St Bess councilor fights for 'silent disco' nights

West Office:

As the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation (StEMC) continues to search for a venue to host hassle-free, 24-hour entertainment that will not be affected by the Noise Abatement Act, a councilor is calling for the adoption of the “silent system”. disco concept.

At last Thursday’s StEMC monthly meeting, Councilor Christopher Williams of the Santa Cruz Division said entertainment is an integral part of the economic life of the parish and believes that adopting concepts that fit into the legal framework of the law on noise reduction should be encouraged and entertained.

Williams wants the company to support hosting “silent disco” nights, where music is played through headphones and not the traditional massive speakers, known for creating noise pollution, which many people find very offensive .

“The silent disco is where you have these headphones… so you don’t have a sound system with speakers installed, what you have are these headphones that customers would put on their ears. So people without headphones wouldn’t hear what those with headphones are listening to, so no disruption is caused,” Williams said.

Williams said silent nightclubs would eliminate the problem of nighttime noise, so those who want to party and have a good time could do so, while people in communities where the parties take place could sleep peacefully.

However, Williams wants these parties to be officially sanctioned and given a special operating framework different from traditional parties, which are governed by the provisions of the Noise Reduction Act, which dictates a specified cut-off time.

“With the silent disco, no disturbance will be caused because there will be no speakers playing music,” Williams said. “I’ve been to helmet parties, where at 2 a.m. the police show up to shut down the event. It doesn’t make any sense, so I’m basically saying it’s something we should consider… look at it and make adjustments as necessary.

“I think our associates will be very grateful to know that we are listening to them and trying to address some of their concerns,” Williams added, noting that sellers would be able to generate an income.

Williams’ suggestion drew widespread support from his fellow councilors.

“I think it’s a very good suggestion and I really appreciate the recommendation,” Mayor Richard Solomon said, noting, however, that he preferred to have 24-hour entertainment areas, similar to those that were approved for Kingston. .

“As a company, it’s something we could look at, maybe it could generate some additional revenue,” Solomon said.

As for traditional parties with sound systems, Williams also wants StEMC to consider adjusting cutoff times for those events.

“Based on the discussions and observations, the time frame provided by the law is basically not enough for people to make a decent profit on their investment. I think that’s something we should explore in terms of extending the deadline by at least an hour,” Williams said.

[email protected]