HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-05-05-NAC-min.docxTown of Lexington, MA
Noise Advisory Committee (NAC)
Minutes of Meeting, May 5, 2026
The meeting of the Noise Advisory Committee ("NAC") was held in person and on Zoom in the
Select Board Room of the Town Office Building on Tuesday May 5, 2026, at 7 PM.
NAC Members Present: Barbara Katzenberg (BK), Chair, Benjamin Lees (BL), Laura Rosen
(LR), Elaine Rudell (ER), and Joe Pato (JP), Select Board Liaison
N/A: Joseph Lehar (JL)
1. Announcements
BK called the meeting to order at 7:02 PM, and LR was assigned as clerk for this meeting.
2. Review of the Noise Bylaw
The NAC began a systematic review of the town's Noise Bylaw by focusing initially on sections
80-4 through 80-6, which cover prohibition of excessive noise and specific exceptions. The
committee discussed various provisions including construction activities, commercial trash
collection hours, electronic devices, and motor vehicle idling restrictions. Key topics included
simplifying legal language, clarifying definitions (particularly around "noise" versus "sound"), and
evaluating the necessity of certain restrictions. The group decided to remove redundant sections
and potentially update language to be more modern and understandable. They also noted the
need to add "compost" to waste collection definitions and considered adjusting hours for certain
activities. Section 80-4, C: "Commercial deliveries or pickups" raised the topic of drone noise,
and ER noted that Amazon maystart deliveringbyrobot: IL.a st• 11 Idle Robotic Delivery - "Scout"
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As general heuristics, the committee agreed that:
• Our comments will be collected in a working Word document and not detailed in minutes
• Unless language in the current bylaw is complex to the point of being unclear, it will not
be updated (i.e., no wordsmithing just for the sake of crisper language).
• If specific provisions seem unnecessary but not controversial and their presence
indicates they were considered helpful to include in the past, these will be left alone.
3. Public comments — There were no public comments.
4. Electing a chair
LR nominated BK for a second term, ER seconded, and it was unanimously approved. BK
accepted a second term and asked committee members to think about their roles and who
might succeed her as chair.
5. Adjourn
After being duly moved and seconded, a motion to adjourn at 8:15 pm was unanimously
approved.
Next steps
• Barbara Katzenlberg: Rewrite or slirnpIllify the cornpllex sentence lin the
p IrIP S sect on for lir np IrOved cllarity and lb Ili n( back su gestlions for revliew„
• All II cornrnlittee memlbers: Cons der and draft possliblle lirnprovernents/cllarliflicatlions to the
sect ons discussed (g4Declialllly regardling deflinlitlions of no se, "prlivate servlice,"
and Specli.fc operatlionall hoursland lb Ili ng S cigestbns to the next rneetling,„
• Cornrnlittee or deslignated memlber): Check whether the terrn "'common pass, -by"'
defined ellsewhere lin the lbyllaw or town regullatlions, and report flindlings„
• Cornrnlittee (or deslignated memlber): Revliew Chapter 46 (endine operatlion of rnotor
vehliclles) to confirm t t covers d nq, and t so, cons der rernovlinq the redundant d ng
provlislion frorn the No se Byllaw„
• Cornrnlittee: Schedulle/linvlite a vlislit frorn the polllice departrnent and code cornplliance
office Ir for the next rneetling.„
Respectfully submitted, Laura Rosen (with Zoom Al support)