“Ambient noise or background noise” means noise of a measurable intensity which exists at a point as a result of a combination of many distant sources individually indistinguishable.

“City” means the City of Sebastopol.

“City Council” means the City Council of the City of Sebastopol or a duly authorized officer.

Commercial Zone. As defined and set forth in SMC Title 17 and all noise associated therewith, either permitted as a right or as a special use.

“Construction” means any site preparation, assembly, erection, substantial repair, alteration or similar action, for or of public or private rights-of-way, structures, utilities or similar properties, but excluding demolition.

“Construction equipment” means any equipment or device operated by any fuel or electric power used in construction or demolition work.

“Daytime hours” means the hours between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, the hours between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. on Saturday and the hours between 9:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. on Sundays. On Sundays preceding recognized Federal, State or local holidays that fall on Mondays, the daytime hours for those Sundays shall be considered to be the hours between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.

“Decibel” means a logarithmic unit of measure in measuring magnitudes or sound. The symbol of dB.

“Demolition” means any dismantling, intentional destruction or removal of structures, utilities, public or private right-of-way surfaces or similar properties.

“Domestic power equipment” means including but not limited to power saws, drills, grinders, leaf blowers, lawn and garden tools and other domestic power equipment intended for use in residential areas by a resident or the resident’s agent.

“Emergency” means any occurrence or set of circumstances involving actual or perceived imminent physical trauma or property damage which demands immediate action.

“Emergency vehicle” means any motor vehicle authorized by the State of California to have sound warning devices, such as sirens and bells, which can lawfully be used when responding to an emergency.

“Emergency work” means work made necessary to restore property to a safe condition following an emergency or work required to protect persons or property from exposure of imminent danger.

“Impulse noise” means sound of short duration, usually less than one second, with an abrupt onset and rapid decay.

Industrial Zone. As defined and set forth in SMC Title 17 and all uses associated therewith, either permitted as a right or as a special use.

Motor Vehicle. Per Section 415 of the California Vehicle Code.

“Muffler” means a device for abating sounds such as escaping gases.

“Nighttime hours” means the hours between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., Monday evening through Friday morning, the hours between 10:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m., Friday evening through Sunday morning and the hours between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., Sunday evening through Monday morning. On Sundays preceding recognized Federal, State or local holidays that fall on Mondays, the nighttime hours for those Sundays shall be considered to be the hours between 10:00 p.m. Sunday evening and 8:00 a.m. Monday morning.

“Noise” means any sound, the intensity of which exceeds the standards set forth in SMC 8.25.060.

“Noise level” means the sound pressure level as measured with a sound level meter using the A weighting network. The level so read is designated db(A) or dBA.

“Person” means any individual, firm, partnership, association, syndicate, company, trust, corporation, municipality, agency or political or administrative subdivision of the State or other legal entity of any kind.

“Premises” means any building structure, land or portion thereof, including all appurtenances, and shall include yards, lots, courts, inner yards and real properties without building or improvements owned or controlled by a person. The emitter’s premises includes contiguous publicly dedicated street and highway rights-of-way, all road rights-of-way and waters of the State.

“Property line” means that real or imaginary line along the ground surface and its vertical extension which separates real property owned or controlled by any person from contiguous real property owned or controlled by another person and separates real property from the public right-of-way.

“Public property” means any property owned by the City of Sebastopol, excepting properties owned by the City that are utilized for residential dwelling purposes.

“Public right-of-way” means any street, avenue, boulevard, highway, sidewalk, alley, park, waterway, railroad or similar place which is owned or controlled by a governmental entity.

“Recreational vehicles” means any internal combustion engine-powered vehicle which is being used for recreational purposes, including but not limited to: ATVs, boats, race cars, snowmobiles, and off-highway motorcycles.

“Residential zone” means those residential districts, community facilities districts, planned community districts and primary wetland districts as defined and set forth in SMC Title 17 and all uses associated therewith, either permitted as a right or as a special use.

“Sound” means a transmission of energy through solid, liquid or gaseous media in the form of vibrations which constitute alterations in pressure or position of the particles in the medium and which, in air, evoke physiological sensations including but not limited to an auditory response when impinging on the ear.

“Sound level meter” means an instrument used to take sound level measurements and which should conform, as a minimum, to the operational specifications of the American National Standards Institute for Sound Level Meters S1.4 – 1971. (Type S2A).