Here comes the noise crackdown

The city hired the noise consultant they expect to be the harshest.

Hammer’s hiring would be one of the first steps in the process of creating an office that would deal with environmental health and noise issues.

Hammer’s proposal came out on top against a competing offer from David Woolworth, who served as the council’s expert on sound issues during the debate over a proposed ordinance to tighten regulation on sound levels at bars and nightclubs.

Those looking for stricter noise regulations largely saw Woolworth as being in the opposing camp, and on several occasions he argued that the proposed rules would be too restrictive.

During Thursday’s evaluation session, committee members praised Woolworth’s knowledge of the city and his ability to research the issues, but they said his proposal was focused on the city’s schools and not issues in the French Quarter and Marigny, two hot spots of tension over sound issues.

Hammer, who does not live in New Orleans, got high marks for her background in environmental health and her previous experience dealing with sound issues in Chicago.