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Input to the Community Issues Noise/Nuisance By-LawReport

Presented By the Short Term Rental Accommodation

CommitteeSaturday, January 14, 2012

1. As long-time cottage owners in Plan 24 of Grand Bend, myhusband and I would like to thank Councilors Doug Bonesteel andDave Maguire for listening to our concerns and acting on them.

We would also like to thank the current Council for supportingthe initiatives of these gentlemen by setting up the Short Term RentalAccommodation Committee, giving it priority and making financial and

staff resources available to it so that it may accomplish its goals. Weare most appreciative to Clerk Carol McKenzie and the rest of theCommittee for all the research and brainstorming that has gone intotrying to come up with some resolutions to the concerns of residentsin our area.

2. Regarding this report and as members of the Lambton ShoresCommunity Association, we will be encouraging our neighbours todocument their calls to enforcement officers this summer. Our

assumption will be that the OPP and By-law Officers will also bekeeping track of each and every complaint so that at the end of thesummer season all reported issues can be assessed.

Please be aware that people on the whole are reluctant tomake complaint calls to enforcement officers for a variety of reasons:they are intimidated, they fear repercussions, or they feeluncomfortable dealing with the police. We would hope that our policeand by-law officers would be cognizant of those concerns and bereceptive to these peoples complaints, rather than dismissing them.

In making calls ourselves, we do so after we have endured theannoyance to our limit. Secondly, we always go outside, walk up anddown the street before we call, to ensure that we are confident as tothe source of the problem.

Other points wed like to make concerning this report:

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1. Regarding the wording in the Noise Bylaw noise likely to disturb,if a resident lodges a complaint, then have we not moved past likelyto disturb, since it is obviously disturbing someone if he or she hascalled with a concern? Would the officers not use that information incourt?

2. Regarding the decibel meters, do they pick up the thump, thump,thump of the bass of music, which is very annoying?

Can sporadic noise, like shouting be addressed?

3. On the point of having the noise bylaw differentiate between dayand night time noise levels, please be assured that loud music can bevery disturbing during the day as well as at night. This current noiseby-law was written by the members of the Grand Bend Residents

Association to fit the needs of Plan 24. Please do not change the by-law on this issue.

4. Having commercial establishments direct their speakers toward theinterior of their businesses seems like a good step to take. Perhapswe could have residences do the same.

5. The other recommendations appear to be going in a solution-based direction and are commendable. Thank you.

Alan and Sandra Cronk18 Woodward Ave.,Grand Bend.