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August 16,2010
Robin Poon
News Reporter
Last week, the City of Merritt council voted to delay amending the City’s anti-noise bylaw to forbid riding loud all-terrain vehicles.
The proposed amendment to Noise Abatement Bylaw No. 1866, 2004 read, “No All Terrain Vehicle, Trail Bike or Dirt Bike emitting sound of 96 dB (decibels) or greater will be operated within the City of Merritt.”
Coun. Dave Baker called the amendment “unworkable” and wondered how the City of Merritt would enforce the bylaw and monitor ATV use.
Acting chief administrative officer Joe Calenda said the City’s bylaw enforcement officer could measure volume levels using a decibel meter. However, Baker said it was unlikely the officer could respond to a noise complaint quickly enough to actually measure an ATV’s volume in operation.
Baker proposed delaying consideration of the amendment until next year. If ATV users watch their volume well enough, he said, it would be unnecessary to change the bylaw.
“We’ll have to go through another spring because that seems to be when there are issues.”
Baker and Coun. Shelley Sanders voted to table the amendment until May 1 while Couns. Mike Goetz and Alistair Murdoch voted against tabling.
Murdoch said the City should act immediately rather than waiting to see if ATV users keep the noise down on their own.
“We should put this in place…Put our bylaw enforcement officer to work.”
Mayor Susan Roline broke the tie in favour of delaying the amendment but said she voted that way only so that the amendment would not have to be rescinded later in case it is deemed unnecessary.
She added that the bylaw amendment could be discussed before May 1 if problems from ATV noise surface sooner than that.
