Sheriff tells county commission to expect crowd at its next meeting
Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff Heath Jackson told county commissioners Monday that they should expect a crowd of people at the next meeting to complain about the noise at the Tri-County Racetrack near Flomaton.
Jackson told the commission his office received multiple calls this past weekend complaining about the noise. Jackson said all he can tell them is that the county does not have a noise ordinance and there's nothing his office can do.
It was stated that races were still going on at 1 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. this past weekend.
“What leg do we have to stand on?” asked Commissioner Brandon Smith.
Smith said the issue had been discussed before and also noted that there are other businesses in the rural areas that make noise late at night.
“It always falls down to the county but there's no ordinance,” Jackson said. “We can't enforce it without a law on the books. We can't even go down there and tell them to turn it down. We're the ones who get the calls and they get mad at us thinking we're not doing our job.”
Several residents in the area of the racetrack, located at the intersection of Highway 31 and Old Highway 31, appeared before the commission a few years ago after the track opened.
Commission Chairman Raymond Wiggins said he receives complaints about the noise late at night at the chip mill on Highway 31 near Brewton and there are trains coming across the county blowing whistles late at night.
Commissioner Karean Reynolds also said he gets complaints about people shooting firearms late at night.
