The Muncie City Council voted unanimously Monday night to introduce the "Muncie Area Party Plan" amendment, which would allow police to record repeat noise ordinance offenders and lower maximum fines to meet state law.
Controversy arose among council members and residents and a handful of Ball State University students about whether citywide implementation of the noise amendment is necessary.
"To try to throw this on us is not right," Chuck Leonard, City Council vice president, said.
After council members voiced their opinions, residents brought up the appeals process, which would allow renters and permanent residents or landlords to appeal a "No Party Property" certification through Muncie's Board of Public Works and Safety.
If the amendment is passed, the board can remove the "No Party Property" certification, provided that the problem has been addressed and the property is not likely to be a disturbance in the future, according to the "Muncie Area Party Plan."
However, Council member Sam Marshall said a noise ordinance should be continuous.
"I think once we declare the City of Muncie a noise ordinance, it goes on forever," Marshall said. "I don't care who lives in the houses, I don't care who drives in the cars - it goes on forever."
Muncie resident Linda Gregory, who lives on University Avenue, said she lives near many party houses. If a student who lived in a "No Party Property" house tried to appeal the certification at the Board of Public Works, she would like to have notification so she can attend the hearing and voice her opinion.
"Neighbors would like to know when appeals are," she said. "All four adjacent properties should be notified of appeal process."
Leonard said he has a problem with the original noise ordinance not being enforced.
"The problem is getting citations written," he said.
Council member Mary Barton disagreed with Leonard's view on the new amendment.
"This puts more teeth in (the ordinance)," she said.
The amendment would be an especially useful tool in low-income community housing and the campus community, Steve Watkins, a member of Muncie's Campus Community Coalition, said.
"We are looking for ways to empower the community to take action," he said.
After hearing both sides of the "Muncie Area Party Plan" amendment and after the adjournment of the meeting, students questioned council members about the three parking ordinances that affect areas near campus.
"I don't know where I'm going to put my car," junior Neil Talbert said. "We just thought we would show up to try to do something instead of sitting down and complaining."
Barton plans to have the parking issue put on next month's agenda, and Talbert and roommate junior Dave Cloud said they will attend. Talbert and Cloud live on University Avenue with two other people and said they park three cars on the street and one in their two-car garage. The new ordinance, however, would force them to park two in the garage and two in the driveway, rendering the cars in the garage inaccessible.
Two parking permits are issued per house or rental; however, landlords are able to keep one permit. This leaves properties with multiple residents in a bind for additional parking space.
"I guess I agree with the intention of the ordinances, which is to help to limit some of the on-street parking," Cloud said. "I admit there is a problem."
Council member Alison Quirk said she encourages students to work with their landlords to ensure they are providing adequate parking space.
"There is no one solution, so we are trying to meet in the middle," Quirk said.
The next city council meeting will take place Oct. 3.
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