County continues to consider possible noise ordinance

Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Putnam County Courthouse

Even with the uproar over a concert in Warren Township seemingly behind them, Putnam County officials are still looking to move forward on a possible noise ordinance.

During the July 12 meeting of the Putnam County Board of Zoning Appeals, a special exception to host the 2021 LIVEstock Music Festival at Willer Timber Ridge Angus Cattle Ranch was denied, with the chief concerns being the volume of the show and the fact that it went on until 4 a.m. in 2020.

Still, the Putnam County Commissioners have had County Attorney Jim Ensley looking into a noise ordinance within the county.

On Monday, Ensley explained to the Commissioners that such an ordinance would not necessarily be to prevent such events from happening, but rather to give the county a mechanism under which such matters could be approved and regulated.

The attorney said when tasked with drafting new ordinances, he often looks at what other counties around the state have done. In this case, though, Ensley said the approaches vary greatly and he would like to research the matter further.

Both Ensley and BZA member Lora Scott are curious about having a public meeting to seek input on such an ordinance.

What complicates the matter is enacting such regulations without restricting farmers from doing their businesses or saddling established businesses like Lincoln Park Speedway or Putnam Park Road Course with restrictions.

Ensley added that even some of the music festival’s vocal opponents have told him they are not in favor of a noise ordinance.

No action was taken, though Ensley will continue to move forward.

With the noise ordinance on the agenda, the discussion turned to the festival. Warren Township Trustee Karen Heavin told the commissioners that initially, many of her constituents simply wanted better policing of the concert, set for Sept. 17-19, such as limiting the decibels generated and setting hours of operation.

However, as the fight went on and concert organizers continued hosting monthly jam sessions, nearby residents wanted to shut the concert down, which they ultimately accomplished.

Heavin said she still believes LIVEstock will take place, despite the county restriction.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt that the event still will happen,” Heavin said. “I think depending on how time goes, a compromise still will be made.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, tickets were still available for sale on the LIVEstock website.

Heavin indicated that she doesn’t personally want further restrictions, though discussion and compromise are necessary on such matters.

“I sort of like the flexibility Putnam County offers our residents, but we’ve seen a resident totally take advantage of that,” Heavin said.

It is unclear what repercussions Willer Timber Ridge and festival founder Josh Willer will face if the concert takes place.

In other business:

• The Commissioners approved a request to host a fundraiser for the Putnam County Animal Care and Control Shelter on Saturday, Sept. 18.

Derek Traughber of T&D Forever Home Training made the request, noting that there will be a mini car show, bounce houses, local vendors and that 97.1 Hank FM will broadcast from the shelter.

Those in attendance will also have the chance to tour the shelter and see the dogs and cats available for adoption.

A rain date of Sunday, Sept. 19 was also set.

• The Commissioners approved a new lease on the courthouse mail machine, which is housed in the Auditor’s Office.

Auditor Kristina Alexander noted that the cost has gone up $50 a month from $376 to $426, but the county will be remaining with Quadient as the provider.

“We haven’t had any issues,” Alexander said.

The money has already been appropriated, so no approval was required of the Putnam County Council. The Commissioners, however, agreed to sign the contract.

Bridge 276

• County Highway Supervisor Mike Ricketts noted that the last bit of land acquisition for the Bridge 276 project has taken place.

The aging bridge carries County Road 400 West (Saddle Club Road) over CSX Railroad.

This portion not only requires acquisition, but also the installation of a culvert and temporary driveway for 3 Fat Labs Wedding Venue, owned by Bill and Tanya Mentgen.

Ricketts said work is set to begin on the federal aid project in March 2022, though there could be headaches once access to the road is closed from the north.

This is because Creek Road, the only access to the area from the south, often floods in the Oakalla Bridge area when Big Walnut Creek swells beyond its banks.

Ricketts also gave an update on some other projects, noting that crews working on Bridge 176 on Poland Road have run into some deep patching needs. He said they had been projected to finish the bridge early, but now will simply be on time, with a completion date still set in August.

Ricketts noted that his road surfacing crews have been rotating between doing chip and seal projects and grind and double chip and seal projects.

As for resurfacing being performed by Milestone Contractors, work is complete on both West Walnut Street Road and Cement Plant Road, with crews moving on to Broad Park Road and then Bainbridge-Roachdale Road.

Once all asphalt work is completed, a crew will stripe both West Walnut and Bainbridge-Roachdale.

• The Putnam County Drainage Board, which is composed of the three Commissioners with input from both Ricketts and Soil and Water Conservation District Director Sara Campfield, is set to meet on Monday, Aug. 2, following the Commissioners meeting.

The Commissioners meeting will take place at 9 a.m. on the first floor of the Putnam County Courthouse.

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  • Creating a noise ordinance is a step, enforcing is something else. Greencastle has a noise ordinance which is rarely (if ever) enforced. The State of Indiana has a Noise and Muffler Law that is never enforced. "Indiana has laws concerning the noises from the sound systems and mufflers of vehicles. Indiana requires that sound systems not be audible from more than 75 feet from the source if it is in a public place or on a public street. Mufflers are required on all vehicles when in a public place or on a public street." How many motorcycles are running straight pipes? We were enjoying a nice Saturday morning coffee on the porch recently and a Motorcycle came from Houck Road and then down Albin Pond , the thing was so loud we could hear it for 3- 5 minutes as it went east. This isn't uncommon. People up and down Houck Road and Albin Pond Rd. with the base turned so loud it shakes windows in homes. These laws and ordinances are on the books and should be enforced.

    -- Posted by Workingthesoil on Wed, Jul 21, 2021, at 5:53 PM
    Response by Jared Jernagan, Editor, Greencastle Banner-Graphic:
    You make an excellent point. The problem of enforcement was brought up during the meeting, though only briefly. I assume it will be something that will be addressed further as discussions continue. One thing I've learned in this job is certain laws are created with the knowledge that they will be difficult, if not impossible, to enforce in many cases.
  • Thanks for reporting on the remainder of the commissioner's meeting.

    -- Posted by Ben Dover on Wed, Jul 21, 2021, at 7:55 PM
  • The county attorney makes a good case to be careful before you leap into an ordinance that will have unintended consequences. Agriculture is a critical and essential industry in our county. Passing a noise ordinance that does not exempt the agriculture industry in this county will only cause an unnecessary additional layer of rules and regulations for our farmers.

    -- Posted by rawinger on Thu, Jul 22, 2021, at 4:34 AM
  • Why is music being confused with noise? Noise is 20 roaring cars racing into the night; music is an art created by gifted people to entertain their audience! Lighten up people, and enjoy the positive vibes!!

    -- Posted by ValHalla84 on Fri, Jul 23, 2021, at 11:13 AM
  • I love good music. I don’t even care if it’s loud enough to hear from my house. Just like I don’t care that I can hear Lincoln Park go on until past midnight every weekend.

    But when it’s 4am and y’all are still going on so loud that no one for 10 miles can sleep, that’s overdoing it. There’s freedom, and then there’s encroachment.

    -- Posted by techphcy on Sat, Jul 24, 2021, at 4:47 AM
  • A noise ordinance, with agricultural activities exempted, is a good idea. As attorney Mr. Ensley pointed out, it would give citizens and the county governing authorities guidelines to make decisions. Enforcement is a real issue, too. I came from a community that had a noise ordinance that was enforced because the city officials and the police took it seriously. Mufflers and loud sound systems were seldom heard. Once a violator receives a citation with a hefty fine, the word gets around that in that community it could get expensive to violate the noise ordinance and state laws.

    -- Posted by wilson624 on Sun, Jul 25, 2021, at 8:27 AM
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