Fines from 4,000 to 80,000 pesos for businesses that do not keep order: Medio Ambiente

Published November 10th, 2021

Fines ranging from 4,000 to 80,000 pesos will be applied to all those businesses that do not keep the order or operate without permits, stated the director of Environment and Sustainability, Alejandro Castro, when asked how noise is being controlled at night, given that in recent weeks reports of excessive decibels in terraces and nightclubs have decreased.

Alejandro pointed out that since the arrival of the administration headed by President Mauricio, last October 10, around 50 businesses have been visited, of which approximately 30 are in an administrative process, where they have been sanctioned for the minimum amount of 4 thousand pesos for disobeying the rules of operation “that everyone is supposed to know” since some have been working for several years.

“I do not like to talk about those who are not but, the previous administration perhaps did not take it so seriously, because the code of procedures is clear, the regulation is clear and the rule is clear, that it is not taken into account is another thing, then now we have found that many of the establishments say ‘I didn’t know, nobody told me’ and something that is very clear in the law is that not knowing the law does not exonerate you from complying with it, and even more so for those who are dedicated to it, so they must know 100% of the procedures and norms within their line of business”, he pointed out.

And what is the control procedure?

What was done first was to make an invitation to all establishments to comply with the rules and regulations, to recover order and quality of life, where Alejandro says, almost all businesses have responded well, with the exception of one or another that still needs to fine-tune details. “We are noticing a decrease in excess noise in the center and in wedding venues and venues in general,” he said.

After the invitation, they continue with the measurements according to the code of procedures, the regulations, and the norm, they have been doing tours to verify that the sound emissions are not annoying for the neighbors, for the businesses, for the people who walk on the street, for the families, so that everyone can enjoy San Miguel de Allende World Heritage Site, “that many times we lose sight of this small but important detail”, said Alejandro.

“We are a World Heritage Site and we have to behave as such, we have to recover the order and maintain it, to maintain this important designation, there are other designations that are… well, it’s good that the city is here and that the city is here, but I think the most important thing is that we are a World Heritage Site, and we have to be an example in order, in historical heritage, in culture, in traditions and we all need to be in the same channel for what is coming in the next few years”, he said.

In the last three weeks we have visited all the businesses in the Center, inviting them to keep order, not to exceed the decibels in their corresponding schedules, likewise, not to close later than allowed, and if they do, we leave a summons for them to say what is being done in the place and if they know the rules, and according to the parameters and tabulators, issue or not a sanction, later the businesses have the right to manifest something in favor of their interests, the director detailed.

What are the hours and decibels allowed for businesses with music?
– Non-daily events with sound emission (weddings, 15th birthday parties, graduations, etc.) are allowed until 12:30 a.m., within the 65 decibels limit.
– Terraces (which are the most reported), are allowed to have sound until 12:00 p.m., and they have one more hour to start the eviction so that at 1:00 a.m. they are completely closed.
– Restaurants & Bars. They are allowed until 1:00 a.m. to broadcast sound, and from 1:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. to start the eviction.
– Canteens. Sound emission until 2:00 a.m. and at 3:00 a.m. they must have the eviction.
– Nightclubs (night clubs). They have until 3:00 a.m. for sound emissions and at 4:00 a.m. they must be completely closed.

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This is the communiqué shared by the authorities to the different types of businesses in recent days.

This means that they cannot have the party at full force, they must continue to maintain order and respect the norm, which is 68 decibels before 10:00 p.m. and 65 decibels after 10:00 p.m.

An invitation is made to those businesses that still do not comply well or that still do not have their mitigation measures, to do so, and to work together for San Miguel de Allende.

“We welcome all those who want to join and those who do not, we will be visiting them to check that they are complying with the rules and regulations,” concluded Alejandro Castro, Director of Environment and Sustainability.