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Raleigh toughens noise penalties, OKs WiFi network

The City Council on Tuesday put more teeth in Raleigh's noise ordinance by allowing police to assess fines for violations.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — The City Council on Tuesday put more teeth in Raleigh's noise ordinance by allowing police to assess fines for violations.

Previously, police could charge someone with a misdemeanor for violating the noise ordinance, but convicting people on such charges was time-consuming, officials said.

The new ordinance, which takes effect July 1, allows police to assess civil fines for violations, starting at $100 per day for a first offense and $300 per day for additional offenses within 12 months. People have the opportunity to appeal a fine to an arbitrator.

The City Council also approved a $111,729 contract with WindChannel to build a wireless Internet connection for downtown. The WiFi network would cover the area bordered by South, West, Morgan and Person streets, and officials expect it to be operational by this fall.

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