Following is a letter from a concerned El Sobrante citizen to Dist. 1 Supervisor John Gioia
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We appreciate your response Mr. Gioia. It sounds very involved and complicated.
I don't know about the County Planning and Building office or to what degree
they are committed on this issue but I do know that the Sheriffs Office is well
aware of their ability or inability to enforce a none existant Loud Music Noise
Ordinance when folks call in a complaint. We, the residents of El Sobrante ,
have been enduring and reporting this problem for years and it seems like it's
just now gonna possibly be addressed and thrown into the hopper.
I really don't know what strategies are involved when addressing a demand for
a working Noise Ordinance. - A resident calls the Sheiff to report a Loud Noise
complaint. The Sheriff responds and directs and warns the source of the Loud
Noise that they are in violation of the County Noise Ordinance and subject to
a fine if they don't cease their inconsiderate action.
The problem is there is No County Loud Music or Late Night Loud Noise Ordinance
in place so all the officer can do is ask the source of the Loud Music or Noise
to please turn down the volume to which the respoinse is " Ya, right. No
problem." and continue with their partying and loud music after the officer
leaves. This is according to the last Sheriff officer I spoke with,
I know that I have mentioned this previously. There is a Noise Ordinance for
Contra Costa County but it applies to Loud machinery, loud animals and airplanes
all of which miss the mark for giving teeth to our Law Enforcement when we call
in about Loud Music or late night loud partying.
If there are existing laws, as you say, to support an officer when responding
to a noise complaints please share that with them because to my knowledge, and
from what I have been told by responding officers, the violators know they aren't
violating any county noise ordinances or laws and therfore cannot be forced
to stop what they are doing.
I'm not very mobile right now but I hope to be at the next MAC meeting to observe
and comment on this issue.
Mr.Gioia, we are way overdo on this issue. I understand that something is being
done about a new General Plan for Contra Costa County. It should not be difficult
to ad language to the new or existing CCCounty Noise Ordinance that would include
a Noise Ordinance that would protect a residents right to enjoy the peace, quiet,
and comfort of their home or neighborhood free from any unreasonably loud, disturbing
or unnecessary noises.
Thank you
[Name deleted]
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Mr. [Name deleted]
We are scheduling a presentation at the next ESMAC meeting about solutions to noise issues, including a noise ordinance. We will have the Sheriff’s Office and County Planning and Building. A noise ordinance is one tool, among others, to address noise issues. There are strategies to address noise issues currently, even without a noise ordinance. We will discuss those at the ESMAC meeting. We are working to address existing noise issues through the building department and sheriff’s office.
Any noise ordinance by the County would apply to all unincorporated areas – from El Sobrante to Kensington to Northh Richmond to Alamo to Baypoint, etc. Support of a majority of the Board of Supervisors (3 votes out of 5) is needed to pass such an ordinance. The MACs of other unincorporated areas have varying opinions on this and the issue would need to go through MACs in other areas of the county as well.
In the meantime, we are focused on addressing noise issues under existing law. Thank you for sending the Antioch Noise Ord. We are familiar with it and some other city noise ordinances as well.
John Gioia
Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors
11780 San Pablo Ave., Suite D
El Cerrito, CA 94530
Website: www.cocobos.org/gioia
Facebook: www.facebook.com/johngioia1958
Twitter: @supejohngioia
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[Email addressed to Dist 1 Supervisor John Gioia and Gioia's Chief of Staff
Edgar Rosales regarding a noice ordinance for El Sobrante]
.What do we, the residents of El Sobrante, need to do to have a workable Noise Ordinance implemented ? The language is available for all interested parties to see and review and comment on.
You've stated that you are aware of the El Sobrante demand for a Noise Ordinance so the demand is nothing new. Has the Supervisors office developed any Noise Ordinance language for the new General Plan ?
I wrote to John Gioai on this issue and he responded and referred me to you and now you've told me that you've passed this along to Supervisor John Gioia. Kinda like a hot potatoe .....Just sayin
Edgar, I've never heard of the county Conversation and Development Department. I think you meant the County Conservation and Development Department. in any case you state that the issue or demand for a working Noise Ordinance can be presented to them, the conservation and development folks at the next MAC meeting in July for the possibility of creating a Noise Ordinance in the General Plan. I don't care much for the term "Possibility" but it is what it is.
Edgar, I have to ask you what Noise Ordinance language do you have to propose to the Conservation and Deveolpment Department at the next MAC meeting ?
I'm sorry but this doesn't sound like the easiest or quickest way to get an enforceable policy in place or in the new General Plan. The easiest and quickest way would be for John Gioia, the Supervisor for our district, (District 1) to call the folks at the Conservation and Development Department and direct them to ad the language being used by Antioch to address noise complaints into a new General Plan.
I don't know to what degree the Supervisors office has communicated with others on this issue but if this is something you folks have been aware of then there must be some language and agreemenst with other departments to move forward. Is there ?
Like I said the language, coutesy of the City of Antioch, for a new Noise Ordinance is there for all to see, review. and comment on before the July MAC meeting.
CURRENT ANTIOCH NOISE ORDINANCE
5-17.01 DISTURBING THE PEACE PROHIBITED.
No person shall disturb the peace, quiet, and comfort of the community or any
neighborhood therein by creating therein any unreasonably loud or disturbing
or unnecessary noises.
('66 Code, § 5-17.01) (Ord. 583-C-S, passed 7-10-84)
Penalty, see §§ 1-2.01 et
seq.
5-17.02 DISTURBING NOISES DESIGNATED.
(A) The following noises, among others, are declared to be disturbing to the
peace, quiet, and comfort of that portion of the community or neighborhood wherein
they are created and in violation of § 5-17.01 of
this chapter.
(B) Such enumeration shall not be deemed or construed as in any degree exclusive,
but merely illustrative, it being the intent and purpose of this chapter to
include and prohibit all noises of the kind described in said §
5-17.01:
(1) The sounding of any horn, signal, or noise device on any automobile, motorcycle,
bus, truck, or other vehicle in any other manner or for any other purpose than
required by the California Vehicle Code or other laws of the state, and the
exhaust system of all such vehicles shall be so equipped or constructed as to
prevent any unreasonably loud, disturbing, or unnecessary noise;
(2) Racing the engine of any motor vehicle (while such vehicle is not in motion),
except when necessary to do so in the course of repairing, adjusting, or testing
such vehicle;
(3) The playing or operating of any radio, stereo, cassette deck, phonograph,
orchestra, or other musical device or instrument in a loud or disturbing manner,
whether from a vehicle or otherwise; and
(4) Prolonging or continuing a necessary noise beyond the period necessitating
it. Intentional loud noises or music shall cease at 9PM.
('66 Code, § 5-17.02) (Ord. 583-C-S, passed 7-10-84)
5-17.03 LOUDSPEAKERS AND SOUND AMPLIFIERS.
No person shall operate any loudspeaker or sound amplifier or device in such
a manner as to cause any sound to be projected outside of any building or vehicle
in any part of the city, except during public events or in the dissemination
of matters of interest to the general public, and then only upon a permit from
the Chief of Police.
('66 Code, § 5-17.03) (Ord. 583-C-S, passed 7-10-84)
Penalty, see §§ 1-2.01 et
seq.
* On 06/15/2023 1:24 PM PDT Edgar J. Rosales <edgar.rosales@bos.cccounty.us> wrote:
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