Title
Approving the application of Twin Cities in Motion for a sound level variance in order to present amplified sound for the Get in Gear event on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at 240 Summit Avenue - outside the James J. Hill House.
Body
WHEREAS, Chapter 293 of the Saint Paul Legislative Code was enacted to regulate the subject of noise in the City of Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, section 293.10 provides for the granting of variances from the sound level limitations contained in § 293.07 upon a finding by the City Council that full compliance with Chapter 293 would constitute an unreasonable hardship on the applicant, other persons, or on the community; and
WHEREAS, Twin Cities in Motion ("Applicant"), represented by Sam Rush, Event Operations Manager, who has been designated as the responsible person on the application, has applied for a variance for a sound level limit of 85 dBA at no specified distance from the sound source, to present amplified sound at 240 Summit Avenue - outside the James J. Hill House; and
WHEREAS, the Applicant has requested a variance for the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, 2026, with a pre-event sound check at 7:45 a.m., for the Get in Gear event; and
WHEREAS, if the Applicant is not granted a variance, then the Applicant will not be able to present amplified sound at 240 Summit Avenue - outside the James J. Hill House; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Safety and Inspections has reviewed the application and has made recommendations regarding conditions for the variance. Now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Saint Paul hereby grants a variance to Twin Cities in Motion, subject to the following conditions:
1) The Variance shall be for the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, 2026, with a pre-event sound check at 7:45 a.m., for the Get in Gear event.
2) All electronically powered equipment used in conjunction with the event shall not exceed 85 dBA as measured at 50 feet from the sound source from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, 2026.
3) The Applicant shall monitor the decibel level from the variance approved distance of each noise source and create a report that records the general operating decibel levels within 15 minutes of the start of each performing act and at intervals no greater than 60 minutes apart thereafter. The report shall be made available for viewing by city staff upon request during the variance and within 30 days thereafter. The Applicant shall also conduct a decibel reading during the variance upon request of city staff.
4) All electronically powered equipment, PA systems, loudspeakers, or similar devices shall be turned off no later than 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, 2026.
FURTHER RESOLVED, that any violations of the conditions set forth above on Saturday, April 25, 2026, the event date, may result in denial of future requests for the grant of a noise variance, in addition to any criminal citation that might issue.
Required Background Information
Twin Cities in Motion, represented by Sam Rush, Event Operations Manager, has requested a variance from the sound level limitations in section 293.07 in order to present amplified sound, with limitations, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, 2026, with a pre-event sound check at 7:45 a.m. Section 293.10 provides for the granting of variances from the sound level limitations contained in section 293.07.
Was proper notice given? YES - See Attachments