Compromise Ahead On Noise Ordinance?

They're looking for middle ground in Fairhope when it comes to a controversial ordinance.

Mayor Tim Kant has vetoed the ordinance passed by the Fairhope City Council that would have limited the maximum daytime noise level to 65 decibels, about that of a normal conversation.

The council can try override the veto, but, there's discussion of trying to reach a compromise.

Singers who perform in Fairhope very often, like Karl Langley and Kyle Brady, had wanted Kant to veto the new ordinance.

They got their wish.

Kant said, "I vetoed it because I don't think it was fair to the whole city. I believe that the citizens have done a very, good job, and we seem like we're picking one part of town, and government is getting too much involved."

But, Kant said he'd like to see a reasonable solution worked out.

He said, "(Among) the options the council are looking at: some are about compromising the decibel level to 75, and not 65, because, currently, we're at 85. The other option is looking at the duration of the music itself: Do we cut it off at 9:00 or 10:00?"

City Council Member Rick Kingrea said, "I applaud the mayor for vetoing the thing. I think it needed to be done."

Kingrea also thinks the council needs to work out a compromise.

He said, "It may be that we establish an entertainment district. It may be that we have various zones, where louder music, or louder noise, is allowed. The real problem here is, we have a residential section that abuts a commercial section."

The city council meets next Monday, where it could vote to override the mayor's veto.

But, that would take four votes, and that's not likely.