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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMary Jo Carrico statement 7-1-19 Hello, I am Mary Jo Carrico. I live at 217 West Market Street across from the Big 4 Station. I have lived here for 15 years and many of my neighbors are long time residents. I am going to try to convey an accurate depiction of the quality of life in Rose Hill when our residents have no enforcement of the noise ordinance. Then I am going to inform what we want our Jeffersonville City Council to know to support the quality of life that we had until three years ago, before all the noise ruined our peace and quiet. Three years ago when AROTR came to Rose Hill it was dreadfully and painfully loud. As far as I know, no one from the City asked what our impressions were of the noise levels during the five days of concerts. However, the neighbors did not complain or disrupt the event. I did not say anything until the second spring when I personally talked to Gary who was the promoter. He was responsive and worked with us to turn down the volume and to keep it from reaching inside our homes. This year was the best one so far and Gary seems to be respectful towards us. Also three years ago, the Parlour Pizza business opened up and immediately began using outdoor speakers that blasted music until late in the night. It became very difficult for everyone in the neighborhood to watch television and to sleep without the Parlour music disturbing us. We called our complaints in to the police. The music always continued just as loud. We wondered why there was no consideration for us in enforcing the noise ordinance. Soon after one neighbor couple moved away because of the noise. We wanted to give the city the benefit of the doubt. We trusted that all the wrinkles of progress would be ironed out. We believed someone in our city government would be looking out for our quality of life. But I knew something wasn’t right. Three years ago I sent an email to all the council members and to the Mayor asking for help to reduce the noise levels of the music and the late hours it was playing. Because there was no response from city government, for the rest of that year and last year we decided to continue to call the police to document when our lives were disrupted and prayed for the best. Fast forward to this year. We have been experiencing more frequent loud noise issues causing undue stress to our daily lives. For instance, my next door neighbors who have two small children. For instance, my neighbors who can’t relax inside her own home after working all day. So I decided to figure out what is going on. We suffered through a perfect example as we were waiting to speak to you tonight. I have identified 3 separate noise ordinance problems. enforcement of the noise ordinance free speech nuisance issues and permitted events. First, enforcement. The noise ordinance says that no loudspeakers may be used after 7pm. That no noise may be heard disturbing a neighboring property after 7pm. That no noise at all may be heard after 11pm. Many problems will be solved when the residential noise ordinance is enforced for everyone: residents, businesses, and special events. No one should be given permission to blast their loudspeakers as loud and as late as 11pm in anyone’s neighborhood. This week the Parlour held their music bingo from 7 to 9pm in a way that for the first time their volume did not intrude on the neighbors! We applaud and appreciate their efforts to reach common ground. We welcome and enjoy many of the events at the park like Jeff Fest which are not excessively loud and end by the early evening. Now we need the city to support preserving our quality of life. The city sponsored exercise classes continue to blast their speakers too loud. Even visitors coming to Waterfront Wednesday remarked how annoying it was to hear the music and yelling of directions from the instructor over the speakers - speakers that are a block away from my house. They commented as such to me as they walked by to go to the stairs. Even though it was before 7pm, if it has to be that loud then take it somewhere else where they can be that loud without disturbing the neighbors. Considering that this disturbing loud noise is happening before 7pm, we need to enforce the ordinance or rethink the permits that the Parks department hands out. We must have the noise ordinance enforced out of respect for us, the residents. The second problem is what to do about groups or individuals who take free speech to the extreme using microphones and amplifiers. It was totally unacceptable on the day of the Pride Festival as members from the Sovereign King Church set up and for at least an hour spewed extremely hateful unchristian speech at very high volume all over the neighborhood using language to incite everyone within earshot. If the noise ordinance was enforced, and the Pride festival stage was not set up in a residential area, we the neighbors would not have suffered this out of control spectacle. The Jeffersonville noise ordinance clearly states that there is a general prohibition against noise that unreasonably annoys, disturbs and endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace, safety