• Public comment generated from the draft on the Township website was evenly split between support and no support for this type of ordinance.
                
• Staff evaluated the cost of creating a new ordinance, and what future costs and issues would be associated with enforcement of a new ordinance.
                 
• The question was posed, "are there existing ordinances or state laws that address the same type of complaints from the public?". Ordinances or state statutes that already exist and are enforceable by the Police Department or the Zoning Officer are summarized below:

1.  Barking Dogs - It shall be unlawful for any owner, handler, custodian or keeper to keep or harbor any dog or any other animal maintained as a pet which continuously and habitually barks, howls, yelps, cries or otherwise makes noise in such a manner as to materially disturb or annoy persons in the surrounding neighborhood, and such dogs or other animals maintained as pets exhibiting the aforementioned behavior are hereby declared to be a public nuisance.

(a.) "Habitually" is hereby defined to mean continuously for 30 minutes in a twenty-four-hour period.

 

(b.) "Continuously" is hereby defined to mean uninterrupted, unbroken and persistent or so persistently repeated at short intervals as to constitute virtually an unbroken series.

2.  Disorderly Conduct - A person is guilty of disorderly conduct if, with intent to cause public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof, he:

(a.) engages in fighting or threatening, or in violent or tumultuous behavior;

 

(b.) makes unreasonable noise;

 

(c.) uses obscene language, or makes an obscene gesture; or

 

(d.) creates a hazardous or physically offensive condition by any act which serves no legitimate purpose of the actor.

3. Zoning Ordinance - Accessory uses within all districts. Note: This Ordinance is enforced by Warwick Township’s Zoning Officer.

• Evaluation of existing Ordinances and state laws indicated that they could be sufficient to address generated complaints. One exception was the Zoning Ordinance. Noise disturbances associated with accessory uses within residential districts could be strengthened. Staff was directed to prepare an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance providing improved methods to address noise disturbances. The draft is currently being prepared.

• Staff conducted an internal review of how complaints of this nature could be addressed in an efficient manner.