[Ord. 6, passed 9-13-1983; amended Ord. 14, passed 3-12-1996]
(A) No person owning, leasing or controlling a source of sound shall
willfully, negligently, or through failure to provide necessary equipment,
service, or maintenance or to take necessary precautions cause, suffer,
allow or permit unnecessary emissions from said source of sound that
may cause noise.
(B) Division (A) of this section shall pertain to, but shall not be limited
to, prolonged unattended sounding of burglar alarms, construction
and demolition equipment which characteristically emit sound but which
may be fitted and accommodated with equipment such as enclosures to
suppress sound or may be operated in a manner so as to suppress sound,
suppressible and preventable industrial and commercial sources of
sound, and other man-made sounds that cause noise.
(C) All devices employed in construction or demolition shall be prohibited
from use during the hours of:
(1)
7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. from Monday through Friday;
(2)
7:00 p.m. on Fridays through 8:00 a.m. on Saturdays; and
(3)
7:00 p.m. on Saturdays through 8:00 a.m. on Sundays.
[Ord. 6, passed 9-13-1983]
(A) The City hereby incorporates into and makes a part of this chapter
the provisions of Chapter 310 Code of Massachusetts Regulations, Section
7.00 entitled Air Pollution Control Regulations.
(B) These regulations shall govern the definitions, measurement and restriction
of sources of noise emission.
(C) For the purposes of this chapter, a "condition of noise pollution"
shall be a noise source which increases noise levels 10 dB or more
above the background noise level. If the noise level is judged by
ear to have a tonal sound, an increase of 5 dB above background noise
level is sufficient to cause noise pollution.
[Ord. 6, passed 9-13-1983]
(A) All City departments and agencies shall, to the fullest extent consistent
with other laws, carry out their programs in such a manner as to further
the policy of this chapter.
(B) All City departments and agencies shall comply with Federal and State
laws and regulations and the provisions and intent of this ordinance
respecting the control and abatement of noise to the same extent that
any person is subject to such laws and regulations.
[Ord. 6, passed 9-13-1983]
This chapter shall apply to the control of all sound originating
within the limits of the City of Watertown except the following:
(A) The emission of sound for the purpose of alerting persons to the
existence of an emergency or to the emission of sound in the performance
of emergency work or in training exercises related to emergency activities.
(B) Noncommercial public speaking and public assembly activities as guaranteed
by state and federal constitutions.
(C) Domestic equipment such as lawn mowers and power saws between the
hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
[Ord. 6, passed 9-13-1983]
The Board of Health shall be the primary enforcement agency
of the terms of this chapter. In addition, any Police Department or
Fire Department official or building inspector or their designee,
acting within their jurisdictional area, is authorized to enforce
this chapter.
[Ord. 6, passed 9-13-1983]
(A) Any person who violates any provision of this chapter, if convicted,
shall be fined no less than $50 nor more than $100 for the first offense
and not less than $200 nor more than $500 for each succeeding offense.
(B) Each subsequent day or part thereof of violation of this chapter,
whether the violation be continuous or intermittent, shall be construed
as a separate and succeeding offense.