Prince Edward County has updated the municipal noise bylaw.
During Tuesday’s council meeting, the noise bylaw was a major topic of discussion. New amendments were proposed to modernize and improve the bylaw going forward.
One of the changes proposed to council was to allow municipal staff to process requests for fee exemptions on noise permits. Previously these requests had to go before council to be decided upon.
Another change was to make it a violation of the bylaw to permit a violation to occur on a resident or business’ land. This change was to make operators of businesses liable for misbehaving tourists in short term accommodations, which were identified as a problem. Previously only the person making the noise was liable, and fines to tourists who would leave the community soon after weren’t working as a deterrent.
The new bylaw has no change in noise levels or enforcement.
Part of the motion also included direction to municipal staff to work together with “Good Neighbours Together,” a group of county residents, to find additional improvements that could be made to the bylaw.
Councillor Phil St-Jean put a motion on the floor to remove that clause, saying that it was too late in the term for municipal staff to complete a report like that and report back to council.
“I’m questioning whether this is even anything council needs to be dealing with,” said Councillor St-Jean. “There’s nothing stopping anybody from forming a friends group or a group like yours to raise issues in the community.”
The amendment passed, and the main motion was then passed as amended.
