10/17/16 — Public may sound off about noise rule

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Public may sound off about noise rule

By Steve Herring
Published in News on October 17, 2016 11:05 AM

Wayne County residents Tuesday morning will have the opportunity to make some noise over proposed changes to a proposed county ordinance.

The county seeks to replace its current vague, three-paragraph and basically unenforceable ordinance with one that includes civil citations and fines for violators.

A public hearing will be held before Wayne County commissioners at 9:30 a.m. in their meeting room on the fourth floor of the Wayne County Courthouse Annex.

The public hearing is one of two listed on the agenda.

The second is on an industrial incentive of $38,490 paid over a five-year period to Alta Foods that is planning a $2.550 million expansion that will add at least five new jobs with an average weekly salary of $519.20.

It, too, is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. and will be held prior to the public hearing on the noise ordinance.

The meeting will begin with an 8 a.m. agenda briefing followed by the formal session at 9 a.m.

The noise ordinance would apply only to areas outside the city limits of any of the county's municipalities and would be enforced by the Sheriff's Office.

Fines ranged from $50 for the first citation to $100 for the second citation within a year of the first citation, and $250 for the third citation within a year of the second one.

All subsequent violations would be $500.

Gunfire gets an exception in the proposal, but loud, unruly birds or animals do not, nor do loud radios or televisions.

In a compromise move, farmers will be able to use noise-producing crop protection devices between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

But the use of the devices is prohibited within 500 feet of a residential structure, church, school or day care.

The devices also must be pointed in a direction away from structures.

Sports fans whooping it up at an athletic event are excluded, but it would be unlawful for any person to use "loud language to curse, swear, or make vulgar, or racial remarks in a violent or offensive manner while attending" those events.

During an Oct. 4 work session commission Chairman Joe Daughtery said that the proposal is the outgrowth of a working group that is reviewing some of the county's ordinances -- some of which date back to the 1970s and are unenforceable as written.

The grant being considered for Alta Foods falls under a program adopted by the county adopted in August of 2015.

Located at 701 S. John St., the company makes corn and flour tortilla products.

If approved, Alta would receive $7,698 per year over a five-year period.

Only tax money paid in by a company is used for the grant it receives.

The company pays its property taxes, and the county in turn refunds a portion of those taxes to the company dependent on the company completing its project within two years once under way and creating the promised number of jobs and investment.

If the company fails to meet the promised number of jobs, the county may reduce the payment amount of the grant by 5 percent of the county's current average wage for every job shortfall.

In other business Tuesday:

* Sheriff Larry Pierce and Office of Emergency Services Director Mel Powers will update commissioners on conditions following Hurricane Matthew.

* Commissioners will be asked to approve a proclamation for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Wayne County.

* The board will consider a motion to name a new service road beginning at Hare Road. Names suggested during an Oct. 4 public hearing are A.B. Barnes Road and N.J. Daw Road. Several months ago commissioners settled a similar road-naming issue by pulling the name from a hat.

* A work session will be held to discuss proposed minimum housing standards for the county,

Consent agenda items include an application for a Disabled Veteran Exclusion; an amendment to the personnel policy; and budget amendments.

The public comments portion of the meeting will start at 9:15 a.m. Speakers have four minutes to make their comments.