Section 8.68.010 Definitions and Standards.

For use in this chapter, unless otherwise expressly stated or the context clearly indicates a different intention, the following terms have the following meanings. Definitions of technical terms used in this chapter which are not herein defined shall be obtained from publications of acoustical terminology issued by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI):

2. “Emergency” means any occurrence or set of circumstances involving actual or imminent physical or psychological trauma or property damage which demands immediate action.

5. “Motor vehicle” means any motor-powered vehicle designed to carry at least one passenger or driver and of the type typically licensed for use on the public highways. (Note: “motor vehicle” includes most motorcycles.)

6. “Noise” means any sound which disturbs humans or which causes or tends to cause an adverse psychological or physiological effect on humans.

7.“Noise disturbance” means any sound which annoys or disturbs reasonable persons with normal sensitivities, or which injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, hearing, peace and safety of other persons.

8. “Plainly audible noise” means any noise for which the information content of that noise is unambiguously transferred to the listener, such as but not limited to, understanding of spoken speech, comprehension of whether a voice is raised or normal, or comprehension of musical rhythms.

9. “Powered model vehicle” means any self-propelled airborne, waterborne or landborne model plane, vessel or vehicle which is not designed to carry persons, including but not limited to, any model airplane, boat, car or rocket.

10. “Public right-of-way” means the traveled portion of any street or alley or similar place which is owned or controlled by the City or other governmental entity.

11. “Public loudspeakers.” Using or operating a loudspeaker or sound amplifying equipment in a fixed or movable position or mounted upon any vehicle in or upon any street, alley, sidewalk, park, place, or public property for the purpose of commercial advertising, giving instructions, directions, talks, addresses, lectures, or transmitting music to any persons or assemblages of persons in such a manner as to violate Section 6.68.030 or cause a noise disturbance unless a permit as provided by Section 6.68.060 is first obtained.

12. “Real property boundary” means an imaginary line along the ground surface and its vertical extension, which separates the real property owned by one person from that owned by another person, but not including intra-building real property division.

13. “Recreational vehicle” means any motor-powered vehicle designed to carry at least one passenger or driver and equipped for use in racing or other recreational events or uses off of public right-of-way on public or private property; except, however, for the purposes of this chapter, any such vehicle which is licensed for use on the public highways is deemed a “motor vehicle” (or “motorcycle” if two or three-wheeled) and not a “recreational vehicle.” (Examples of recreational vehicles are a snowmobile, a minibike, a stock car or motorboat.)

14. “Residential property” means any property on which is located a building or structure used wholly or partially for living or sleeping purposes.

15. “Sound” means an oscillation in pressure, particle displacement, particle velocity or other physical parameter, in a medium with internal forces that cause compression and rarefaction of that medium. The description of sound may include any characteristic of such sound, including duration, intensity and frequency.

16. “Sound equipment” means any radio, satellite radio, stereo, motor vehicle stereo, transmitter, receiver, record player, compact disc player, tape deck or player, television, musical instrument, loudspeaker, microphone, amplifier, sound track or other device for producing, reproducing transmitting or amplifying sound, except, however, “sound equipment” does not include

(b) equipment used by law enforcement and other public safety officials in the performance of their official duties,

(e) automobile and truck radios, tape decks or players or other such standard equipment used and intended for the use and enjoyment of the occupants provided that the sound emitted therefrom is not audible for more than fifty (50) feet from such automobile or truck. (Ord. 2007-0524)