Kent residents may have to change the way they party or be forced to face new consequences.

City Council passed two ordinances last night with the intention of deterring people in Kent from having large, loud parties.

Both ordinances amended previous ones that defined what a nuisance party was, and a codified ordinance that styled unlawful noise.

One of the new ordinances changes how much residents will be charged when the police have to ticket them for unlawful noise.

Law director James Silver said the original penalty for the first visit to a noisy residence will remain anywhere from a warning to a $1,000 fine, but the new ordinance will make the second fine a minimum of $500.

Councilmen John Kuhar and William Schultz disagreed with raising the fine to what they considered too large of a fee.

“We don’t need to pay our debt with penalties,” Kuhar said.

Councilman Ed Bargerstock argued it didn’t pay for the city’s debt, but rather for the police.

Despite Kuhar and Schultz’s objections, the ordinance passed 6-2.

The noise ordinance, which allows the police to break up a party if a combination of violations such as public urination, open container, littering and property damage are occurring, also passed 6-2.

The ordinance was again met with dissent from Kuhar and Schultz. Kuhar still suggested they lower the fine for such penalties.

Throughout the meeting, council members Beth Oswitch and Bargerstock made it clear the ordinance was not only aimed at Kent State students, who they said were not the main cause of the problem, but rather the community as a whole. Bargerstock said he saw the ordinances as a way of the strengthening the community.

“I would encourage everyone to work together and make this a much better community,” he said.

Contact public affairs reporter Andrew Gaug at [email protected].