While lagging behind authorities in the Guadalajara metro area, the Chapala government is preparing to initiate enforcement of Jalisco’s tough noise control legislation in the near future.
Interviewed by the Guadalajara Reporter this week, Regulations Department Director Francisco Javier Torres Sandoval outlined the steps being taken to relieve inhabitants from the nuisance of excessive noise.
The official explained that his office is tasked with enforcing noise controls in the business sector with vigilance and inspection of restaurants, bars, nightclubs and event centers. Inspectors charged with supervising these establishments are currently being trained in the use of a hand-held decibel meter donated by Ajijic residents Tom Thompson and Ricardo Quirarte on April 10.
During June, the Reglamentos office will kick off a preliminary awareness campaign to inform pertinent businesses of the state’s Anti-Ruido laws. In the process, inspectors will utilize the decibel measurement device to check noise levels in each establishment and indicate the permissible parameters. They will also suggest soundproofing measures that can better contain loud music inside the premises.
Full enforcement of the rules is slated to start in July. Torres noted that according to the municipal code regulating commerce, restaurants and bars are required to quiet down and close no later than 2 a.m. Event centers are allowed to operate until midnight, or later by special permit only.
Sanctions for violations, including the imposition of fines and temporary or permanent closures, will be handled by Padrón y Licencias, the city’s business license agency.
The municipal police force, on the other hand, is responsible for dealing with noise issues related to closed parties held on private property and informal gatherings on the streets, waterfront boardwalks and at other public spaces. Officers have authority to grant rowdy noise-makers a 30-minute window to tone down the din or relocate to places where residents won’t be bothered in order to avoid 36-hour administrative detention and applicable fines.
Regulation of music and fireworks associated with the community’s traditional festivities will be subject to case-by-case consideration channeled through the government’s Secretario General Sergio Cuevas Elvira.
Complaint contacts
To register complaints about after-hours noise emanating from business establishments, contact night-shift Reglamentos inspector Juan Antonio Hernandez and his English-speaking sidekick Juan Rafael Vargas at 331-862-1096, assigned to duty from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Report loud parties on private property or at public spaces to the police headquarters switchboard, (376) 765-4444.