[Amended 3-14-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-03]
A. Any person who shall commit or cause to be committed any act, word
or conduct causing a breach of the peace and good order of the Township
shall be guilty of disorderly practices in violation of this chapter
if that person:
(1) Causes any danger, discomfort or unreasonable annoyance to any of
the inhabitants of the Township or users of the Township thoroughfares
or public areas, including but not limited to anyone who shall willfully
make any loud, boisterous or unseemly noise or disturbance; or
(2) Fights or quarrels or incites others to fight or quarrel; or
(3) Congregates with others upon any of the Township thoroughfares or
other public areas of the Township to the reasonable annoyance of
peaceable residents nearby or users of any Township thoroughfares
or public areas by the use of obscene or other offensive language
or by threatening conduct; or
(4) Loiters near or in the entrances to commercial establishments, whether
on public or private property, or any place of public resort, whether
public or private, or upon any private property within the Township
without the consent of the owners thereof, whereby the public peace
is broken or disturbed or the traveling public reasonably annoyed
by obscene or other offensive language, by loud or boisterous noise,
by threatening conduct, or by blocking entrance to such an establishment;
or
(5) At any time makes any sound which reasonably annoys or disturbs humans
or which reasonably causes an adverse psychological or physiological
effect on humans, in a manner that the sound is heard across property
lines or through tenant walls or between one dwelling unit and another,
or in a manner that the sound is heard in excess of 50 feet from the
source of the sound.
B. The sounds in Subsection
A(5) of this section are any sound and may typically include, but are not limited to, such things as motor vehicles and motor vehicle accessories, domestic power tools, motorized lawn and garden equipment, loading and unloading vehicles, powered model vehicles, street sales, motor vehicle repairs and testing, unnecessary horn blowing, sound trucks, public address systems, radios, TV's, stereos/CD players and musical instruments.
C. The use of domestic power tools, powered model vehicles, motor vehicle repairs and testing, radios, TV's, stereos/CD players and musical instruments or any other sound which has the effect described in Subsection
A(5) of this section outside the confines of a dwelling or commercial structure, the use of motorized lawn and garden equipment, sound trucks or public address systems or street sales, unnecessary horn blowing, or unnecessary idling or revving of motorcycles or truck tractors are prohibited between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
The following are exempted from the provisions of this chapter:
A. Amplified and nonamplified activities approved by the Township Manager-Secretary
or designee, which may include but not be limited to athletic events,
concerts, block parties, church carnivals, or other publicly or privately
sponsored events.
B. Emergency work: sounds caused by the performance of emergency work
or by the ordinary and accepted use of emergency apparatus and equipment.
C. Municipal and utility services: sounds resulting from the repair/management
or replacement of any municipal or utility installation in or about
the public right-of-way.
D. Warning devices: sounds made by warning devices operating continuously
for three minutes or less, except that, in the event of an actual
emergency, the time limit shall not apply.
E. Unusual/extreme weather conditions. Where unusual or extreme weather
conditions, such as heat, cold, pollen advisories, rain, snow, or
other condition that would affect the health and safety of persons
working therein, restrict the ability of persons to work between the
hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., upon application to and permission
from the Manheim Township Police Department, such persons may engage
in activities between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. that may cause sounds
otherwise prohibited.
F. Sounds created by the use of lawn care or similar equipment used
by or at a private or public golf course for the preparation of the
course for play, where such preparation cannot reasonably be done
during daytime hours, shall be permitted during the hours of 5:00
a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on weekdays and weekends.
[Added 5-29-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-05]
[Amended 2-25-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-06]
Any person who shall violate any provision of this chapter shall,
upon conviction thereof in a summary proceeding, be sentenced to pay
a fine not exceeding $1,000, and costs of prosecution, or to imprisonment
for not more than 30 days, as authorized by law.