[Amended by Ord. No. 86-53]
No person shall make or cause to be made any noise disturbance within the City of such volume or nature as to annoy or disturb any other reasonable person of normal sensitivities. This section prohibits, but is not limited to, the following noise disturbances:
A. 
No vehicle designed to be equipped with a muffler shall be operated unless the muffler and the exhaust pipes connecting it to the engine are intact and operating as they were intended to at the time of manufacture, except for the following purposes:
(1) 
To remove the vehicle to the residence or normal storage place of the operator; or
(2) 
To remove the vehicle to a repair shop for the purpose of obtaining the needed repairs.
B. 
No person shall intentionally cause a vehicle to accelerate, brake or make a turn at such rate or in such manner as to cause its tires to squeal, except in reaction to a situation which a reasonably prudent operator would perceive to be necessary to protect against harm to a person or property.
C. 
No person shall operate construction equipment between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. except as may be necessary to protect against harm to a person or property.
D. 
No person other than a duly authorized law enforcement officer shall operate a snowmobile on the Rock River between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
E. 
No person shall operate or play any radio, television, phonograph, drum, musical instrument or similar noise-making device in such a manner as to create a noise disturbance of such volume or nature as to annoy or disturb a reasonable person of normal sensitivities.
[Amended 11-16-2021 by Ord. No. 21-47]
F. 
No person shall operate a loudspeaker, public address system, mobile sound vehicle or similar device from any vehicle within the City unless a written permit has been issued by the Chief of Police upon such terms and conditions as will ensure that the public peace will not be disturbed.
G. 
No person shall operate a power lawn mower, chain saw, mulcher, garden tiller, edger or other similar domestic power maintenance equipment, except between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Snow removal equipment is exempt from this provision.
[Amended by Ord. No. 90-41]
H. 
No person shall cause excessive noise to be made in the loading, unloading or unpacking of any vehicle or container between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
[Added by Ord. No. 90-42A]
I. 
Use of dynamic braking devices prohibited.
[Added by Ord. No. 00-28]
(1) 
Definition. A dynamic braking device (commonly referred to as Jake brakes®, Jacobs brake, engine brake or compression brake) means a device primarily on trucks for the conversion of the engine from an internal combustion engine to an air compressor for the purpose of braking without the use of wheel brakes.
(2) 
Use prohibited. It is unlawful for any person to operate any motor vehicle with a dynamic braking device engaged within the City limits, except for emergency situations for the purpose of avoiding a collision with another object or vehicle.
[Added by Ord. No. 92-57; amended by Ord. No. 96-38; Ord. No. 98-56]
A. 
Sound from motor vehicle. Pursuant to §§ 66.0411(1m)(a), 349.135 and 346.945, Wis. Stats., the Common Council of the City of Watertown does ordain as follows: except as provided in § 347.38(1), Wis. Stats., no person may operate or park, stop or leave standing a motor vehicle while using a radio or other electric sound-amplification device emitting sound from the vehicle that is clearly audible under normal conditions from a distance of 50 or more feet, unless the electric sound-amplification device is being used to request assistance or warn against an unsafe condition. Any person violating this section may be required to forfeit not less than $40 nor more than $80 for the first violation, not less than $100 nor more than $200 for the second or subsequent violation within a year.
[Amended by Ord. No. 01-41[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
B. 
Subsection A above shall not apply to any of the following:
(1) 
The operator of an authorized emergency vehicle, when responding to an emergency call or when in the pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law or when responding to, but not upon returning from, a fire alarm.
(2) 
The operator of a vehicle of a public utility, as defined in § 11.40(1)(a), Wis. Stats.
(3) 
The operator of a vehicle that is being used for advertising purposes.
(4) 
The operator of a vehicle that is being used in a community event or celebration, procession or assemblage.
(5) 
The activation of a theft alarm signal device.
(6) 
The operator of a motorcycle being operated outside of a business or residence district.
C. 
Owner's liability. The owner of a vehicle involved in a violation of this section shall be presumed liable for the violation as provided in this section. However, no owner of a vehicle involved in a violation of this section may be convicted under this section if the person operating the vehicle or having the vehicle under his or her control at the time of the violation has been convicted for the violation of this section.
D. 
Public reporting. Any member of the public who observes a violation of this section may prepare a written report indicating that a violation has occurred.
