Taking a cue from recurring complaints lodged by residents in the Westview Terrace neighborhood, a member of the Houston City Council hinted at filing a proposal that would give some “teeth” to the existing noise ordinance which could only do as much as imposing fines.
According to Houston City Council Member Amy Peck, apprehended violators tend to repeat the same violation over and over again for as long as they have the financial capability to do so.
“It’s a hard problem when people are paying the fines and they’re continuing to do this again and again,” said Peck. He who claimed that a colleague at the Houston City Council is already in the process of introducing a strong noise ordinance embarking on more punitive measures.
Under the existing ordinance, violators are only made to pay a maximum of $1,000 or lower depending on the circumstances and jurisdiction.
Peck’s statement came as an offshoot of numerous complaints regarding wild parties being held in a house on the 6500 blocks of Sivley, which is being leased as a function venue for short-term gatherings.
According to residents in the area, the house has been hosting wild parties, which annoyed the entire neighbourhood.
A resident in the area Mimi Sutton said that those who have been swarming their neighbourhood are total strangers coming in big numbers and partying too loud to tolerate. “It’s so many people, and we don’t know who they are and it’s just extremely loud,” averred Sutton.
Another resident Mike Aselin even claimed that the party-goers even had guns and often highlighted the night with scantily-clad women. “There are guns. I have seen guns,” said Aselin.
Footage of the wild parties in the neighbourhood also showed outdoor drinking of the people in attendance while making lots of noise for which the Houston Police Department would respond in many instances.
However, cops could only do as much as issuing citation tickets with corresponding fines for violation of the noise ordinance.
With the “stronger ordinance” yet to be filed in the Houston City Council, Peck asked the local police to step up patrols in the neighbourhood.
