KATHY VANCE, a lifelong Gadsden resident, told the City Council on Nov. 25 that persistent dog-barking near her home has made her unable to use her yard or sleep at times and urged the council to revise the city’s noise ordinance so it protects day-sleepers and others who need quiet during daytime hours.

"Please take the 10 at night to 8 in the morning out of the Unicode," Vance said, handing council members copies of the sections she had cited. She described multiple incidents in which dogs barked for extended periods near her bedroom and said the problem has hurt her ability to host holiday guests and rest at home.

Vance cited health research during her remarks, saying prolonged intrusive noise can increase stress and health risks. Council members did not dispute the substance of her account but noted limits on enforcement and the fact that the city’s noise language follows common “uniform code” boilerplate used by many municipalities.

Councilman Wilson called for a Public Safety Committee meeting to examine the issue and said staff and the city attorney will be asked to review enforcement options and potential ordinance changes. "We'll roll our sleeves up on this for sure," Wilson said, adding that the committee’s meeting will be appropriately advertised and open to the public.

Councilman Smith and others expressed sympathy and said Vance’s testimony provided sufficient detail to justify follow-up. The council did not take formal action to change the ordinance at the Nov. 25 session; members said the Public Safety Committee will consider legal constraints, enforcement capacity and how daytime protections would interact with other daytime noise sources such as construction.

Next steps: the council committed to convene the Public Safety Committee and to notify Vance and the public of the meeting date; the city attorney will review the scope of authority the city has to change hours or enforcement practices.