LITTLE COMPTON — Proposed changes in town ordinances to deal with noise and entertainment will be discussed, but not voted on, at a special workshop meeting of the Town Council at 6 p.m. in Town Hall.

The public is being invited to offer written suggestions and comments by this Wednesday, in a procedure developed by the Council at its meeting last Thursday.

The ordinance proposals have been developed to address neighbors' complaints over the past few months about concerts and weddings at Carolyn's Sakonnet Vineyard over the summer.

The complaints have been directed at loud and amplified sound, the direction in which sound is projected, crowds, traffic, parking on fields, bright lights at night, the lateness of the hours of the entertainment, loud wedding celebrations, the frequency of the events, alcohol, the busing-in of spectators, the (alleged) unauthorized construction of a sound stage, and trash.

The two ordinances

One ordinance to be discussed is a draft revision to the town "Disturbing the Peace" ordinance (Chapter III), Sections 3-1.1 (excessive noise), 3-1.2 (loudness of equipment), 3-1.3 (mufflers), and 3-1.4 (penalties).

Consideration may be be given to assigning decibel levels to allowable or prohibited activities, and to including fireworks among the activities covered.

A second (and new) proposed ordinance would add an "Entertainment License" provision to the "General Licensing" provisions (Chapter VI) of the town's general ordinances.

The draft ordinances to be discussed are available from the clerk's office in Town Hall, and will be available at the meeting itself for members of the public interested in tracking the discussion.

The process

The council has established a process, announced by Council President Robert Mushen, by which the revisions to the ordinances will be discussed and voted on.

• Comments and criticisms of the proposed ordinances — from the public, each town councilor, and the solicitor — must be submitted in writing, by no later than the close of business on Wednesday, Dec. 9, to the Town Clerk, for distribution to the councilors the next night at the Dec. 10 meeting.

• At the Dec. 10 workshop, the written comments will be discussed. After the workshop, and based on the discussion, a second draft of the proposed ordinances will be prepared with the involvement of the town solicitor. The second drafts will be presented to the Town Council at its Dec. 17 meeting

• At the Dec. 17 council meeting, the second drafts of the proposed ordinances will be discussed. "Assuming those are accepted, and including any changes made, we'll schedule a public hearing on the ordinances for the Jan. 7th meeting," Mr. Mushen said.

Licensees advised to take note

There are seven licensees with an interest in entertainment licenses: Carolynn's Sakonnet Vineyard, The Barn Restaurant, Crowther's Restaurant, the Little Compton Community Center, the Sakonnet Point Club, Simmons Cafe and Marketplace, and Young Family Farm.

The council at its Dec. 3 meeting set up a two-step process by which all licenses can operate pending the outcome of the new ordinance adoption procedure.

All licensees were given a four month entertainment license, but were asked to sign an acknowledgement that they would abide by the new ordinances if, and when, they were adopted. All have.

The council will entertain applications from all seven license holders at its March 24, 2016 meeting, the licensees were told, which would be accepted "automatically without need for further application for consideration."