Rohnert Park Municipal Code § 9.44.010 Declaration of policy

It is the policy of the city to prohibit unnecessary, excessive, and annoying noises from all sources subject to its policy power. At certain levels noises are detrimental to the health and welfare of the citizenry and in the public interest shall be systematically proscribed.

(Ord. 152 § 1.1, 1971)

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise clearly indicates, the words and phrases used in this chapter are defined as follows:

A. "Ambient noise" is the all-encompassing noise associated with a given environment, being usually a composite of sounds from many sources near and far. For the purpose of this chapter, ambient noise level is the level obtained when the noise level is averaged over a period of fifteen minutes without inclusion of noise from isolated identifiable sources, at the location and time of day near that at which a comparison is to be made.

B. "Commercial purpose" means and includes the use, operation, or maintenance of any sound-amplifying equipment for the purpose of advertising any business, or any goods, or any services, or for the purpose of attracting the

attention of the public to, or advertising for, or soliciting patronage or customers to or for any performance, show, entertainment, exhibition, or event, or for the purpose of demonstrating such sound equipment.

C. "Decibel" means a unit of level when the base of the logarithm is the tenth root of ten and the quantities concerned are proportional to power.

D. "Emergency work" means work made necessary to restore property to a safe condition following a public calamity or work required to protect persons or property from an imminent exposure to danger or work by private or public utilities when restoring utility service.

E. "Frequency" of a function periodic in time means the reciprocal of the primitive period. The unit is the hertz and shall be specified,.

F. "Hertz" means the complete sequence of values of a periodic quantity which occurs during a period.

G. "Microbar" means a unit of pressure commonly used in acoustics and is equal to one dyna per square centimeter.

H. "Motor vehicles" includes, but is not limited to, mini-bikes and go-carts.

I. "Noncommercial purpose" means the use, operation, or maintenance of any sound equipment for other than a "commercial purpose." "Noncommercial purpose" means and includes but is not limited to, philanthropic, political, patriotic, and charitable purposes.

J. "Period" of a periodic quantity means the smallest increment of time for which the function repeats itself.

K. "Periodic quantity" means oscillating quantity, the values of which recur for equal increments of time.

L. "Person" means a person, firm, association, copartnership, joint venture, corporation or any entity, public or private in nature.

M. "Sound amplifying equipment" means any machine or device for the amplification of the human voice, music, or any other sound. "Sound amplifying equipment" does not include standard automobile radios when used and heard only by the occupants of the vehicle in which the automobile radio is installed. "Sound amplifying equipment" as used in this chapter, does not include warning devices on authorized emergency vehicles or horns or other warning devices on any vehicle used only for traffic safety purposes.

N. "Sound level" (noise level), in decibels (dB) is the sound measured with the "A" weighting and slow response by a sound level meter.

O. "Sound level meter" means an instrument including a microphone, an amplifier, an output meter, and frequency weighting networks for the measurement of sound levels which satisfies the pertinent requirements in American Standard Specifications for sound level meters Sl.4.1971 or the most recent revision thereof.

P. "Sound truck" means any motor vehicle or any other vehicle regardless of motive power, whether in motion or stationary, having mounted thereon or attached thereto any sound amplifying equipment.

(Ord. 152 § 1.2, 1971)

Any sound level measurement made pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be measured with a sound level meter using the "A" weighting.

(Ord. 152 § 1.3, 1971)

Where the ambient noise level is less than designated in this section the respective noise level in this section shall govern.

(Ord. 152 § 1.4, 1971)