As complaints rise, Columbia Falls will take another look at noise ordinance
Live music is very popular is Columbia Falls, but it also raises the ire of some residents if it goes on too long at night.
Hungry Horse News
The Columbia Falls city council in the coming weeks will take another look at a city noise ordinance.
With more music venues on Nucleus Avenue, noise complaints have ratcheted up in the past year or so.
The city has had complaints from music at the Coop, the bowling alley and Gunsight Bar and Grill.
One neighbor of the bowling alley told council the bass is so loud at times that he has to take items off the shelves of his home’s walls or they’ll fall off.
The city has looked at a noise ordinance in the past, but settled on a simple section in its disorderly conduct law, which says a person is violating the law when they “make or causes to be made unreasonably loud uncustomary noise for that place and time.”
Police typically issue a warning, telling the business to turn to the music down, or they’ll be cited.
That recently happened at the bowling alley, where a private party was being excessively loud.
The bowling alley doesn’t actually have an outdoor venue like the Coop or Gunsight, but it’s very close to homes and apartment buildings.
Construction sites have also been in an issue, as crews sometimes will start work early in the morning and end later in the evening.
Mayor Don Barnhart formally requested a special committee look at the ordinance and come up with suggestions on how best to address the matter.
“Now is the time to do a ‘deep dive’ into the code and change as appropriate,” city manager Susan Nicosia said in her report to council.