City of La Salle votes to amend noise ordinance

The city of La Salle will issue eight special-event noise-exemption permits each fiscal year after the City Council approved of amending its noise pollution ordinance during Monday’s meeting.

The council voted 6-1 in favor of the amendment. Alderman T. “Boo” Herndon was in opposition, and Alderman Joe Jeppson was not present. Although Mayor Jeff Grove’s vote wasn’t required, he also voted in favor of the ordinance.

The council discussed the ordinance during its May 27 meeting, ultimately choosing to have the amended ordinance written and approved during Monday’s meeting.

City Attorney James McPhedran said the ordinance now will state that there shall be no more than eight special-event noise-exemption permits issued for any specific location within the city in any one fiscal year.

The city of La Salle’s fiscal year runs from May 1 to April 30.

However, the council agreed that any special-event permits approved before the adoption of the new ordinance would not count toward any specific locations’ total, meaning everyone gets a clean slate.

Hendon said he voted against the amendment because the city needs consistency in regulating all locations.

During public comment, resident Julie Ator voiced her concerns about the La Salle Speedway. Her home is near the racetrack.

“Last weekend, when they ran, they ran Friday night, they had the lights, and he was watering the track until 2:30 a.m.,” she said. “The band did not stop until 12:30 a.m. … We did call the police. They said there was nothing they could do.”

Ator said the track also had its lights on until at least 1 a.m. Saturday, and the drivers there raced until about 1 a.m.

“Those lights are extremely bright,” she said. “The racetrack shakes our whole entire house. ... I don’t think it’s fair that we should have to have our windows rattle until 2:30 in the morning.”

Grove said he took full responsibility for the Speedway. He spoke with the owners, who informed him that they ran late because they had overwatered the track and needed to let it dry.

“I told them that’s not an excuse,” he said. “You have to stop it moving forward.”

The La Salle Speedway requested eight special-event permits Monday to allow the extension of outdoor music until 11 p.m. and to increase the allowed decibel reading. The council only approved six of the requests.

The council did not vote on two of the requests – for Aug. 17 and Sept. 3 – with the understanding that Director of Public Relations and Community Development Brent Bader would reach out to the Speedway to ask whether officials would be willing to adjust the times or reschedule the events for a weekend.

The Speedway can adjust the request or readmit the same request for council approval at a later date.

Ator said she was satisfied with the council’s decision because she was “really worried” about the weekday events.

If the Speedway readmits the two requests and they’re approved, the Speedway will not be allowed any more for the remainder of the fiscal year under the amended ordinance.