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Knoxville city council postpones vote on amplifier ban

Performers are banned from using amplifiers in Market Square. A new proposal would expand that to all city public property, and that's raising concerns.

A city proposal to ban amplified sound on public property is raising concerns.

The plan states people can still play instruments in parks and along city sidewalks, but they can't amplify that sound without a permit. That rule is already in place for Market Square.

On Tuesday, the Knoxville City Council voted to postpone the decision for four weeks. They will take that time to make changes so the proposal strikes a good balance.

City leaders said they want police to have clearer guidelines when they are called out for noise complaints. The proposal right now requires performers to buy a permit for amplified sound.

Some performers say a blanket ban on amplifiers would limit their work.

"I got a loud voice so it really doesn't affect me but other people don't and they need that for people to be able to hear them," musician Kenneth Rouse said.

Others say it protects people's rights to peace and quiet.

"I think it deters people from enjoying their experience," Cafe 4 manager Demetrios Klonaris said.

Some people want the proposed ordinance to define 'amplified sound' more clearly.

"The proposed amendment struck me as odd because it was so broad and it's unclear how it would be enforced fairly," John Stirling Walsh said.

City leaders say they'll consider decibel level, proximity to businesses and homes, time of day, the permitting process and its possible costs.

"The motivation behind this ordinance was not all about squelching anyone's freedom of speech rights," Councilwoman Seema Singh-Perez told 10News. "I am simply concerned about the unintended consequences. I would rather see a decibel limit and time frames in place than a permit required. A required permit makes it 'permitted free speech'."

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