El Paso city council voted to change local noise ordinances but the changes won't really affect volume levels.

The changes that El Paso city council just approved don't affect the limits on how loud bars and bar patio areas can get. KTSM reported that they talked about lowering them but didn't.

Currently, (most) bars/patio volume levels can't exceed 70 decibels between 10pm and 7am.

I put "most" in parenthesis because some venues may be exempt from that rule. The new proposal initially allowed venues that seat 7,000 people to go over that limit but some council members pushed to have that lowered to 2,500.

“Many of the changes were some language cleanup, but there was also some other crucial changes as far as implementing the C-weight, which is your bass and vibrations. Also clarifying where we’re measuring the violations from the property line. Previously, it was from the center of the outdoor area,” said Steve Alvarado, director of Code Enforcement with the El Paso Police Department. - ktsm


Violators get 2 warnings before they are cited, after that, they could lose their "noise" permit(s) for one year. Not all venue owners are cool with this though, one said he has 2 businesses within 500 feet of Southwest University Park which has more latitude when it comes to noise and creates an "uneven playing field".

The unnamed bar owner added that he felt his was a "lack of transparency" that would "undermine the public trust”.

City code officers enforcing the new rules will work with city council and the mayor to monitor things and determine what, if any, changes need to be made to the new changes.

21 Rules For The Grill This Summer

Gallery Credit: Brett Alan

Tailgating Rules in Texas

If you're attending a tailgate party in Texas, make sure you know these rules.

Gallery Credit: Billy Jenkins

 

More From KLAQ El Paso