First Posted: 5/30/2013

The state’s Liquor Control Board will take testimony regarding Pittston City’s new noise ordinance Monday morning.

Council recently passed a noise ordiance for the entire city, which includes the downtown business district.

The state police’s Liquor Control Enforcement bureau normally fields complaints and issues citations for bars in violation of the state’s strick code.

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The ordinance, which must be signed off by the LCB, brings noise enforcement complaints and violations to the city police and code enforement bureaus.

A public hearing is set for 11 a.m. Monday at Cooper’s Seafood on Kennedy Boulevard, said City Solicitor Sam Falcone.

He said an LCB representative will take testimony and report back to the full LCB and those members will vote on the change.

Former Mayor Mike Lombardo said an effective noise ordinance was always missing from city regulations, and City Manager Joe Moskovitz added that the new responsibilities will provide greater noise violation response capabilities.

The ordinance stipulations covers the entire city and regulates car horns and alarms, radios and music players, yelling, shouting and whistling, animals and pets, drums and musical instruments and trash packers.

Demolition and construction noise is permitted from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, except in an emergency. Other exemptions include parades, city vehicles operating on city business, excavations and repair of bridges, streets or highways at night when the work is unable to be performed during the day, school sports events and cheering, reasonable use of public address or loud speakers, fireworks under permit by the city and snow removal.

Anyone found in violation faces up to a $300 fine, court costs, and/or 30 days in jail.

Falcone said the city and the state have a different standard when it comes to loud noise or music coming from a bar.

Under the LBC’s regulations, if there is any amplified sound heard outside the premises, the bar is in violation. But the city ordinance gives police and code officers more discretion.

“We wanted to use the same reasonable standard that we use in the neighborhoods for the licensed establishments downtown,” Falcone said.

He said the downtown business district goes from the Red Mill on South Main Street to Parente’s restaurant on North Main Street. Kennedy Boulevard, the home of Cooper’s, is also part of the district.

Falcone said city officials want to help businesses succeed downtown.

“It’s a contiuation of city’s goal to create an appropriate downtown atmosphere and to create an area to allow businesses to prosper and thrive.”

He said similar measures are being used throughtout the state in “progressive, urban areas.”

Falcone said the LCB officials will prepare a report and the full board could vote on it sometime this summer.