City Commissioners to discuss sound enforcement Monday

City commissioners will discuss sound regulations and enforcement downtown Monday, May 6.

Sarasota Police Chief Bernadette DiPino and Sgt. Demetrios Konstantopoulos will present to City Commissioners in the afternoon session of the meeting that begins at 2:30 p.m.

City commissioners have directed police officials to increase enforcement of the city’s current noise regulations. DiPino and Konstantopoulos will present data on those efforts over the past few weeks. DiPino and Konstantopoulos will also present on what other communities are doing to regulate sound, available modern technology designed to measure sound decibel levels and educating the public/identifying an actual problem.

Monday’s update comes as commissioners grapple with how to regulate sound downtown and continue to seek “long-term” solutions to downtown noise issues. The topic has been at the center of a contentious discussion, with both sides speaking out at recent public meetings, including a March 4 City Commission meeting when more than 20 residents spoke, with about half supporting less-restrictive regulations and the other half wanting more regulations on sound levels downtown.

In other items, commissioners will:
• Consider a waiver of city fees for the annual Chalk Festival to be held Nov. 13 to 18, 2013.

• Discuss the possibility of working with the Sarasota County Commissioners to appoint a Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) committee to consider the extension of the CRA.