Noise Fine Policy
Belmar is borrowing a promotional idea from a Lake Como bar to take a new approach to prosecuting night-time noise violations.
On “Beat-the-Clock” night, Lake Como’s Bar Anticipation raises its drink prices every hour. Yet until now, Belmar has been charging the same old $350 fine for noise violations no matter when they occur.
Belmar has started its own “Beat-the-Clock” promotion.
Here’s how it works: The later in the evening a noise violation occurs, the larger the fine that Belmar’s municipal prosecutor will seek to impose in municipal court.
So the current minimum noise fine of $350 will apply only to violations that occur before 11:00 p.m. The prosecutor will seek an increase of $100 in the fine amount for each hour after 10:00 p.m. that a noise violation occurs. So, the minimum fine sought for someone being loud just after bars let out at 2:00 a.m. will now be $750.
Fines for second offenders are double the Beat-the-Clock figure.
Belmar’s “Beat-the-Clock” enforcement approach to noise violations will run all summer long.