Resident urges Cass County to consider permitting or ordinance after loud festival; sheriff and commissioners agree to review

Camille Grandandy addressed the Cass County Commission during public comment on June 15, urging the board to adopt reasonable standards for amplified outdoor music after a Memorial Day weekend festival at Wild Rice Bar and Grill that she said ran until 2:00 a.m. for three nights and was audible up to 4–5 miles away.

"I live about a half mile from the venue and could clearly hear the music through my walls of my home until 2:00 a.m. all three nights," Grandandy said, and she reported that residents filed dozens of complaints; a neighbor told her bar staff had said 64 noise complaints were filed during the weekend.

Sheriff John told commissioners the sheriff’s office was not notified in advance of the event, responded to multiple loud‑music complaints and that the unplanned event strained law‑enforcement resources. "We did respond to a number of loud music complaints...it did cause concern for us because we didn't know what was going on," he said, adding that the department plans to follow up with the bar owner.

Commissioners discussed options that could include licensing conditions, a permitting process for large outdoor events, or an ordinance limiting hours for amplified outdoor music in residential areas. Several commissioners cited local city ordinances (City of Fargo and West Fargo) that typically set earlier cutoff times and suggested staff and the state's attorney draft a proposal. The board asked staff (Taylor) and the state's attorney to prepare a report with suggested options and return to the commission at the October meeting so the county can consider an ordinance or permitting process before next Memorial Day.

Grandandy said she was not seeking to ban outdoor entertainment, but to find a reasonable balance between businesses and residential quality of life. The commission thanked her for bringing the issue to their attention.