Chapter 8.15
OFFENSES AGAINST PEACE AND QUIET Revised 4/24
Sections:
8.15.050 Prohibition of noises disturbing the public peace. Revised 4/24
8.15.010 Definitions.
(a) Disorderly Conduct. A person commits disorderly conduct if he or she intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly:
(1) Makes a coarse and obviously offensive utterance, gesture, or display in a public place and the utterance, gesture, or display tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace;
(2) Makes unreasonable noise in a public place or near a private residence that he has no right to occupy;
(3) Fights with another in a public place except in an amateur or professional contest of athletic skill;
(4) Not being a peace officer, discharges a firearm in a public place except when engaged in lawful target practice or hunting; or
(5) Not being a peace officer, displays a deadly weapon, displays any article used or fashioned in a manner to cause a person to reasonably believe that the article is a deadly weapon, or represents verbally or otherwise that he or she is armed with a deadly weapon in a public place in a manner calculated to alarm.
(b) Disorderly House. A “disorderly house” shall include but not be limited to a residential structure in which acts of disorderly conduct as defined in subsection (a) of this section occur or as follows:
In a public or private place, engages in violent, abusive, indecent, profane, boisterous, unreasonably loud or otherwise disorderly conduct under circumstances in which such conduct tends to cause or provoke a disturbance; or with intent to annoy another, makes a telephone call, whether or not conversation ensues. A “disorderly house” includes the keeping of any dwelling, boardinghouse, rooming house or other residential property in violation of any provision of this chapter, including any violation of maximum occupancy limitations imposed by the town or any condition of approval of the use of property imposed by action of the town. A “disorderly house” shall also include keeping any such property in a condition or manner which generates law enforcement calls disproportionate to other properties in the neighborhood or which negatively affects neighboring properties and/or residents, whether by continuous or excessive noise or by maintenance of the property in an unsightly or unwholesome manner, noxious or offensive to others or injurious to public health. For purposes of enforcement of this section, the person responsible for the maintenance of a disorderly house may be the owner of the property, lessee, sublessee, tenant, occupant or renter, jointly or severally. [Ord. 729, 2009. Code 1999 § 10-3-1].
8.15.020 Violations.
Whoever does any of the following within the limits of the town of Granby shall be subject to a fine of not more than $500.00. [Ord. 729, 2009. Code 1999 § 10-3-2].
8.15.030 Disorderly houses.
No person shall keep, or aid or assist in keeping, or be an inmate of any disorderly house. [Ord. 729, 2009. Code 1999 § 10-3-3].
8.15.040 Disorderly conduct.
It shall be unlawful for any person to commit disorderly conduct on any public street, alley, sidewalk, right-of-way, park, parking lot, other public property, or on any private property or residence. [Ord. 729, 2009. Code 1999 § 10-3-4].
8.15.050 Prohibition of noises disturbing the public peace. Revised 4/24
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to make or assist in making any noise tending to unreasonably disturb the peace and quiet of persons in the vicinity thereof unless the making and continuing of the same cannot be prevented and is necessary for the protection or preservation of property or of the health, safety, life or limb of some person. In applying the provisions of this section, the following noise levels shall create a presumption that the noise unreasonably disturbs the peace and quiet of persons in the vicinity thereof between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.:
|
Zone Type: |
|
|---|---|
|
Residential |
90 dB(A) |
|
Commercial |
90 dB(A) |
The noise level shall be measured at a distance of three feet from the source of the noise or at the property line of adjacent property, whichever is closer to the source of the noise, using the A scale on a sound level meter of standard design and quality and having characteristics established by the American National Standards Institute.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, or other entity occupying or having charge of any building or premises, or any part thereof, to cause, suffer or allow any loud, excessive or unusual noise in the operation or use of any radio, stereo or other mechanical or electrical device, instrument or machine, which loud, excessive or unusual noise tends to unreasonably disturb the comfort, quiet or repose of persons therein or in the vicinity or can be heard outside the premises from 75 or more feet from the public right-of-way adjacent to such building or premises.
(c) It shall be unlawful for a person to operate or permit the operation of any sound amplification system in or on any motor vehicle which can be heard outside the vehicle from 75 or more feet when the vehicle is operated or located on a public right-of-way, unless such system is being operated to request assistance or warn of a hazardous situation. This subsection shall not apply to authorized emergency vehicles.
(d) It shall be unlawful for a person to use a motor vehicle or permit the use of a motor vehicle which (1) is not at all times equipped with a muffler and exhaust system which is in constant operation and good working order, or (2) is equipped with an exhaust system which has been modified so as to amplify or increase the noise of such vehicle above that emitted by the exhaust system originally installed on the vehicle.
(e) It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, or other entity to park or leave standing for more than two hours in any commercially or industrially zoned area within the limits of the town of Granby a vehicle containing livestock or live fowl. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, or other entity to park or leave standing in any residentially zoned area of the town a vehicle containing livestock or live fowl. [Ord. 986 § 2 (Exh. A), 2023; Ord. 819 § 1, 2014; Ord. 729, 2009. Code 1999 § 10-3-5].
8.15.060 Idling of motor vehicles.
(a) No person shall allow a motor vehicle to idle within the town of Granby for more than 20 minutes in any one-hour period.
(b) The idling restriction in subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to:
(1) Emergency vehicles.
(2) Vehicles actively engaged in traffic control operations. [Ord. 818 § 1, 2014].