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Police Depar"tmen"t 150 East Third Street Hastings, MN 55033 Police Chief: Mike McMenamy Non-Emergency: 437-4126 Emergency: 911 Noise Ordinance Enforcement Members of the Hastings City Council as well as the Hastings Poiice Department have received numerous calls regarding concems about noise disturbances in the City of Hastings. A primary concern is the vehicle noise disturbance from vehicles with bass amplifiers that emit a loud bass boom box noise while the vehicles are traveling our iocal streets. aH<>weet\ Safet~ Hastings Police Department would like to remind all citizens of some Halloween safety tips for upcoming Halloween events: ~ Door to door trick-or-treating should always be done in ~ the early evening hours. Because of the numerous complaints to City Council members and the Police Department, the Hastings City Council Public Safety Committee has discussed adopting an ordinance prohibiting this type of noise problem. After review of our current ordinances already in place, it was found that we currently have two Hastings City Ordinances that deal with vehicle noise issues and concerns. Ordinance 9.27 deals with disorderty conduct; Sections 7, 8 and 9 of this ordinance all deal with vehicle noise such as spinning of tires, racing of motors or the production of any unnecessary noise within a vehicle. City Ordinance 9.55, Public Nuisance, also covers vehicle noise problems; Section 1 states, "by maintaining or permitting a condition which unreasonably annoys, injures or endangers the safety, comfort or repose of any member or members of the public is a violation of this ordinance." Calls received by Council members as well as the Police Department concerning vehi.cle noise amplified with bass is an issue that will be dealt with. Hastings Police Department is going to advise all citizens that this department will begin active enforcement of this type of violation. Officers will be stopping vehicles when this noise type of problem is observed. The first stop will result in a driver being given a written warning, which will provide a documented record for the police department's computer system. If there are future contacts with the same driver and vehicle for a simiiar type of offense, a violation summons may be issued to the driver for the ordinance violation. The violations summons does not go on a person's driving record as a traffic ticket would, but will require the person receiving the summons to go to court and speak to a judge concerning the ordinance violation. "'" Hastings Police Department ~ ~ encourages all citizens to be t. ~informed of this ordinance, and to - ~~ work together with your family members to help deal with this Page 6 problem. Fall 2002 ~. I Children should always have a friend or somebody to . /c<.' accompany them, and small children should be accompanied by a parent or adult. ..1M Children should only trick-or-treat in their own ~ neighborhood, in areas that they are familiar with. ~ When walking, always stay on the side of the street. ..1M Use resident's driveways or sidewalks to walk up to the ~ door and try to stay off the homeowner's grass. ~'I Homeowners are encouraged to have as many lights - "., .1'" on as possible in driveways and entryways of residences - IZ to welcome the trick-or-treaters to their door. ..1M People driving vehicles should be especially aware of ~ children on foot In the area during Halloween evening. and should drive slowly and cautiously through residential street areas. ~. - II Children are encouraged not to eat their candy untii they "c:<:' are back at their residence and a parent or adult can go through the candy to make sure that nothing appears to have been tampered with. Hastings Youth Recycling Project Spotlights Girl Scout Troop #1584 as the Third Youth Green Team Members of Girl Scout Troop #1584 are helping to educate the community about the Youth Recycling Drop-Off Collection Box for cardboard and mixed paper. Residents, small businesses, and churches are encouraged to drop-off their ciean cardboard, magazines, catalogues, phone books, boxboard, newspapers, and junk mail in the large green recycling coliection box located In the parking lot at Terry's Ace Hardware Store, 375 West 33" Street. The Girl Scouts earn $15/ton for every ton of cardboard and mixed paper dropped off in the collection box. Funds earned will be used to support Girl Scout Troop 1584 badge activities. The learn and Earn Youth Recycling Project is co-sponsored by the City of Hastings and Waste Management. Since the program began earlier this year, Youth Green Teams have recycled 47 tons of mixed paper and earned $705 for their organizations. For more information and to receive a Youth Recycling Green Team application, contact Marty McNamara, City Parks and Recreation Department, at 437-5858.