The agenda for the second council meeting in January was recently posted and it outlines some new proposals that council will be voting on. Two of these topics I have sufficient feeling about to justify actually typing something out.

1. New Business - C - Moving the City General Election Date: I think this is a fantastic idea. Greater voter turnout is in the best interest of everyone involved, and “election day” is in November for many people. This will however cause election campaigning for local office to happen at the same time as state and federal campaigning… but I think that's fine.
2. Ordinances - C - Noise: I think this is a dangerous ordinance. What's the definition of “unreasonable”? What is the definition of “unnecessary”? How loud is too loud? Whose subjective opinion will we use as the basis for measuring “disturbing” and “excessive” sound? Will it be the same person for every case? Who gets to choose that person? Effective or not, subjectivity must be used very carefully. I believe that, in this case, an objective measure is so easily achievable that subjectivity is not needed. Measuring loudness is easy with readily available equipment. The current decibel limitation is sufficient, just and equitable.

No official word yet on the latest with the red light cameras. One thing I've been told is that the issue regarding the State-mandated citizen advisory committee (which the city failed to correctly create) will be “fixed”. Another thing I've been told is that there is potential for the number of red light cameras in the city to go *down*, rather than up… and soon.

Update on Agenda Items - The council voted unanimously in favor of amending the noise ordinance. Second public reading will occur on February 23. The council voted 5-2 against amending the city's charter to move election day. The city attorney thinks the charter is worded in such a way to allow November elections without changing the charter.