Niles council continues to wrestle with noise law revisions

NILES — Council members got their first look at revisions to the city’s controversial noise ordinance — and several weren’t happy with what they saw.

“Where does this change things?” asked Steve Papalas, councilman at-large at a meeting today. “We started this because music was too loud, and I don’t see where that has been [resolved].”

Council has been debating this issue for months because of complaints from residents about loud late-night live music at McMenamy’s on Youngstown-Warren Road.

The residents have accused the police of failing to enforce the law while police claim to have responded to the complaints. One resident, through a Cleveland attorney, has threatened a taxpayer lawsuit because of alleged police refusal to enforce the noise law.

Council’s biggest issue is enforcement, and a proposed revision leaves that decision to the discretion of the police officer “without mechanical or electronic enhancement.”

For the complete story, see Thursday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.