Jim Thorpe borough is moving closer to adopting a noise ordinance.

A draft ordinance, put together by a planning committee was presented to the borough council on Thursday night.Solicitor James Nanovic agreed to review the document and make any appropriate changes before the next planning commission meeting.Council could vote to advertise the ordinance at its Nov. 13 meeting.As its current draft is worded, the ordinance would be in effect from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day and prohibit "any sound that causes a noise disturbance."A noise disturbance is defined in the draft as any sound that "disturbs a reasonable person of normal sensitivities, or is plainly audible."Nanovic told council he would look over some of the wording as the ordinance seemed to indicate any sound made in the borough would trigger a violation with certain exceptions such as an emergency vehicle or noise produced by a permitted event in the borough.Violators would be fined $125, plus court costs, for the first offense, and an extra $25 for each additional offense in the same calendar year.Police would have the option to issue a warning for an initial offense."It allows this ordinance to have some bite," said council member John McGuire, who was also a part of the ordinance committee."If you keep getting fined, it is going to hurt."According to the ordinance, any police officer or other official designated by the borough can enforce it."The primary means of detection shall be by means of the official's normal hearing faculties, so longas the official's hearing is not enhanced by any mechanical device," the draft states.The person enforcing the ordinance would need to have a direct line of sight to the property where the noise is coming from.Borough officials said if the ordinance were adopted, they would petition the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to take over enforcement of borough establishments that have a liquor license.JTAMS Inc., operators of the Mauch Chunk Opera House, voluntarily put the establishment's liquor license in escrow last month in the wake of continued complaints from neighbors about the noise level during shows.While alcohol is available to show attendees, the opera house can't charge for the drinks."It's hurting us," production manager Vincent Degiosio said on Thursday night. "We're hanging on by a thread."The noise ordinance would likely be a benefit to the opera house as most shows are over by 11 p.m.Despite the noise complaints from opera house neighbors, Jim Thorpe Mayor Michael Sofranko said the borough as a whole does not have a problem."Noise complaints make up less than 1 percent of the call volume to the police over the last two to three years," Sofranko said.Jim Thorpe PoliceChief Joe Schatz said the ordinance hour restriction doesn't mean it would be a free-for-all from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m."We can still charge someone with disorderly conduct during the day under the state law," he said.