The City of Grand Forks noise bylaw will stay as is—for now.
At Monday night’s regular meeting, city council defeated fourth and final reading of the amendment to Bylaw #1963-A1, an amendment that would allow industrial operations to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“Industry will be required to work with the city to limit noise that disturbs the community during evening and graveyard shifts,” the amendment reads.
That’s not good enough, council decided. By a unanimous decision of mayor and council (Coun. Cher Wyers was absent), the amendment is going back to staff for more information. “I can’t support this,” Coun. Neil Krog said in opening the discussion. “I don’t believe there’s enough resources or structure to this.”
Defining acceptable decibel levels is one way to do that, council agreed.
After some discussion on process—it’s rare a bylaw is defeated at fourth reading, Mayor Taylor admitted—staff confirmed that the amendment will be re-introduced to council with updated wording at a future Committee of the Whole meeting. It then rests for two weeks, and will be given three readings at a regular meeting. The amendment receives fourth and final reading at the next regular meeting thereafter.