Police Jury tables noise ordinance
ST. FRANCISVILLE — The West Feliciana Parish Police Jury tabled a proposed noise ordinance Thursday stemming from a dispute between a professional motorcycle rider and his neighbors, who complained about excessive noise.
Anne Butler, who lives near the dirt bike track involved, said rider Morgan Moss has not lived up to the agreement he made when the prior Police Jury members thought they had reached a compromise in the dispute.
“I take credit or blame, depending on where you are, for writing this ordinance,” Assistant District Attorney Mike Hughes said, adding he believes the ordinance meets constitutional requirements and is enforceable.
“If you don’t think it’s a problem, then don’t vote on it,” Hughes told the jury, but suggested jurors listen to the audience members who had comments on the proposal.
Morgan said he recently conducted a riding school on his family’s property, part of the old Myrtles Plantation, as a community service, but he said he may have to use the money he earned for an attorney to fight the ordinance rather than donating it to a charity.
Several opponents said the ordinance would restrict them from teaching their children to ride motorcycles or shooting weapons on their property if their neighbors object, while others said the ordinance is too vague because it does not include decibel limits.
Butler said the motorcycle track infringes on the property rights of the people living near it, while Wakefield resident Randy Holden said the parish is experiencing “growing pains” and needs some type of noise ordinance.
Eleanor Beattie, who lives near the track, said people have the constitutional right to pursue tranquility and the ordinance should be adopted.
John Moss, father of Morgan Moss, said the ordinance is “purely subjective.”
Juror Lea Williams said the jury’s current ordinance “is quite quaint, but very restrictive,” noting that it prohibits, among other things, hawking goods on the streets, “hooting and singing” on the street to annoy others and blowing a steam whistle on a boiler.
Juror Mel Percy said the jury should slow down on enacting such an ordinance because of what he termed the vagueness of the measure, including an exemption for athletic events that might be construed to include the motorcycle riding.
Juror Heather Howell asked if the objection is whether the ordinance is vague or whether it would be enforceable. The track is in Howell’s district.