Matter of county noise rules returns

Concerns are again sounding over a noise ordinance to tone down those who rent homes around Calaveras County for vacations.

“I’m not exaggerating, it was the most miserable summer we’ve ever had,” said Doris Brock of summer 2008. “And summer’s on the way again.”

Brock and her husband, Jerry, have lived full-time in Tulloch Reservoir’s Poker Flat area for 10 years, but say several short-term vacation rentals are also on their lake-front cul-de-sac.

It’s not uncommon for several families to fill one of those rentals for a weekend, and enjoy themselves, loudly, until 3 a.m., the Brocks said.

The question of how to control noise and congestion caused by rowdy renters was addressed several times last year by county officials. It was also the subject of meetings attended by irritated residents, like the Brocks, and vacation property managers who said it’s their responsibility, not the county’s, to control their weekend renters.

The issue again arose at Tuesday’s Calaveras County Board of Supervisors meeting, when board Chairman Russ Thomas asked about the status of a noise ordinance draft — which board members requested last fall.
   

County Administrator Bob Lawton said Thursday that a proposed ordinance will likely be presented to supervisors by late April.

“That’s early enough that we can resolve this before the summer,” he said Thursday.

But one person’s idea of loud and disruptive noise may be music to someone else’s ears, said County Counsel Jim Jones.

His staff is charged with writing an ordinance that county Sheriff’s Department patrol deputies can enforce and that is acceptable to as many other interests as possible.

“Many cities have noise ordinances, and we have examples from a variety,” Jones said. “But what works in Stockton probably isn’t going to work in Calaveras County.”

Jones also said that many other county issues have delayed work on a noise ordinance. “It won’t get ignored,” he added.

Many of the noise complaints have regarded vacation rentals in the Tulloch area, but whatever ordinance is proposed will apply to the whole county, officials said.

So Supervisor Merita Callaway, who represents the vacation-cabin filled Arnold and Ebbetts Pass areas, is also monitoring the ordinance issue.

Callaway said a Highway 4 motel has told her a noise ordinance would be helpful to guests there, but that vacation rental managers oppose it.

“My concern is, again, how do we enforce it?” said Callaway, who last year questioned whether noise rules would require that deputies become “decibel police.”

The owner of Arnold-based Big Trees Realty, Dan Scider, said his business manages 86 vacation rentals, most in the Arnold area and some at Greenhorn Creek in Angels Camp.

A good vacation property manager should handle problem renters, not the county, Scider said.

“In this time right now, we don’t need to make any more laws to restrict people,” he added.

But as vacation-rental-home neighbors, the Brocks said they see an ordinance addressing noise, congestion and utility overloads caused by too many short-term visitors in one house as the only solution.

Jerry Brock said he is not optimistic that county leaders will approve one like that.
 

“Each year it’s gotten worse ... It sounds like the supervisors listen more to the people who want to make money on properties and the Realtors than the people who actually live there,” he said.

Brock noted that he invited all of the supervisors last year to spend a summer weekend day at his Poker Flat home and experience what he and his wife do.

“And none of them would do that,” Brock said.