[HISTORY: Adopted by the Commissioners of the Town of Ridgely 11-1-1993 by Ord. No. 127. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Animals — See Ch. 64.
Parks and recreation — See Ch. 129.
A. 
No person shall play, use, operate or permit to be played, used or operated any radio, tape recorder, cassette player or other machine or device for producing sound if it is located in or on any of the following and if the sound generated is audible at a distance of 30 feet (15 feet between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.) from the device producing the sound:
[Amended 5-3-1999 by Ord. No. 187]
(1) 
Any public property, including any public street, highway, building, sidewalk, park or thoroughfare or public space.
(2) 
Any motor vehicle on a public street, highway or public space.
B. 
Police, fire and authorized functions and authorized emergency vehicles operating in the normal course of their duties are excluded from this prohibition.
C. 
Possession or ownership by a person or persons of any of the machines or devices enumerated in Subsection A shall be prima facie evidence that such person operates, or those persons operate, the machine or device.
A. 
Powers of arrest or citation. Any authorized police officer may issue a citation for any violation under this chapter, except that the police officer may arrest for instances when:
(1) 
The alleged violator fails to provide proof of identity and address.
(2) 
The alleged violator fails to cease prohibited noise after either being issued a citation or being told to desist such illegal noise by a law enforcement officer.
B. 
Citation.
(1) 
The form of citation shall be as provided by the District Court of Maryland for municipal infractions.
(2) 
The citation shall be issued, processed, prosecuted and otherwise follow the procedures for a municipal infraction as set forth in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II, General Penalty.
Penalties for violation of this chapter shall be as set forth in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II, General Penalty.
[Added 6-7-1999 by Ord. No. 194]
A. 
Definitions. As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
COMMISSIONERS
The Commissioners of Ridgely, Maryland.
PERSON
Any individual, group, firm, association, agency, partnership, corporation or other type of commercial enterprise.
TOWN
The Town of Ridgely.
UNNECESSARY NOISE
Excessive or unusually loud noise or any noise which either annoys, disturbs or endangers the comfort or health, peace or safety of others within the Town limits.
B. 
Loud noise prohibited. Loud unnecessary noise which disturbs the public peace between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday and between 10:00 p.m. Saturday and 11:00 am. on the following Sunday, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, is declared to be a public nuisance and is prohibited.
C. 
Noises and acts generally prohibited.
(1) 
Prohibited noises. The following noises are hereby declared to be loud and disturbing noises in violation of this chapter:
(a) 
The sounding of any horn or signaling device on any automobile, motorcycle or other vehicle on any street, way, highway, avenue or alley or any other public place except when reasonably necessary to ensure safe operation.
(b) 
The creation by means of any horn or signaling device of an unreasonably loud and harsh sound.
(c) 
The sounding of any horn or signaling device for an unnecessary or unreasonable length of time.
(2) 
Prohibited acts. The following actions are hereby declared to be productive of loud, disturbing noises and are hereby declared to be in violation of this chapter:
(a) 
The playing, using or operating of any radio receiving set, musical instrument, phonograph or other machine or device for the producing or reproducing of sound in such a manner as to disturb the peace, quiet and comfort of other persons in the vicinity, or anytime with a louder volume than is necessary for convenient hearing for the person or persons who are voluntary listeners thereto and who are in the immediate vicinity, vehicle or chamber in which such machine or device is operated.
(b) 
The causing or permitting of any of the acts set forth in Subsection C(1) of this section.
D. 
Prima facie evidence. The operation of any radio receiving set, musical instrument, phonograph or other machine or device for the producing or reproducing of sound in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of 50 feet from the device, building, structure or vehicle in which the noise is generated shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this chapter.
E. 
Exemptions.
(1) 
This chapter shall not apply to activities or events conducted or sponsored by the town, including any annual parade or fireworks, or any town-sponsored events in public parks.
(2) 
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to sound equipment used by public service companies as defined in Article 78 of the Annotated Code of Maryland or federal, state or local governmental agencies.
F. 
Temporary exemptions from provisions; permit requirement.
(1) 
A permit for a temporary exemption from the provisions of Subsections A through D of this section may be issued by the Mayor and Council for commercial, political, civic, charitable or other community activities, including but not limited to fundraisers, carnivals, bazaars, meetings and other activities other than a day-to-day nature.
(2) 
Each application for such permit shall be addressed to the Commissioners of Ridgely, shall be accompanied by a fee of $1 and shall set forth the following:
(a) 
The nature of the mechanical device to be employed for such purpose.
(b) 
The person or persons to be in charge of the operation thereof.
(3) 
The application shall be rejected by the Commissioners if there is a good and sufficient reason within the meaning and purpose of this chapter for rejecting the application.
G. 
Violations and penalties. Any violation of this section shall be considered a municipal infraction subject to the general penalty provisions in § 119-3 of the Town Code.
[Added 5-6-2002 by Ord. No. 230]
A. 
No person shall operate exhaust braking devices within the Ridgely Town limits.
B. 
This section does not prohibit the use of such exhaust braking devices in a bonafide emergency and does not prohibit or require any action which would violate Chapter 22, Subtitle 3 of the Transportation Article.
[Added 7-6-2020 by Ord. No. 385]
A. 
Except as provided for in Subsection B of this section, a person shall not operate or permit to be operated an off-road, internal-combustion-engine-powered recreational vehicle, whether such vehicle is licensed or unlicensed, including, but not limited to, a dirt bike, an all-terrain vehicle, a go-cart, a snowmobile or a similar vehicle, on private property closer than 300 feet to a neighboring residence or the associated curtilage without the written permission of the affected resident unless it can be demonstrated that the vehicle can be operated at a noise level of 65 decibels or less during daytime hours and 55 decibels or less during nighttime hours. For purposes of this subsection. daytime hours are between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. and nighttime hours are between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
B. 
This section is not intended to restrict the use of agricultural vehicles, off-road vehicles used for law enforcement, fire, emergency, military or other governmental purposes and vehicles used for routine nonrecreational access of a property as determined by the Commissioners.