It’s official.
Grand Marais city councilors passed the second reading of a revised noise ordinance by a 4-1 vote July 8, making it legal for outdoor performers to play amplified music until midnight on weekends, and until 10 p.m. during the rest of the week.
The decision culminated a series of proposed changes to the prior ordinance, that did little to regulate the proliferation of late-night outdoor music. Council has been dealing with the issue since 2007, when some downtown businesses began promoting live outdoor music. Most of the complaints have been about excessive volume and were centered around two venues: The GunFlint Tavern, which hosts musical performances on its new rooftop deck, and the Birch Terrace, which has karaoke until 1 a.m. on weekends.
While some of those complaining asked for a limit to be placed on hours during which music was allowed, others sought enforcement with the use of a decibel meter. Council debated the merits of each solution during several meetings and two public hearings, and finally decided to go with an ordinance revision that set time limits. Cook County Sheriff Mark Falk endorsed that option as well, saying it would be easier to enforce.
Councilor Bill Lenz cast the lone no vote, saying he was not convinced any changes were necessary. He warned that the city would be “opening the door” to trouble, because the new ordinance sets no limits on volume until the cutoff times.
“Do we really even need to change this?” he asked, adding that most of the problems brought to the city’s attention in 2007 have already been corrected by the business owners themselves (there were no complaints in 2008).
Lenz lauded the cooperation between the business owners and residents in taking care of the conflicts, and said the new ordinance was simply not needed. “Going from some restrictions (on volume levels) to no restrictions is a bad move,” he said.
Other council members agreed that although the revised ordinance wasn’t perfect, it was a good place to start. If problems arise this summer, then the restrictions can be “tightened up,” said Councilor Tim Kennedy. In fact, council unanimously supported a suggestion by Councilor Jan Sivertson to re-evaluate the ordinance by holding a public hearing in the fall, as well as taking into account a noise complaint summary the sheriff said he would compile and submit to City Hall at the end of summer.
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