At the moment, Fort Lauderdale’s noise law doesn’t set a limit on the booming bass played at bars and nightclubs.
That’s about to change.
Fort Lauderdale commissioners approved a new noise law Tuesday night that sets the stage for what some hope will address the clash between the city’s nightlife and the residential neighbors who live nearby. Unlike the current ordinance, the new law will include a decibel limit for low-frequency sounds like bass.
Commissioners are expected to take a second and final vote in the coming weeks. The rules include a 90-day grace period.
“We have a heavy burden here to try to police people’s behavior,” Mayor Dean Trantalis said. “This particular ordinance is not intended to address every single situation. We need to start somewhere. This ordinance starts the process. And if it’s not effective, then we need to add to it.”
Before the vote, Commissioner John Herbst said the city will need to give extra attention to nightclubs that repeatedly violate the noise law.
“I’ve got a nightclub in my district where residents are calling every single weekend on the same club,” Herbst said. “Not everyone is a responsible business owner. Some of these folks just don’t care. Maybe the second or third time (they violate noise limits) is when we need to bring a hammer down. We do have some problem children in the city.”
Chris Smith, an attorney and former state senator who owns Smitty’s Wings on Sistrunk Boulevard, told commissioners he had concerns about the new noise law.
“When I read about the ordinance that’s coming before you, I was very concerned because we’ve had 11 complaints for noise but only one verified,” Smith said. “And that verification came 5 minutes after 10 p.m. Let’s just keep in mind you’re dealing with businesses. Is the wish of the city to fine or to take care of noise? I would hope that the city’s wish is to take care of the noise.”
For the business owner, getting a warning or a chance to lower the music would be preferable to getting a fine, Smith said.
That’s typically how it works, said Katrina Johnson, the city’s code compliance manager.
“For a first-time offender, there is usually a warning,” she said. “The second time, it’s a citation of $250. And the next time, the citation is doubled to $500.”
Repeat offenders tend to be summoned to a hearing before a special magistrate who has the option of fining the business up to $15,000.
The fine issued by the special magistrate is capped at $15,000 by both state law and city ordinance, Johnson said.
Resident Stan Eichelbaum questioned whether the new noise law would address what he called piercing bass sounds. The short answer: Yes.
“Right now we can only capture the high frequency sound,” Assistant City Manager Anthony Fajardo said. “We can’t capture the low-frequency bass — not until we get the ordinance passed. We’re adding (that) to the toolbox.”
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan