Rockmart council hears noise, blight complaints from neighbors

The Rockmart City Council will look to address complaints from local residents who claim a neighbor is being a nuisance.

A group of citizens took up their issues with the council during their October meeting to highlight issues with constant noise, blight issues, and general nuisance violations.

Those issues are being looked into according to city officials, and some of them are being addressed within the technical limits of Rockmart ordinances.

“We had code enforcement go out yesterday,” city manager Jeff Ellis said. “It looks like the grass has been cut- I wouldn’t say cut neatly, but it was cut within the parameters of the vegetation height requirements. The cars there could be seen tagged properly, I’m not sure about the ones on the jack, but what we’re trying to do is develop a case for what would be classified as a nuisance violation.”

While a nuisance case could potentially resolve the issue, code enforcement would have to prove the owner was being a nuisance over a period of time before issuing a citation and entering into municipal court.

“All I can do is have our people continue watching the area,” Ellis said. “It’s frustrating, but believe me, there are areas of town that are much worse.”

The Oct. 9 delegation wouldn’t be the first time citizens have found brought issues before the council over how Rockmart ordinances, either.

Delegate Wayne Sanders spoke before the council earlier in August to address his complaints with what he saw as a lax noise ordinance.

The town’s noise ordinance once featured a 7 p.m. quiet time, but that was later changed to 11 p.m. to better fit in with the rest of the county. While Sanders felt the original time was best, he felt a 9 p.m. time was acceptable.

“It’s just common sense,” Sanders said during his August delegation. “If you live in a city you want quiet time. Preferably at 7 p.m., but I’m willing to compromise with 9 p.m. 11 p.m. is too late. Lots of people are trying to relax.”

Mayor Stephen Miller offered insight into the noise ordinance and it’s current limitations.

“The city did change the noise ordinance- 11 p.m. is the cut off time,” Miller said. “We changed the ordinance to match the county, so when our police are called, they wouldn’t be telling someone out of the city they can’t be doing something.”

Since county and city lines are often close and blurred, the ordinance was changed to make policing the area easier and more consistent.

“We also had an issue with the fact that Rockmart High School is in the city,” Miller said. “There were times where the half-time shows at Rockmart would have to be cut because it would violate the city’s ordinance. It’s a terrible balancing act that we have to do as city and council. We try to accommodate everyone.”

Those with a particular opinion on any of the city’s ordinances should consider signing up as a meeting delegate or attending council meetings on the second Tuesday of each month. The county also sees delegates during its meetings.