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March 4, 2007 – Senator Louis Patrick Hill declared on Friday that the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs should revoke licenses of businesses that violate Virgin Islands noise pollution and setback laws. Senator Hill stated such violations by bars and taverns are particularly offensive to churchgoers and residents in areas surrounding the Methodist and Catholic Churches in the downtown Charlotte Amalia area.
Hill’s remarks were put to Kendrick Robertson during consideration of his nomination as Commissioner of Licensing and Consumer Affairs on Monday at the Senate Committee on Rules and the Judiciary. Hill said he acknowledges that the challenges facing the Department are enormous and that curing noise pollution is not under its jurisdiction. That mandate, explained Senator Hill, falls under the Police Department which for years has been burdened with handling noise pollution complaints, often to no avail.
“However”, stated Hill, “here is one instance where one government agency can assist the other. The authority to revoke the license of an obstreperous entity is a powerful tool in forcing offending businesses to lower the decibels in accordance with the law. The law, which forbids the granting of license to any bar that is within 100 feet or less of a church or house of worship, has been on the books since 1998.
