Noise ordinances continue to affect UVM students, and with the implementation of Burlington City Council’s new noise ordinance policy, parties are being broken up more frequently with students paying higher fines than in the past.

Two weekends ago, on Saturday March 29th, a party at the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house was broken up shortly after midnight.

Neighbors had complained to the police about loud music and loud noise.

Since the party had just begun, many people were also walking in and out of the house, making the house more visible to suspicious police or concerned neighbors.

Five house members were each fined $300, resulting in a total party fine of 1500 dollars.

Many students on campus feel this charge is too high. “Yes, it was a loud party- but certainly not louder than others at this school…it was not obnoxious and any fine over 1000 dollars is ridiculous,” says one student who was at the house on Saturday night.

But high fines for loud parties can be expected in the future.

Due to a noise ordinance that was just recently passed by the city council, punishment for a noise violation now ranges from community service hours and high fines to arrests.

In the past, houses were charged only one total fee for a noise violation but Burlington police did not feel that this policy was effective.

Now every resident named on the house lease is held accountable and fined.

Instead of a $100 house fine, this policy results in fines that could reach as high as $2000 for one night of partying.

Fraternities are far from being the only houses hard hit by these new regulations.

Members of the UVM Rugby team were also fined for noise violations on the weekend of the 29th and the police broke up two downtown house parties and fined residents just this past weekend.