Tuesday, one of the largest crowds to attend a Town Council meeting in recent La Conner history nearly filled the rows of seats at Maple Hall to ask their leaders to protect live music in Gilkey Square.

The kerfuffle originated from an addendum to a special event permit that was submitted months ago by Gloria Hulst, who organizes the La Conner Live events. The addendum required the nonprofit to keep music levels at or below 55 decibels, which is the volume of a normal conversation.

Following the addendum, La Conner Live announced on Facebook that the nonprofit “cannot continue the concert series as you’ve known and loved it” due to this constraint. This resulted in some shows being canceled or in limbo.

Over a dozen people from La Conner and nearby communities spoke during the public comment period, with some granted extra time or a second chance to take the microphone due to how passionately they felt about the 11-year tradition.

Between loud applauding and cheering, speakers said La Conner Live gives tourists a reason to visit the town on Sunday afternoons, shared their love for dancing to the sound of the guest performances, and lamented that the 55 decibel limit is too low for live music events.

“Before America turns into one giant Bed Bath & Beyond, please preserve the things that make this country weird and eccentric, and powerful, and messy, and lovely, and above the volume of a refrigerator,” said musician Tim Mechling.

In an interview, Mayor Marna Hanneman acknowledged the Town should have looked into what 55 decibels actually meant in the context of outdoor live music.

“I think the major misunderstanding is that (critics) thought we pulled a number out of a hat, when in fact there was an ordinance that (the) town council passed in 2022 prior to me being mayor, that said that we would follow Washington state code regarding the noise level, which is what was done.”

In the future, the council may pass an ordinance that supersedes the ordinance passed four years ago, she said.

The Town will work on a resolution that the council will consider for a possible vote on May 26.

For now, the preferred course of action appears to be recruiting a sound engineer. Performers have been mixing their sound and setting their own sound levels, resulting in numerous complaints from some residents and business owners last year, Town Administrator Scott Thomas explained in a memo.

Hanneman, who was pleased with Tuesday’s turnout and the respectful feedback, pointed out in an interview that none of those complainants came forward to publicly share their experiences.

Mike Bucy, a musician who owns the La Conner Studio 623 guitar store, said he would be willing to be the “sound guy,” if properly compensated for the work. In his speech, he proposed using a sound mixer that can be controlled via a phone app. That way, if neighbors complain about the volume, it could be adjusted immediately, he said.

In his memo, Thomas proposed some solutions that were discussed at the May 3 gathering on Gilkey Square. Aside from hiring a sound engineer, these include:

• Setting a different volume limit. An online petition launched by Gloria Hulst proposed setting the volume levels at 90 to 110 decibels. As of Wednesday morning, the petition had garnered 377 signatures. Thomas cited research that found that workers who are exposed to sounds above 85 decibels are at greater risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss.
• Holding the event at Gilkey Square and the nearby Port of Skagit — or another location — on alternate weeks to provide some respite to complainants, if the port approves. During the public comment period, La Conner Chamber of Commerce Director Mark Hulst, whose business Skagit Cellars is adjacent to the square, advised against moving the concerts to the port because he said it lacks proper seating for seniors and because it would discourage visitors from checking out the businesses downtown.
• Eliminating all volume restrictions, meaning that people would have to sue the event organizers rather than bring their complaints to the Town.
• Prohibiting amplified sounds in favor of other forms of music, like acoustic music.

Hanneman said her biggest takeaway from the whole situation is that people should address their concerns with the Town, rather than on social media at the risk of sharing misleading information.

“We’re a small enough town that we can talk one on one rather than getting everybody riled up,” she said.

Luisa Loi is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.