who serves the city as a Democrat in the Statehouse. “Whatever the safety violation may be, it can happen 20 days down the calendar from that inspection. I just want you to know that you’re not alone about the complaints for annoying noise from people who, it seems like they like to do that — well, they’re calling attention to themselves.”

Ward 1 Councilor Bruce Cheney, former police chief in Laconia, said until the inspection law is repealed, officers can stop vehicles to perform inspections for various problems or violations. 

“Right now there’s an inspection law that gives them the authority to do it,” Cheney said. “They also have the authority in other circumstances, but it’s enforcement as you suggested, at some point, and we need to put some teeth into there.”

The discussion was pursuant to ordinance 167-2, certain noise restricted, subsection C. That section states it is unlawful to “operate or start and run any high-noise device, mechanical or otherwise, that is involved in commercial uses including, but not limited to, excavation, exterior building construction, and landscaping in residential zoning districts during the following time periods ... ” 

The restricted periods are prior to 7 a.m. and after 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.

City agencies, projects approved by the planning board with construction agreements in place, and snow removal devices — including snowblowers and plows — are exempt from that provision. Additional exemptions may be approved at the discretion of the city manager upon written request, and are to be considered case by case.

Violation of the noise ordinance is punishable by a fine up to $250. 

Councilors approved the amendment unanimously. Ward 3 Councilor Eric Hoffman was absent from the meeting.

The City of Laconia also addresses fireworks in its ordinances. 

Councilors updated restrictions around the use of fireworks in October 2023.

It’s against the law to ignite fireworks Monday through Thursday of any week other than July 3, and federal holidays. It’s also illegal to ignite fireworks past 10 p.m. until noon the following day on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, on any week throughout the year.