Brooklyn Park to revisit ban on amplified sound at city parks

Frustrated over a new ban on all amplified sound at city parks, including music and speeches piped through speakers, an overflow crowd led by the Organization of Liberians in Minnesota demanded a policy reversal at last week's Brooklyn Park City Council meeting.

Speakers told the council that the ban enacted in January unduly affected the Liberian community and other community groups that use city parks for family and cultural celebrations. But residents who live near the parks said they've endured an onslaught of racket each summer and asked the council to keep the ban in place.

"We as Liberians are not satisfied with the decision and we want you to please reverse that decision as soon as possible. We have a short time in the summer," said Chris Wisner, chairman of the Organization of Liberians in Minnesota.

Wisner said the Liberian community wants to work with neighbors and strategize about ways to mitigate the noise but stressed the importance of their outdoor summer gatherings at local parks.

"Our culture is to congregate. From that congregation, we get better ideas to improve our lives,"

Mayor Jeff Lunde and the City Council agreed to re-examine the amplified sound ban. The council directed city staff and the Recreation and Parks Advisory Commission to take up the issue again and make recommendations.

The City Council expressed a desire to engage residents on both sides of the issue but stopped short of repealing the ban.

Lunde said possible compromises could include having revelers use city-owned sound equipment so the city could control volume and length of use; having a staff liaison attend parties; and better enforcing the rules, including time limits and the number of people allowed at each venue.

Homeowners expressed concerns that past attempts to mitigate the noise had failed.

"Residents don't set their lives around other people's celebrations," said Lisa Delgado, describing window-rattling noise at the park near her home. "There needs to be a balance."

The fury over amplified sound in city parks dates to 2007. The city's park pavilions offered a low-cost place for parties and events. Those who rented park space often showed up with a trailer of sound equipment, including DJ equipment and microphones for speeches. Residents bordering parks complained about loud music and noise at local parks, especially during weekend gatherings.

In 2011, the City Council decided to make Oak Grove Park the exclusive venue for events with speakers and microphones. Problem solved for many residents, but homeowners around Oak Grove Park said the situation went from bad to intolerable.

Several members of the parks commission and the City Council said they visited homes during loud events to assess the noise level firsthand. They included Mayor Lunde and Mark Wendt, chairman of the Recreation and Parks Advisory Commission, which voted to recommend the ban.

"My experience is it's loud," Wendt said in January, when the City Council adopted the ban. "I would be more than disappointed if one of those homes was mine. I entered one home and you literally could not hear their television."

Before enacting the ban, council members expressed displeasure that oftentimes party planners seemed to be breaking city rules limiting noise and that sometimes deposit checks written to the city bounced because of insufficient funds. It costs $300 to rent a pavilion and an additional $300 deposit that would be forfeited for litter and noise violations. The city kept three deposits in 2014 but staff said deposit checks did frequently bounce.