MENDOCINO CO., 3/26/26 — On Tuesday, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors held a first reading of a proposed noise ordinance and unanimously voted to advance it to the meeting on either April 7 or April 21, where if approved, the ordinance would become part of the county code and enforceable 30 days later. The four cities in Mendocino County—Ukiah, Fort Bragg, Point Arena, and Willits—have their own sets of ordinances. The new noise ordinance would apply to all the unincorporated areas of the county and would be enforced by the sheriff’s office. Deputies could issue warnings and infractions, including possible fines.
The proposed ordinance regulates decibel levels and timing. It prohibits disturbing noises above a constant 60 decibels or intermittent noise above 75 decibels as measured from an adjacent residential property between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. This includes radios, sound amplifiers and musical devices or instruments.
District 5 Supervisor Ted Williams asked how to determine whether a noise is constant or intermittent.
“Unless you have duration and sample frequency, those terms constant versus intermittent are up to interpretation,” Williams said. “I’m happy to support it as is, but I can see the sheriff’s going to get into a situation where they take a decibel reading and somebody says, ‘Well, that’s not that’s not constant. That’s intermittent. It’s only happening every five minutes.’”
Brina Blanton, deputy county counsel, who presented the proposed ordinance at the meeting, said that more research could be done on how to determine the difference. She said that there are basic definitions of constant and intermittent in the ordinance language. Constant is defined as uninterrupted and continuous, and intermittent is repeated loud noises at non-uniform time intervals.
The ordinance states that officers will give an oral or written warning to those who violate the ordinance. Generally, a warning would come first, then a second response to the same place would warrant an infraction. If the same property is cited more than three times during a 90-day period, that property may be declared a public nuisance and subject to other penalties.
There are exceptions for school activities, emergency warnings, and activities protected by the county’s right to farm and right to industry ordinances, among others.
Sheriff’s office concerned about several aspects of the plan
Captain Jason Caudillo from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said that there were several issues with the sheriff’s office enforcing the ordinance. That department would have to buy adequate decibel readers, probably a few to have around the county, Caudillo said, and the sheriff’s office doesn’t currently have funds allotted for purchasing decibel readers.
The other problem could be staffing as noise complaints are low priority. Caudillo also said he is concerned they will get calls for barking dogs, which he said isn’t something the sheriff’s office has the resources to deal with. Those calls likely will be referred to the county’s animal control services.
An opportunity was provided for public comment on the agenda item, but there were no comments online or in person.
If approved at the board’s meeting on either April 7 or April 21, the ordinance will go into effect 30 days following the vote.
Mendocino County is large for a Animal Control response. Unless every dept has an Animal Control officer
What is to stop deputies from harassing anyone they don’t like??? There’s nothing mentioned about requiring an actual neighbor complaint, so we are to accept giving questionable men badges and guns so they can fine the everloving breath out of us? Will be keeping tabs on this, and you should too.
Just sounds like the police are bored and looking for more reasons to harrass and arrest people
If you read it the sheriffs department doesn’t have staffing or funds to enforce this ordinance. Sounds like they are not in support of it.
So this ordinance will only apply to “radios, sound amplifiers and musical devices or instruments”? For a moment, I thought law enforcement was going to take on the illegally loud motor vehicle problem… But I guess that would be depriving those sociopaths of their ‘right’ to disturb the Peace wherever they go, and we wouldn’t want THAT, would we….?
What about barking dogs trying to come over the fence every time you’re trying to do gardening and you done asked the owner to do something because of said dog already made holes in the fence we put up and they still do nothing?
I thought there is a noise ordinance already. Noise of a musical nature after 10pm always gets respo n ded to by sheriff and barking dogs get a response from animal control out of the sheriff office during morning hours. I live in talmage and have always been pleased with prompt and courteous service without another nitpicky ordinance.
Seems typical of our leaders to find more solutions for non problems
How about the incessant barking of neighborhood dogs?
First off, cops dont need more authority to abuse! Their god complex is insufferable as is. Secondly, our ever so wise board, or is it bored, need to tackle bigger issues! Or did they give themselves a raise to tell people to turn the friggin music down?
Soon it will be illegal to breath in Mendocino County, Government that governs less is best. This is just more bullshit for residents to deal with
Another stupid ordinance for our busy deputies try to enforce without the proper equipment. Don’t pass it!
Instead of a noise ordinance dealing with a barking dog in the neighborhood, I suggest the BOS spend at least 80 percent of their time dealing with financial issues and achieve a balanced budget or a budget surplus. It takes work. Real hard work. But it is necessary work that has been neglected.
Instead, we get a noise ordinance.