The City of Hastings and the Police Officers Labor Council have reached agreement on a new three-year labor contract which includes a two-percent salary increase for each of the three years, City Manager Jeff Mansfield said after a closed session following the regular council meeting Set. 12. The only other changes are minor changes in language that both sides agreed on, he said.
During public comment at the meeting, resident Al Sherry again asked the council to do something about the noise levels of concerts at the Thornapple Plaza. Sherry said the sound is so loud that it disturbs the peace. He said some acts use amps, “as big as refrigerators,” and asked for a decibel level ordinance.
The Summerfest musical entertainment was so loud it echoed off the buildings and down the river, Sherry said. Normal speech is 60 to 70 dBs and sustained 90 to 95 dBs can cause permanent hearing loss, he said. A garbage truck is 170 dBs, and a rock concert is between 120 and 150 dBs. “I’d like someone to do something. Why does it have to be so loud?”
The council also heard from Hastings High School students that that the Homecoming Parade will change it’s route this year, traveling down State Street then back to the high school, to offer more involvement by the community.
