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After a “deluge” of complaints on Wednesday, festival organizers received a $405 ticket for violating noise bylaws. Bylaw officers were on site Thursday through Sunday to monitor any violations, but no further tickets were issued.

Mark Monahan, the festival’s organizer, said he spoke to bylaw officers Sunday night, and was told the noise levels did not exceed the maximum, despite complaints. Monahan insists he’s done everything to comply with noise bylaws since the first night, and he’s not entirely sure what he could have done differently.

“Many noise complaints are centred around expectations,” said Monahan, who remarked that noise complaints have diminished for Bluesfest because of steps taken to keep noise under control, but also in part because people know what to expect during the festival.

“We all know when Canada Day happens, and we expect that there’s going to be noise, or sound, that’s going to be unusual.”

But Taylor said that festivals need to be good neighbours, regardless of whether the bylaws allow for loud music or not.

“There’s a difference between violating a noise bylaw and annoying people,” he said.

Monahan said the city has been dealing with festival noise in an “ad hoc” manner, issuing tickets after-the-fact instead of writing clear rules. Taylor said he understand why residents are upset by the noise, but also understands Monahan’s frustrations with the regulations and agrees the city needs to update its approach.

“We’re becoming a city of fairs and festivals in a way we never were before, and that’s going to make all the bylaws … kind of a movable feast as we continue to try and improve them,” he said.

Taylor said the Community and Protective Services Committee will begin talking with stakeholders and studying noise complaints in the winter, well before next year’s festival season.