READER OF THE WEEK IS PAUL IMBRIGATO OF WASHINGTON DC
Copiague students visit NC fire museum Page 3 Vol. 120, No. 32
WEDNESDAY, August 7, 2024
Meet some local scholars Page 2
www.amityvillerecord.com
This week’s Pets, Pets, Pets Page 12 50 CENTS
Village reviewing noise ordinance following concerns raised by resident By Carolyn James The Amityville Village Board will be examining its noise ordinance to address concerns about loud music and other violations of the code throughout the village. The issue was raised by resident Patti Dieck at the board’s meeting on July 26. “With new equipment, such as boom boxes, there has been a lot of loud music coming from homes throughout the village,” said Dieck. “And it often goes on into the late evening hours.” Citing one example, Dieck said that her husband re-
cently took a bike ride and heard music coming from a home that was apparently having a party near the high school. “It was so loud,” she said, “he could hear it even blocks away. This problem is getting out of control.” Mayor Dennis Siry and members of the board agreed with Dieck, saying they have noticed the same trend and had recently authorized the purchase of a decibel reader for the police department to help determine whether music or other noise created by a business or homeowner is within the law. The village’s noise ordinance, Chapter 114, was adopted Dec. 14, 2009, and became effective Jan. 2, 2010. The ordinance covers noise disturbances not just from music but also from construction, air conditioners, large waste receptacles, boats, go-carts and more. It prohibits noise from “any excessive or unusually loud sound or any sound that either annoys, disturbs, injures, or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace, or safety of a reasonable person of normal sensitivities or which causes injury to animal life or damage to property or business. The code outlines sound levels that pose “an immediate threat to health” as follows: 90 db (A ‘s) over a 24-hour period, 93 for 12 hours, 96 for 6 hours, 99 for
three hours, 102 for one to two hours, 105 for 45 minutes and 108 for 22 minutes.” A weighted decibel (dBA or dB (A)) is an expression of the relative loudness of sounds as perceived by the human ear. A-weighting gives more value to frequencies in the middle of human hearing and less value to frequencies at the edges, compared to a flat audio decibel measurement. Amityville Village Police Chief Bryan Burton said, although the decibel meter will give the department an additional tool for noise issues, most of the calls that the department receives about noise are more easily handled. “We knock on the door and tell the people we received a call about the music being too loud,” he said. “They turn it down and the situation is resolved.” He added that in most cases a casual observance by the officer can determine whether the noise level is too loud. “Hearing music is one thing, but if you can ‘feel it’ it is probably too loud,” he noted. Amityville Attorney Bruce Kennedy said that the law is comprehensive in outlining the limitations for all kinds of noise throughout the Village but that the use of the decibel reader by a trained technician will (Continued on Page 7))
SCWA to give Suffolk’s small businesses first shot at bids
St. Martin of Tours 2024 valedictorian Julia Kennedy, right, with salutatorian Lucy Pettit, left. Julia will attend Holy Trinity High School in the fall and Lucy will attend St. John The Baptist High School. Do you have a scholar in your house. Send us their information and we will add them to the lists of scholars we reconize for their achievements. Send them to us at cjames@ liherald.com and please include your name and phone number for verification.
By Carolyn James The Suffolk County Water Authority will now give preference to small businesses that have their primary place of business within the county when considering bids on contracts. The new policy was adopted by a unanimous vote at the SCWA board meeting July 26 and requires that SCWA consider local businesses if they meet the criteria and are no more than 5 percent higher than the next lowest bid. The policy only applies to contracts for the delivery of goods and for professional services; it does not apply to construction contracts. “This makes perfect sense, and I am surprised that this was not a policy already,” said David Kennedy, a member of the Board of Directors of the Suffolk County Alliance of Chambers and executive director of the Greater Patchogue Chamber of Commerce. “I would have thought that would have been a regular practice not only for the Water Authority but for all agencies in Suffolk County; it’s just common sense.” “We are all about supporting the Suffolk County economy and this measure will do just that,” said SCWA Chairman Charles Lefkowitz. Suffolk County has a similar policy giving field advantage to Suffolk County businesses whose bids are within the 10 percent range of the lowest responsiblebidder, according to
S.C. Leg. and Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey’s spokesperson. The county law states: “This Legislature also determines that the County of Suffolk enacted these laws to assist Long Island businesses and protect local jobs during an economic downturn. While these goals were and are worthy, Local Law Nos. 4 and 5 of 1993 have had the unintended effect of disqualifying some businesses that have a substantial local presence from competing for County contracts. This Legislature also finds and determines that the County’s local preference laws should be amended to encourage broader competition and obtain greater cost savings for Suffolk County taxpayers. Therefore, the purpose of this law is to update the (Continued on Page 7)