Raleigh toughens noise penalties, OKs WiFi network

The City Council on Tuesday put more teeth in Raleigh's noise ordinance by allowing police to assess fines for violations.

Previously, police could charge someone with a misdemeanor for violating the noise ordinance, but convicting people on such charges was time-consuming, officials said.

The new ordinance, which takes effect July 1, allows police to assess civil fines for violations, starting at $100 per day for a first offense and $300 per day for additional offenses within 12 months. People have the opportunity to appeal a fine to an arbitrator.

The City Council also approved a $111,729 contract with WindChannel to build a wireless Internet connection for downtown. The WiFi network would cover the area bordered by South, West, Morgan and Person streets, and officials expect it to be operational by this fall.