Noise complaints involving establishments with a liquor license in Jim Thorpe Borough will no longer result in immediate fines.

Last week, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board unanimously approved the borough's request to have its own noise ordinance take precedence over the state."The motion passed without much discussion," PLCB representative Shawn Kelley said Monday afternoon."The exemption is good through March 11, 2016, and is effective immediately."Prior to the PLCB's approval of the exemption, licensed establishments could be fined by the PLCB without warning if a noise complaint was lodged against it.The procedural change will be of great benefit to the Mauch Chunk Opera House, which amassed fines of over $2,000 since November 2013 after complaints by neighborsIn September, the opera house put its liquor license in safekeeping to avoid potentially losing it for too many noise violations. On Friday, they took the license out of safekeeping, charging for alcohol again for the first time in six months."We're very relieved," said Vince Degiosio, producer of events at the opera house."It's been rough not having our license. Even though the noise exemption was passed, we're still going to be very respectful of the community. The good news is that this gives us a fighting chance to stay in operation."During the period it didn't have a license, the opera house accepted donations for alcohol. The response from patrons was mixed."Some people donated very generously and some saw it as a way to beat the system and get free drinks," Degiosio said. "Anybody who knows this line of work knows that the liquor license is how you survive. We're very glad to have it back and hope everything stays normal."Jim Thorpe passed its own noise ordinance in January. It prohibits noise disturbances from 11 p.m. to 5:59 a.m. for residents and 24 hours per day for Jim Thorpe's 26 establishments with a liquor license.Jim Thorpe's ordinance allows for a warning after the first complaint, and any fines would go to the borough instead of the state.After the warning, a first offense will result in a $150 fine, followed by a $250, $375 and $500 fine for subsequent violations.The maximum fine is $1,000 for any 365-day period.The PLCB will still handle issues such as establishments serving minors and could still be called to deal with noise complaints if the police deem it necessary.When the noise exemption expires in 2016, the entire procedure, from application to hearing to the PLCB's decision, is repeated.