At yesterday’s Associated Students Legislative Council meeting, council members approved two resolutions and listened to a presentation of survey results concerning Isla Vista’s noise ordinance.

Keith Russell, Vice President of External Affairs for Santa Barbara City College, presented a plan to amend chapter 40-2 of the Santa Barbara County Ordinance Code on nighttime noise restrictions. Russell wants to extend the time at which the noise ordinance takes affect from 12 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Russell, who surveyed 428 I.V. residents to assess student opinion on the issue, said students overwhelmingly supported extending the ordinance to 2 a.m. He claimed he had identified problems with the enforcement of the ordinance and then proposed possible solutions to the problem.

I.V. residents can receive noise citations if music can be heard 100 feet away from their property’s edge after 12 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, or after 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. In I.V., officers function under a “no tolerance” policy, meaning that they cannot give a verbal warning for violations of the noise ordinance, but must automatically issue citations, Russell said.

Last year, Russell said, the I.V. Foot Patrol issued 556 noise citations, only 37 of which were in response to complaints. One section of Russell’s resolution demanded that the IVFP only issue noise citations when they receive a complaint.

“I feel that many students are being victimized by foot patrol [officers] who are giving citations on [the] first strike without warning,” Russell said.

The resolution also suggests reducing the citation from $100 to $50 on the first offense, and recommends the availability of permits in the case that residents wish to hold special events ending after 12 a.m.

Before voting on the amendment, Off-Campus Rep. Rachel Weight said she thought extending the noise ordinance would reduce violence in I.V.

“The idea is that if everyone is outside for a live band, they’re not going home smashing people’s car windows,” Weight said. “It will cut back on students committing random crimes.”

After a brief discussion, the council unanimously passed the resolution. The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will hear the resolution at their next meeting.

Leggies also passed a resolution to support a merged, single Measure D initiative. The initiative, which is concerned with transportation projects, was presented at Santa Barbara County Association of Governments meeting today.

Weight said she thinks the initiative is important because many students and Santa Barbara County members use alternative methods of transportation.

“We pay the sales tax and a lot of students and Santa Barbara County members don’t drive cars,” Weight said. “The county may not recognize how many people use alternative transportation.”

Council members unanimously passed the Measure D Initiative resolution.