North Catasauqua resident Brenda Dreisbach returned to borough council Sept. 23, hoping to work with its members to revise a draft of a noise ordinance she had proposed at the Aug. 26 meeting.

"I can't stress enough the importance of trying to get our neighbors to get along and giving the police something to fall back on in regards to noise," she said. "It's important so we can teach our children about the values of respect, that children tend to not have anymore."

Council President Joe Keglovits informed Dreisbach a letter from the borough had been sent to her that day, informing her council had discussed the proposed ordinance at the Sept. 9 meeting and decided not to take any action on it.

Keglovits and borough Solicitor William McCarthy explained after reviewing her proposed ordinance, the council had decided the current disorderly conduct ordinance protects the borough and its citizens with regard to noise disturbances.

"I think there is a sanction for any disturbance," McCarthy said. "I think your ordinance was a little too broad. This [disorderly conduct ordinance], I think, covers it."

Dreisbach said she has had issues with a neighbor for six years and is very familiar with what she considered the shortcomings of the current borough ordinances with regard to disturbances. The police, she said, have not been able to use current ordinances to take action against the neighbor to her satisfaction.

McCarthy replied that the police may not have considered the circumstances she reported to be a matter of disorderly conduct.

Dreisbach said the problematic neighbor has recently moved away, but she is looking to the future.

"I am looking to be proactive and not reactive in case another issue might arise," she said. "The police have not been actively enforcing disorderly conducts."

She suggested that there may have been a prejudicial reaction by police towards her or her family.

McCarthy emphasized it is the responsibility of police to make a decision whether or not to prosecute in each case they deal with, but Dreisbach argued that the disorderly conduct statue had not been specific enough to be enforceable in the instances she had reported in the past.

"I feel I pay a significant amount of taxes … and I feel I deserve a fair amount of protection from this department," she said.

In a discussion that had occurred at the Aug. 26 meeting, Keglovits had commented when the borough looked into a possible noise ordinance a number of years ago, they learned a decibel-metering machine would have to be purchased to measure noise levels in order to enforce such an ordinance.

Council members also questioned her suggestion for nighttime noise limits beginning at 8:30 p.m.

Fire Chief Sean McGinley had expressed concern that with a noise ordinance requiring them to check decibel levels, police would be so occupied with checking noise levels that public safety would be shortchanged as a result.

Police Chief Kim Moyer said noise complaints typically come in as a result of an occasional late-night party or holiday fireworks and are handled under current disorderly conduct regulations.

No one on the council felt noise complaints in the borough were enough of a problem to pass a special ordinance to regulate noise levels.

Keglovits commented at the Sept. 23 meeting that other than complaints from Dreisbach, the police department has received very few complaints about noisy neighbors.

"I think the police department in this borough is very fair," McCarthy told Dreisbach, adding he doesn't think its officers have discriminated against Dreisbach in any way.

Council members agreed new regulation is not necessary.