§ 48.02 Definitions

Unless otherwise expressly stated or the context clearly indicates a different intention, the following terms have the following meanings. Definitions of technical terms used in this chapter which are not herein defined shall be obtained from publications of acoustical terminology issued by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI):

1. "Application" means the application discussed in Section 48.05 of this chapter.

2. "Emergency" means any occurrence or set of circumstances involving actual or imminent physical or psychological trauma or property damage which demands immediate action.

3. "Emergency work" means any work performed for the purpose of alleviating or resolving an emergency.

4. "Noise" means any sound which disturbs humans or which causes or tends to cause an adverse psychological or physiological effect on humans.

5. "Noise disturbance" means those sounds defined as "noise disturbances" in Section 48.03 of this chapter which have not otherwise been excepted and excluded under any of Sections 48.01(b), 48.04 or 48.05 of this chapter.

6. "Public right-of-way" means the traveled portion of any street or alley or similar place which is owned or controlled by the City or other governmental entity.

7. "Real property boundary" means an imaginary line along the ground surface, and its vertical extension, which separates the real property owned by one person from that owned by another person, but not including intra-building real property division.

8. "Residential property" means any property on which is located a building or structure used wholly or partially for living or sleeping purposes.

9. "Sound" means an oscillation in pressure, particle displacement, particle velocity or other physical parameter, in a medium with internal forces that cause compression and rarefaction of that medium. The description of sound may include any characteristic of such sound, including duration, intensity and frequency.

10. "Sound equipment" means any radio, record player, tape deck or player, loud speaker, amplifier, sound track or other device for producing, reproducing or amplifying sound, except, however, "sound equipment" does not include (a) sirens and other equipment used to alert persons to the existence of an emergency, (b) equipment used by law enforcement and other public safety officials in the performance of their official duties, (c) church carillons, bells or chimes, (d) mobile radio or telephone signaling devices and (e) automobile and truck radios, tape decks or players or other such standard equipment used and intended for the use and enjoyment of the occupants provided that the sound emitted therefrom is not audible for more than fifty (50) feet from such automobile or truck.

For use in this chapter the following terms are defined:

1. “Amplified sound” means sound that is increased in intensity and duration by electrical, electronic, mechanical, or other nonhuman means.

2. “A-weighted sound level” means the sound pressure level in decibels as measured on a sound level meter using the A-weighting network. The level is designated dB(A) or dBA.

3. “Decibel” (dB) means a logarithmic and dimensionless unit of measure used in describing the amplitude of sound, equal to 20 times the logarithm to the base-10 of the ratio of the pressure of the sound measured to the reference pressure, which is 20 micropascals (20 micronewtons per square meter).

4. “Emergency situation” means one in which there is imminent danger to property, persons or animals.

5. “Engine brake” means the use or operation of any mechanical exhaust device designed to aid in the braking, decompression, or deceleration of any motor vehicle which results in the unreasonably loud, raucous, unusual, or explosive noise from such vehicle.

6. “Noise” means the intensity, duration, and character of sounds from any and all sources.

7. “Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, association, governmental body, State, or other entity whatsoever.

8. “Plainly audible noise” means any noise for which the information content of the noise is transferred to the listener, such as (but not limited to) understanding of spoken speech, comprehension of whether a voice is raised or lowered, or comprehension of musical rhythms.

9. “Powered model vehicle” means any self-propelled airborne, waterborne, or land-borne model plane, vessel or vehicle not designed to carry persons, including (but not limited to) any model airplane, boat, car, or rocket.

10. “Public place” means any street, avenue, boulevard, highway, sidewalk or alley or similar place owned or controlled by the City, including any structure or park.

11. “Real property boundary” means an imaginary line along the ground surface and its vertical extension, which separates the real property owned by one person from that owned by another person, but not including intra-building real property divisions.

12. “Sound level” means the weighted sound pressure level obtained by the use of a sound level meter and frequency weighting network, such as A, B or C as specified in American National Standards Institute specifications for sound level meters (ANSI 51.4-1971, or the latest approved revision thereof). If the frequency weighting employed is not indicated, the A-weighting applies.

13. “Sound level meter” means an instrument which includes a microphone, amplifier, RMS detector, integrator or time-average, output or display meter and weighting networks used to measure and read sound pressure levels which, when properly calibrated, complies with American National Standards Institute.