There were many happy people at the Nashville City Council meeting last night and then they were unhappy.  The results of the sound survey of the Sisco Corporation plant on the south side of town were presented to the council and public by John Paulauski of J.P. Acoustics.  He was commissioned by the City Council late last year to conduct sound tests on several occasions to find out if Sisco was in compliance with the sounds that were being emitted from the plant.  The subdivision and other residents in the area have been complaining of the sound for over a year and came to the Council with their complaint.  According to the study, of which Sisco has a copy of, the business is out of compliance in both day time hours and night time hours, as specified by the Illinois Pollution Control Board.  Paulauski talked about the sound pathways, saying the source of the loud noise comes from the fans used in the transfer of cardboard scraps to a cyclone system, which then sends the scraps to a shredder.  The ductwork conducts the sound and it resonates off of it as well.  There is a large wall on another building that the sound bounces off of as well.  Paulauski made recommendations to reduce the sound in his report, including putting some sort of material around the ductwork to absorb the sound, as well as keeping the sound from going in the direction of the ductwork.  A barrier is to be built, but he recommends it to be taller.  There is an opening near the shredder and Paulauski recommends the opening be closed up or moved away.  He says if they make his recommendations, then they should be in compliance with the sound regulations.  The audience was pleased with this news, but then after asking what steps the Council was going to take, they became unhappy.  Mayor Raymond Kolweier said they would put a plan of action together, but it wouldn’t be immediate, as the council would go over the report and consult with legal counsel.  Several members of the subdivision in attendance were concerned that the business is allowed to operate while out of compliance, essentially breaking the law.  They just want the plant to operate as it had before this new equipment was installed, not for the plant to shut down, just shut down the noise producing equipment.  Many times they said they felt the Mayor and Council were sticking up for Sisco.  They believe they have waited long enough and now have the proof that the plant is endangering their hearing, especially those of their children.  A letter was read from the Illinois EPA by resident Stephen Kozuszek, stating that the city or police or health department can do something about the complaints.

This morning, Nashville City Clerk Joyce Sheridan, reported that the City Council met in executive session after the regular meeting last night and took action in response to the Sisco Corporation noise complaint and results of a sound survey showing the plant to be in violation of noise regulations.  She said the Council instructed City Attorney William DeMoss to immediately notify the Illinois Pollution Control Board of the study results and instructed Chief of Police Brian Fletcher to enforce Chapter 8.16.010 Nuisances of the Municipal Code.  He will do this by giving written notice to Sisco Corporation requiring them to remove said nuisances not to exceed 45 days.  The Council was not able to do anything during the regular meeting without discussing the situation and what their options were, as they have to deal with the legality of their actions.