2019-09-25-NAC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Noise Advisory Committee 2 and to discuss how the NAC can fulfill it's responsibility under its charter to review noise complaints and how the complaint mechanism should work, and to get Kari's thoughts about enforcement of the proposed new bylaw. Dan volunteered to contact Kari. Mark S. brought up the committee's original charter and noted that the committee is charged with doing a quarterly review of noise complaints. However, it is not clear that there is a straightforward way to do this because there is no centralized record. The committee then discussed the need to insure that complaints are both properly routed and properly documented. The town does not yet have a ticketing system that would allow easy tracking and coordination of complaints. It was also not clear to the committee that all town employees have a clear list of points of contact for complaints that they receive. The committee discussed the desirability of implementing a modern system that would make it straightforward to file a complaint, have it routed to the appropriate people, and tracked. The committee then discussed the issue of construction noise. Currently, the town's bylaws are relatively lenient, allowing construction noise from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM, 7 days a week. The Board of Selectmen has been receiving complaints about construction noise and asked that the committee draft a recommendation for new provisions restricting it. The committee noted that Winchester recently put in place a policy limiting construction noise, excepting that created by residents, to 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM on weekdays and 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturdays and prohibiting it on Sundays and holidays. The committee agreed that we will collect information on the policies in force in other local towns and will discuss a proposal at the next meeting, which is scheduled for October 29, 2019. April agreed to collect this information for the committee. The committee then returned to the issue of a public awareness/support campaign for the proposed lawn-care bylaw. The committee agreed that in the light of the timeline agreed to at its previous meeting, this needs to be done now, with the goal of completing it by the end of November. Holly noted that she had contacted all of the groups suggested earlier by Mark S. but that she had received a reply only from Sustainable Lexington. She will re-contact the rest. The committee agreed that it would be helpful to have feedback from landscapers who have been successful in adapting to restrictions in other towns. Dan agreed to try to obtain the names of some. Mark M. and Mark S. both stressed that the health aspects of gas lawn-care equipment will be critically important in the public awareness campaign. Mark S. noted that there are new studies showing even more serious effects and provided information about these. Mark M. and Holly agreed to place notes on the Lexington List and other online venues raising these issues. The committee adjourned at 9:30.