City politicians have temporarily silenced a recommendation to re-introduce escalating fines for outdoor concerts that break London’s noise bylaw.
During a meeting of the strategic priorities and policy committee on Monday, councillors voted 12-2 to refer the issue back to staff.
Staff had recommended not only hefty fines, but organizers of events like Rock the Park and Sunfest would also be at risk of losing the use of their venue if they repeatedly break the rules.
Ward 11 Coun. Stephen Turner argued the issue of escalating fines isn’t about being against fun.
“I think we need to be careful about framing this as kind of ‘anti-fun,'” said Turner. “The special events policy allows for an exception to the noise bylaw, it allows for volumes of up to 90 decibels, it allows for a series of other provisions.”
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Ward 13 Coun. Tanya Park, who represents the downtown, said she’s trying to find a balance for all her constituents.
“I’ve got folks that have been living in the downtown or the neighbourhoods surrounding it for 40 or more years, and I’ve also got new folks coming into the downtown that look at me and say ‘now what? I’m down here for all of the excitement and everything and I just want to know what happens next in Harris Park or Victoria Park and that sort of thing,’ so the position that I’m in, I’m trying to strike balance with what I’m doing.”
Councillors were told four of 34 events monitored by city officials broke the 90-decibel noise limit last year.