Letter To The Editor: The Noise Ordinance Needs To Be Started Over

To the Editor:

On Monday 3/20/23 I wrote a letter to the RTM members expressing my concerns over the proposed noise ordinance changes, and I have pasted it below. I urge Fairfield citizens to pay attention and educate yourself on this proposal and speak up if you feel this goes too far. I would agree there are issues in town, but this is not the way to solve them by punishing everyone for a few bad apples! Let’s get this right and bring all stakeholders to the table before taking this any further at the RTM.

Dear RTM members,
First, thank you for your time and dedication to our town through your service on the RTM.

I write today in advance of your upcoming first read on the new proposed noise ordinance to ask that you pull this proposal and go back to the drawing board. I could go on about how many issues I see with this proposed amendment to the current ordinance, but the biggest issue I have is that it will certainly divide and not unite Fairfield neighbors. These changes seem to actively encourage people to call the police on their neighbors and not try to work out an issue first. I strongly feel that we should be doing everything we can to encourage Fairfield to remain a fun, safe and friendly place to live and raise a family and live in retirement.

I can understand why some changes may be wanted. However, this proposal is just terrible as written and there are so many potential consequences, which I hope are mostly just unintended or not well thought out yet. This is the reason I think this should be pulled and reworked before coming before the RTM. Below are just a handful of ramifications that come to my mind quickly and could have serious ripple effects:

• The decibel level change could literally keep people from having live bands or a DJ for parties, weddings and special occasions at venues across town including Burr Mansion, the pavilions at the beach, the Scandinavian club, just to mention a few. How can this be? I have to imagine many of you were able to enjoy these types of events here in town in the past and this proposal surely puts that in jeopardy.
• Not allowing garbage trucks to operate in the early dawn hours would mean that these trucks are roaming the streets doing pickups during school bus route times and while kids are walking to schools and waiting for buses which is a serious safety concern for me as a parent not to mention the additional traffic burden with garbage trucks and busses competing.
• How will the dumpsters at schools and commercial properties be emptied if they will not be allowed to be emptied before school hours and when businesses open? It just doesn't make sense or seem feasible. Was FPS and the BOE consulted on the potential impacts of this? Were businesses surveyed to see how many dumpsters are not accessible once parking lots are filled? I could go on.
• If I get home from work late in the summer and want to mow my lawn and use my leaf blower in the extended summer sunlight hours or do my yard work in the morning before work or weekend activities this could be difficult with the new proposed times and decibel levels. The current ordinance seems more than fair and I am a good neighbor and do not violate the current rules. Why should I and others be punished because of a few bad apples?
• How will non-profits and PTA's be able to host carnivals that sometimes provide the majority of their revenue for the year with these proposed changes? My kid's school is able to run the carnival and has for decades without issue but these proposed changes could have serious ramifications here.
• Right now people can have firework displays for special events or holidays. These changes could end this practice and that is just NOT right. Instead of killing all the fun, maybe we should rework the permit process for these types of loud displays to include reasonably specified end times, notification requirements for the neighborhoods surrounding, etc.
• Our police department does not need to be saddled with the exponential increase in call volume due to these changes. They are already busy protecting our town through special units and general patrol, and I don't think they have all this extra time once everyone starts calling in noise complaints that they will be forced to respond to and enforce. For those that say this will help the police department, I would like to see the proof and a statement of support from the FFPD leadership and Police Union if this is true because I highly doubt that is the case. I am pretty sure they have discretion through state statute that allows them to act in a public disturbance situation and they don't need a town ordinance to let them do their jobs.

While maybe well intended, this has so many ramifications that it should be taken off the table and evaluated. So many stakeholders need to be brought to the table before any action should even be discussed. There are issues with noise at times especially in certain areas of town, yes, but we should be working together to mitigate these and not make the answer a drastic change to the ordinance that could basically cause neighborly divide, an unnecessary increase in the police department's call load, and kills the fun vibe we enjoy in this town. Again, there are some areas in town with valid concerns that should be addressed on a case by case basis but this broad and overreaching change is not fair to the majority of us who follow the rules. The argument of "I didn't know this would be happening in my neighborhood" from people who have moved into town or moved within town is simply not fair or right. When you move into a home or neighborhood you need to research the history, location and what goes on and if you choose to move there then you need to make it work and live with it without wanting to call the cops on your neighbors. I just see a much different approach needing to be sought. I appreciate your time and hope you will consider these thoughts.

Best,
Nick Aysseh
Fairfield, CT