§ 9.36.020. Definitions.

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise clearly indicates, the words and phrases used in this chapter are defined as follows:

A.

"Ambient base noise level" means reasonable and representative ambient noise levels in various land use categories in the city and at various times as established by the city's community noise study, prepared by Brown-Buntin Associates in September, 1981.

B.

"Ambient noise level" means the all-encompassing noise associated with a given environment, usually being a composite of sounds with many sources excluding the alleged offensive noise at the location and approximate time at which a comparison with the alleged offensive noise is to be made.

C.

"Commercial purpose" means and includes the use, operation or maintenance of any sound amplifying equipment for the purpose of advertising any business, or any goods, or any services, or for the purpose of attracting the attention of the public to, or advertising for, or soliciting patronage or customers to or for any performance, show, entertainment, exhibition or event, or for the purpose of demonstrating any such sound equipment.

D.

"Decibel (dB)" means a unit of level which denotes the ratio between two quantities which are proportional to power; the number of decibels corresponding to the ratio of two amounts of power is ten times the logarithm to the base ten of this ratio.

E.

"Emergency work" means work made necessary to restore property to a safe condition following a public calamity or work required to protect persons or property from an imminent exposure to danger.

F.

"Motor vehicles" includes, but is not limited to, off-road vehicles, mini-bikes and go-carts.

G.

"Noise level" means the "A" weighted sound pressure level in decibels obtained by using a sound level meter at slow response with a reference pressure of twenty micro-newtons per square meter. The unit of measure is the dB (A).

H.

"Noncommercial purpose" means the use, operation or maintenance of any sound amplifying equipment for other than a commercial purpose. Noncommercial purpose means and includes, but shall not be limited to, philanthropic, political, patriotic and charitable purposes.

I.

"Person" means a person, firm, association, copartnership, joint venture, corporation, or any entity, public or private in nature.

J.

"Sound amplifying equipment" means any machine or device for the amplification of the human voice, music or any other sound. Sound amplifying equipment shall not include standard automobile radios when used and heard only by the occupants of the vehicle in which the automobile radio is installed. Sound amplifying equipment, as used in this chapter, shall not include small hand radios, burglar alarms installed for commercial or residential use, warning devices on authorized emergency vehicles, or horns or other warning devices on any vehicle used only for traffic safety purposes.

K.

"Sound level meter" means an instrument meeting American National Standard Institute's Standard S1.4-1971 for type 1 or type 2 second level meters or an instrument and the associated recording and analyzing equipment which will provide equivalent data.

L.

"Sound pressure level" in decibels, of a sound means twenty times the logarithm to the base ten of the ratio of the pressure of this sound to the reference pressure, which reference pressure shall be explicitly stated.

M.

"Sound truck" means any motor vehicle, or any other vehicle regardless of motive power, whether in motion or stationary, having mounted thereon, or attached thereto, any sound amplifying equipment.

(Ord. 837 §2 (part), 1986).