(1) 
If possible, the report shall contain the following information:
(a) 
The time and the approximate location at which the violation occurred.
(b) 
The license number and color of the motor vehicle involved in the violation.
(c) 
Identification of the motor vehicle as an automobile, station wagon, motor truck, motor bus, motorcycle or other type of vehicle.
(2) 
Within 24 hours after observing the violation, a member of the public may deliver a report containing all of the information contained hereinabove to an officer of the City of Watertown.
(3) 
Within 48 hours after receiving a report containing all of the information contained herein, the officer shall investigate the violation and may prepare a uniform traffic citation within 72 hours after receiving such report and may personally serve it upon the owner of the vehicle. If with reasonable diligence the owner cannot be served under this subsection, service may be made by leaving a copy of the citation at the owner's usual place of abode within this state in the presence of a competent member of the family who is at least 14 years of age and who shall be informed of the contents thereof. Service under this subsection may be made by any traffic officer employed by the City and shall be performed within 72 hours after a report containing all of the information set forth hereinabove was delivered to a traffic officer under this subsection. If within reasonable diligence the owner cannot be served as set forth herein, or if the owner lives outside of the City of Watertown, service may be made by certified mail addressed to the owner's last known address within 72 hours after a report containing all of the information set forth hereinabove was delivered to a traffic officer.
(4) 
Defenses to the imposition of liability under this section include:
(a) 
That a report that the vehicle was stolen was given to a traffic officer before the violation occurred or within a reasonable time after the violation occurred.
(b) 
If the owner of the vehicle provides a traffic officer employed by the City issuing the citation with the name and address of the person operating the vehicle or having the vehicle under his or her control at the time of the violation and sufficient information for the officer to determine that probable cause does not exist to believe that the owner of the vehicle was operating the vehicle or having the vehicle under his or her control at the time of the violation.
(c) 
If the vehicle is owned by a lessor of vehicles and at the time of the violation the vehicle was in the possession of a lessee, and the lessor provides the traffic officer employed by the City with the information required under § 343.46(3), Wis. Stats., then the lessee and not the lessor shall be liable under this section.
(d) 
If the vehicle is owned by a dealer as defined in § 340.01(11), Wis. Stats., but including the persons specified in § 340.01(11)(a) to (d), Wis. Stats., and at the time of the violation the vehicle was being operated by or was under the control of any person on a trial run, and if the dealer provides a traffic officer employed by the City with the name, address and operator's license number of the person operating the vehicle, or having the vehicle under his or her control on a trial run, then that person and not the dealer shall be liable under this section.
(5) 
If any owner of a motor vehicle has been convicted of violating this section three or more times within a three-year period, the City may impound the vehicle for not more than five working days to permit the City or its authorized agent to remove the radio, electric sound-amplification device or other sound-producing device if the vehicle is owned by the person charged with the violation and the sound-producing device may not be easily removed from the vehicle. Upon removal of the sound-producing device, an impounded vehicle shall be returned to its rightful owner. The cost of the impounding of the sound-producing device and, if a vehicle is impounded, the cost of impounding the vehicle and removing the sound-producing device shall be paid by the owner, in addition to the forfeitures provided hereinabove. Upon payment of said forfeitures and costs, the sound-producing device shall be returned to the owner. The City may dispose of any impounded sound-producing device or, following the procedure for an abandoned vehicle under § 342.40, Wis. Stats., any impounded vehicle which has remained unclaimed for a period of 90 days after the disposition of the forfeiture action. This section does not apply to a radio, electric sound-amplification device, or other sound-producing device on a motorcycle.
No person shall operate any mechanical or electrical appliance which unnecessarily interferes with radio and television reception where such interference can be prevented by reasonable repairs, adjustments or the installation of corrective appliances.
[Added by Ord. No. 95-6; amended by Ord. No. 95-33]
A. 
No railroad company or any of its agents, servants or employees shall blow or cause to be blown any whistle or horn within the limits of the City of Watertown, except in those cases prescribed and designated by the laws of the State of Wisconsin, but nothing in this section shall be construed as forbidding or prohibiting the blowing of any whistle or horn as a signal or warning in case of peril, fire, collision or other imminent danger to life and/or property.
B. 
Penalty. Any person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be punished by a forfeiture of not more than $200.