Residents urge stronger enforcement on loud modified exhausts and blight; staff cite statutory limits

Residents used the committee’s public‑comment period on June 2 to press the city for more active enforcement of noise and code issues in the historic district.

Melinda Henderson identified a rising problem with loud vehicle noise in the historic core and said she has gathered multiple letters from neighbors asking for action. Tracy Jones, who lives at 132 Circle Drive and is renovating a 125‑year‑old house, said the disruption has been severe enough that she and her husband may put the house on the market. "It's mostly from aftermarket mufflers," Jones said, describing repeated idling and revving that can last an hour and rattle windows. Her husband, Dwayne Jones, described a specific driver who has revved his engine near their home after being asked to stop.

Bill Brock, a resident on 12th Street, asked the committee to investigate apparent commercial or transfer activity at a single‑family house on 11th Street where a rotating set of SUVs and a windowless panel van frequently appear; he said nearby vacant and neglected homes are hurting neighborhood values and asked whether zoning or code measures could address the situation.

Chief Sheffield and other staff told speakers that enforcement tools exist but are often complaint‑driven. The chief noted prior court reluctance to uphold certain modified‑exhaust tickets, which prompted the department to purchase decibel meters in the past; that approach introduced additional complications. "If we wrote everybody that came through... that had a modified exhaust... we would spend all of our time doing that," the chief said, while adding that modified‑exhaust citations have recently produced some enforcement traction. Staff encouraged residents to file complaints with the police to create a paper trail and said code enforcement (Mr. Strong) and the magistrate process are additional remedies for blight and abandoned properties.

Committee members and staff also described broader statutory constraints on local regulation. A member summarized recent state legislation limiting municipalities’ ability to tighten land‑development rules (noting changes tied to post‑storm rebuilding and broader preemption), and cautioned that some proactive code enforcement approaches can risk selective‑enforcement claims without uniformly applied standards.

Next steps: staff asked residents to file formal complaints with police and code enforcement so cases can be investigated. The committee asked staff to consider ordinance language that clarifies park hours and overnight presence and to continue using the magistrate and abatement tools available to address blight.