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An ordinance to amend Section 9.20.020 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws regarding motor vehicle noise within residential zoning districts.
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. That Section 9.20.020 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws is hereby amended by deleting subsection A in its entirety and replacing it with the following:
A. It shall be unlawful for any person to:
1. Operate any motor vehicle that is not equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive noise.
2. Operate a motor vehicle equipped with a cut-out, by-pass, or similar muffler elimination unit, or to operate a motor vehicle with devices that amplify motor noise or motor vehicle exhaust noise.
3. Operate a motor vehicle if the exhaust noise is plainly audible at a distance of two hundred feet or more from the vehicle.
4. Operate a motor vehicle within a residential zoning district if the exhaust noise is plainly audible within a residential structure or at seventy-five feet from the motor vehicle.
5. Operate or allow the operation of buses in a parking or staging area if noise from the engine, exhaust, or back-up alert beeper is plainly audible from the nearest exterior wall of a transient lodging establishment within the commercial attraction (CA) zoning district.
6. Any person violating this section shall be fined not less than fifty dollars. Each violation of this section shall be deemed a separate offense.
Section 2. That the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (“NDOT”) in coordination with the Office of the Mayor and the Department of Codes Administration, shall develop a public awareness campaign-which may include placement of signage at strategic locations-to inform drivers that illegal mufflers and vehicle noise violations in residential neighborhoods are subject to fines under the Metropolitan Code of Laws.
Section 3. The Metropolitan Government shall establish a designated category within the HubNashville system for residents to report suspected violations of this ordinance. Relevant HubNashville reports will be forwarded to Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, NDOT, or the Department of Codes Administration as appropriate for investigation and enforcement under existing authority.
Section 4. This Ordinance shall take effect from and after its final passage, the welfare of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.