or welfare of any person or precludes their enjoyment of property. We may consider following the examples of other cities in developing nuisance, inciting and loitering rules to deter this practice. Madison has such ordinances but those kinds of free speech violations are found at their waterfront park where special events are assigned away from neighborhoods, not in a residential area like Rose Hill. We must find a way to curb this intrusion. Please discuss it with the authorities who have the knowledge to make good judgment in this area. I am sure we can do something to push back to protect everyone and let the disruptors know they will not be allowed to take advantage of free speech rights. Please give the police the tools to have some control of such public displays. The third problem with permitted events is very important. I have read the noise ordinances from both the cities of Louisville and Madison. They are actually very close to Jeffersonville’s ordinance. And they have been effective for many years with no plan to change them. Because there was no mention of permitted special events in their ordinances, I contacted the Special Events office of Louisville and the Mayor’s office of Madison to ask specifically about their respective special events policy. I described to them what transpired with the large loud stage at the Pride Festival in the Big 4 Station park as well as the church members with their microphones. They both stated that that would never be allowed, that it is too close to houses, and it is a residential area! As a matter of fact, complaints of excessive noise at any time of the day or night to the Louisville dispatch will trigger a call to send out an ATF inspector to gauge in real time if the ordinance is being violated and issue a citation - whether the event was permitted or not! Louisville and Madison enforce their noise ordinances to protect their residents. Why can’t Jeffersonville? Here is a recent example of someone who thinks her permit allows noise ordinance violation. Last Saturday, without notice, the Pride Festival set up a huge stage across the street from my house. I knew we were left to fend for ourselves again. On that day, after enduring the church members incite with loud disruption and more than 5 hours of nonstop high volume live music, the stage switched to filler music. Suddenly the volume was turned up even higher. Neighbors came out of their homes very angry. It was well after 9pm and in response to our anger I entered the park from the back mesh fence closest to my house to find the promoter and ask to please turn the volume down. When I reached her and asked, she answered “we have a permit!” I repeated it was too loud and the neighbors were angry and could not take it, and asked again to turn it down for the residents. And she refused! So I walked off angrily towards the stage area and the mesh fencing, going back to my home. I was followed by Evan Stone with the promoter’s security detail. I was told I had to be escorted out the front entrance. I told them “no” I am going out the way I came in and then they threatened to call the JPD to remove me! I was left in total disbelief as more neighbors came out angry about the volume. We had no recourse! I knew the police wouldn’t do anything so I didn’t bother to call. Mrs. Lee, a neighbor called the police and she was told the event had a permit until 11pm and no enforcement would be considered. It is our neighborhood! We are the residents! We are the ones paying taxes! The concert promoters are not paying taxes! We all who are affected by blasting loudspeakers are paying more taxes than any one business with the loudspeakers! I have two more observations about these noise problems. Jeffersonville is encouraging more residential housing surrounding the Big 4 Station, more people whose quality of life will be degraded by all of this loud noise. And, all of this unpleasant loud noise is not a good picture of Jeffersonville for our out of town guests. Guests who come here to spend money, or who might consider moving here. Tomorrow I am on the agenda for the Permit Board meeting and will be requesting their application stipulations be honored. It states all City of Jeffersonville ordinances will be followed. If there are no houses around the events they can be as loud as they want, so large loud events should be placed in more appropriate venues or not get a permit at all. I think we all agree to continue to work on making AROTR better. That event should be the only one like that allowed each year until it is time to negotiate for a new contract. That event lasts 5 days until midnight! That is enough! Why can’t we enjoy the quality of life protections just like residents in Louisville and in Madison? Shame on Jeffersonville for allowing promoters to be handed more rights than us the taxpaying residents! We want you to enforce the noise ordinance and do not waive it any more. I would like to answer any questions you may have, address any comments. But, more importantly, I respectfully request an immediate response to correct this wrong in the name of progress and prevent the tragedy resulting from discriminating against your own residents and ruining our quality of life.