The Trafalgar Council is expressing alarm at the advertised participation of KSAC Mayor Desmond McKenzie in an outdoor concert / street dance as a music selector in the midst of a residential community. Indeed, the “free” dance which is billed as Vintage Rhythms is being sponsored by KLAS Sports Radio and boasts popular selectors such as Wee Pow (Stone Love) and Gladdy (Wild Bunch Disco) with special guest artiste Boris Gardener, will clearly attract a mammoth crowd, thereby creating a horrific nuisance for the townhouse and apartment complexes in the immediate vicinity. Indeed KLAS held a similar party on September 9, 2008 at its Haining Road offices which reportedly created a severe noise disturbance for a considerable period of time and this pattern will no doubt be replicated at this upcoming function. The concerns of the residents in this regard have been consistently articulated and it is therefore with consternation that the Mayor’s participation in and thereby tacit endorsement of a function which by its very nature will be in breach of the Noise Abatement Act is noted. This as Section 3.4 of the Noise Abatement Act stipulates that:
Subject to subsection (2) and section 5, no person shall, on any private premises or in any public place at any time of day or night:
(a) sing, or sound or play upon any musical or noisy instrument; or
(b) operate, or permit or cause to be operated, any loudspeaker, microphone or any other device for the amplification of sound ,in such a manner that the sound is audible beyond a distance of one hundred metres from the source of such sound and is reasonably capable of causing annoyance to persons in the vicinity …
The consternation of the afflicted residents is compounded when it is recognized that the KSAC has a critical part to play in the approval process for such functions, but its function as the local authority is now compromised by the participation of its Chairman, Mayor McKenzie in an activity which on its face will be in breach of the Noise Abatement Act.
A tribute to Alton Ellis, a true reggae pioneer, is laudable but such a function has no place in a residential community. However, the involvement of Mayor McKenzie as a music selector at a function of this nature creates quite the conundrum as his office remains a critical component of the regulatory framework but his actions would seemingly posit him as part of the problem and not the solution.
5 comments:
I heard Mayor McKenzie was contacted and denied it.
If the Mayor is now denying this, he needs to contact KLAS with regards to the flier promoting the concert which leaves no doubt about the Mayor's participation.
Why do the authorities continue to approve these functions in the middle of the residential communities with no consideration for the people? This is just sickening.
I am appalled at the possibility that the Mayor would be involved in this, as he is the one who is supposed to protect us from such breaches. I am also appalled at the lack of corporate responsibility on the part of KLAS. Even if they stop at 2 am, the noise level will almost certainly be unbearable and significantly disrupt the night rest of the many people who live around. I live elsewhere, in the hills of St. Andrew, and I am sick and tired of having to go home every Friday evening, after a long week of hard work, to the near-certainly a night of loud dancehall music. Two weeks ago it lasted until 5:30 am and involved gun salutes and lewd music I did not even know existed. This afternoon we are having the annual, politically funded "treat for the children" on the nearby playing field, which has historically been occasion for some of the loudest and most raucous music our neighborhood gets to endure for the year. They should really call it "threat for the children." Invariably these "threats" continue until the wee hours of the morning, as our Police station openly refuses to interfere in such matters and often resorts to verbal abuse of those who have to audacity to complain. Knowing that I will have no recourse what soever, I bought ear plugs and a good bottle of rum in preparation what will be for another night from hell(BTW, have you noticed how hard it is to find ear plugs in the pharmacies these days - I have a feeling these things sell really, really well.) This nonsense really cannot continue like this. It is affecting national health, productivity and the social environment but nobody seems to be willing to tackle it substantially. Certainly not our verbose and publicity-loving Mayor ... What are we to do?
I agree entirely with the sentiments of the anonymous writer.
Let us not allow the proposed street dance this evening in New Kingston to be conducted as proposed to be another nail in the coffin of the Noice Abatement Act.
Kent Gammon
kentgammon@yahoo.com
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