Though council members did approve an outline of the proposed planner’s duties and goals at Monday’s meeting, Athens City Council will not vote on the proposed Halloween event planner until the next council meeting at the earliest.

“I would rather have two more weeks with council than two more weeks with the event planner,” said Councilwoman Amy Flowers, D-at large.

Council members Paul Wiehl, D-1st Ward, Carol Patterson, D-at large and Bojinka Bishop, D-2nd Ward, were in favor of voting on the proposed event planner Monday night.

Though the resolution defining the position’s goals and duties passed, three council members—Jim Sands, D-at large, Nancy Bain, D-3rd Ward, and Debbie Phillips, D-4th Ward—voted against it.

“I have heard from a lot of people, but they have yet to say that an event planner is a good idea,” Sands said.

Other council members said they felt it was necessary to hear more from their constituents before voting on the ordinance.

In other council news, Bain introduced changes to the city’s noise violation ordinance that would more clearly define vocal and machine noise.

The changes derive from constituent complaints about noise from Broney’s Alumni Grill, 7 W Carpenter St., and from loud air compressor units at locations such as East Elementary School, 3 Wallace Dr., Bain said.

“‘Escalating vocal noise’ that exceeds 85 decibels or is ‘plainly audible’ from more than 50 feet away would be a violation if the changes were adopted. This includes businesses such as Broney’s that have ‘outside operations.’”

Machine-generated sound—such as music or an air conditioning unit—that can be measured at 85 decibels from the inside of another building with the windows and doors shut would also be a violation.