"How it's written I don’t think it’s a problem," said Ladd, whose business has received the only citation for noise since the new law was passed in June. "It's more about the enforcement of it. It leaves a lot of officer discretion."
Jason Schweitzer, a member of local band The Rum and the Sea, said police officers should be required to gauge noise with decibel meters and not leave things up to the way an officer might interpret a situation.
Council members said they were receptive to concerns about noise ordinance and want to promote a vibrant live music community in Bend.
"Our intention with this was not to disrupt business any more than necessary," said Mayor Jeff Eager.
At times, the roughly hour long conversation become heated as people described the chilling effect the law has had on live music. But the tone remained civil throughout the discussion. Ultimately, council members decided they would allow the ordinance, and enforcement of it, to play out for a few more months before considering making changes to the law.
"Lets see how the enforcement goes," said Eager. "Let's just gather more data on this."
In the meantime, Bend Police Chief Jeff Sale and several citizens agreed to get together to discuss how the department is enforcing the ordinance.
