Yuba County Municipal Code Art. 1 General Provisions

(a) In order to control unnecessary, excessive and annoying noise and vibration in the County of Yuba, it is hereby declared to be the policy of the County to prohibit such noise and vibration generated from or by all sources subject to its police power as specified in this Chapter. It shall be the policy of the County to maintain quiet in those areas which exhibit low noise levels and to implement programs aimed at reducing noise in those areas within the County where noise levels are above acceptable limits.

(b) It is determined that certain noise levels and vibrations are detrimental to the public health, welfare and safety, and are contrary to public interest. Therefore, the Board of Supervisors does ordain and declare that creating, maintaining, causing or allowing to be created, caused or maintained, any noise or vibration in a manner prohibited by or not in conformity with the provisions of this Chapter is a public nuisance and shall be punishable as such.

(Prior Code, § 8.20.110; Ord. No. 1094)

As used in this Chapter, unless the content otherwise clearly indicates, certain words and phrases used herein are defined as follows:

(1) Ambient noise level is the composite of noise from all sources near and far and constitutes the normal or existing level of environmental noise at a given location. The ambient noise level is the level obtained when the noise level is averaged over a period of 15 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.

(2) Commercial purpose means and include 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.

(3) County means the County of Yuba.

(4) dB means decibel as herein defined.

(5) dBA means decibels measured on A-weighted scale as herein defined entitled "Sound Level Measurement."

(6) Decibel means a unit measure of sound level or noise level relative to a standard reference sound on a logarithmic scale. The decibel level of a given sound is determined as 20 times the logarithm to the base ten of the ratio of the pressure in micronewtons per square meter of the sound being measured to the standard reference sound pressure of 20 micronewtons per square meter (0.0002 microbar).

(7) Emergency work means essential activities necessary to restore, preserve, protect or save lives or property from imminent danger of loss or harm.

(8) Frequency means the number of times that a periodic function repeats the same sequence of values during a unit variation of the independent variable. The unit is the hertz and shall be specified.

(9) Hertz means the complete sequence of values of a periodic quantity which occurs during a period.

(10) Microbar means a unit of pressure commonly used in acoustics and is equal to one dyne per square centimeter.

(11) Motor vehicle includes, but is not be limited to, mini-bikes and go-carts.

(12) Noncommercial purpose means and includes the use, operation, or maintenance of any sound amplifying equipment for other than a "commercial purpose." "Noncommercial purpose" shall mean and include, but shall not be limited to, philanthropic, political, patriotic, and charitable purposes.

(13) Period of a periodic quantity means the smallest increment of time for which the function repeats itself.

(14) Periodic quantity means oscillating quantity, the values of which recur for equal increments of time.

(15) Person means a person, firm, association, copartnership, joint venture, corporation, or any entity, public or private in nature.

(16) Property plane means an imaginary line along the ground surface, and its vertical extension, which separates the real property owned by one person from that owned by another person, but not including intra-building real property divisions.

(17) Sound level measurement. For the purpose of enforcement of the provisions of this Chapter, sound level or noise level shall be measured in decibels on the A-weighted scale with a sound level meter satisfying at least the applicable requirements for Type 1 or Type 2 sound level meters as defined in the most recent American National Standard Specifications. The meter shall be set for slow response speed, except that for impulse noises or rapidly varying sound levels, fast response speed may be used. For outside measurements the microphone shall not be less than four feet above the ground, at least 4½ feet distant from walls and similar large reflecting surfaces, and shall be protected from the effects of wind noises and other extraneous sounds by the use of screens, shields or other appropriate devices; for inside measurements, the microphone shall be at least three feet distant from any wall, and the average measurement of at least three microphone positions throughout the room shall be determined.

(18) Zone means the designation given to property in Title XII of the Yuba County Ordinance Code.

(Prior Code, § 8.20.120; Ord. No. 1094)

Any sound level measurement made pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter shall be measured with a sound level meter using the "A" weighting, as defined in Section 8.20.120(q).

(Prior Code, § 8.20.130; Ord. No. 1094)

Where the ambient noise level is less than designated in this Section, the respective maximum noise level permitted in this Section shall govern.

Sound Level A - in decibels

(Prior Code, § 8.20.140; Ord. No. 1094)