Input to the Community Issues Noise/Nuisance By-Law Report Presented By the Short Term Rental Accommodation Committee Saturday,

January 14, 2012

1. As long-time cottage owners in Plan 24 of Grand Bend, my husband and I would like to thank Councilors Doug Bonesteel and Dave Maguire for listening to our concerns and acting on them. We would also like to thank the current Council for supporting the initiatives of these gentlemen by setting up the Short Term Rental Accommodation Committee, giving it priority and making financial and staff resources available to it so that it may accomplish its goals. We are most appreciative to Clerk Carol McKenzie and the rest of the Committee for all the research and brainstorming that has gone into trying to come up with some resolutions to the concerns of residents in our area. 2. Regarding this report and as members of the Lambton Shores Community Association, we will be encouraging our neighbours to document their calls to enforcement officers this summer. Our assumption will be that the OPP and By-law Officers will also be keeping track of each and every complaint so that at the end of the summer season all reported issues can be assessed. Please be aware that people on the whole are reluctant to make complaint calls to enforcement officers for a variety of reasons: they are intimidated, they fear repercussions, or they feel uncomfortable dealing with the police. We would hope that our police and by-law officers would be cognizant of those concerns and be receptive to these peoples complaints, rather than dismissing them. In making calls ourselves, we do so after we have endured the annoyance to our limit. Secondly, we always go outside, walk up and down the street before we call, to ensure that we are confident as to the source of the problem. Other points wed like to make concerning this report:

1. Regarding the wording in the Noise Bylaw noise likely to disturb, if a resident lodges a complaint, then have we not moved past likely to disturb, since it is obviously disturbing someone if he or she has called with a concern? Would the officers not use that information in court? 2. Regarding the decibel meters, do they pick up the thump, thump, thump of the bass of music, which is very annoying? Can sporadic noise, like shouting be addressed? 3. On the point of having the noise bylaw differentiate between day and night time noise levels, please be assured that loud music can be very disturbing during the day as well as at night. This current noise by-law was written by the members of the Grand Bend Residents Association to fit the needs of Plan 24. Please do not change the bylaw on this issue. 4. Having commercial establishments direct their speakers toward the interior of their businesses seems like a good step to take. Perhaps we could have residences do the same. 5. The other recommendations appear to be going in a solutionbased direction and are commendable. Thank you. Alan and Sandra Cronk 18 Woodward Ave., Grand Bend.