Prince Edward County Committee of the Whole approved of a new draft by-law to regulate noise in the county on Thursday.

Some features of the new noise by-law include: clearer language (a change brought on by recent noise by-law charter challenges); a restriction for indoor amplified noise; and procedures for a municipal by-law officer to utilize a decibel measuring app to help establish objective standards when deciding on enforcement action (though it would need to be corroborated by complainants if challenged in court).

When responding to a question by South Marysburgh Coun. John Hirsch regarding the consistency of afterhours noise enforcement by the OPP, Mike Kelly, supervisor of By-law Services, mentioned that OPP officers will use their own discretion and not use the decibel app due to practical and evidentiary considerations.

Listen to the CJPE story below: