The Altus City Council on Tuesday night passed two ordinances aimed at loud music blaring from vehicles and excessive noise in city parks.
"We think we've got an ordinance crafted here that will satisfy every conceivable, at least foreseeable situation," said Councilman Sid Willis before the council stamped its approval to the new laws.
The issue had been tabled during the March 22 meeting of the council in order to iron out legal wording.
Both ordinances set a distance of 50 feet as the gauge of violation.
On May 5, according to the ordinance on the operation of vehicles on streets and right of ways, "It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a vehicle located upon any public street or other right of way and to be playing or operating, or permitting the playing, use or operation, of any radio, musical instrument, phonograph, or other machine or device for the producing or reproducing of sound if such sound is for the purpose of entertainment or is used for that purpose and can be heard from the distance of fifty (50) feet or more when the source of such sound is located upon any public right-of-way ..."
The fine for a first offense is set at $100 plus court costs, and $200 plus court costs for second and subsequent violations.
In the section of the vehicle ordinance regarding music blasting from vehicles at parks, public or private property, the fine is set at $300 plus court costs. Signs are required in certain commercial zones warning citizens not to park their vehicle with music blasting beyond the 50-foot range.
The ordinance governing loud noise at city parks states that "It shall be unlawful for any person to play, use, operate or permit to be played, used, or operated, any radio, compact disc or tape player, musical instrument, drum, phonograph, sound amplifier or other machine or device that produces, reproduces, or amplifies musical sound in any parks, playgrounds, detention pond areas, recreation areas or any other outdoor publicly owned place, parking lot, street or right-of-way so that the sound produced is plainly audible to any person other than the operator, at a distance of 50 feet away from the source of the sound, at any time, day or night."
This ordinance also requires that signs be posted at city parks, detention pond areas and recreation areas warning residents of the noise prohibition and the penalty for violation. Violators of the ordinance, upon conviction, are subject to a fine of $300 plus court costs, or imprisonment not to exceed 60 days, or both.
It provides for exceptions under the section of the city code regulating permits for parades or public meetings.
The ordinances are to be published in full within the next two weeks.
Assistant Police Chief Mike Howeth said, "We're exceptionally happy to have this opportunity that's going to be reasonable for the police department to enforce."
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