The city of Palmetto can now fine people for playing music too loud.

City commissioners voted this week in favor of fining residential and commercial properties because of related complaints.

Under the new noise ordinance, violators will get a warning on the first complaint.  A second complaint carries a $250 fine, a third complaint is a $500 fine and the fourth time is a mandatory court appearance.

Palmetto Police Chief Rick Wells said officers will not use decibel meters, but instead the "reasonable person standard."

"We will base these violations on the reasonable person standard, where the officer will go out, he will hear the noise itself and if he deems it to be in violation of the ordnance, then he will take appropriate action," Wells said.

Not everyone is happy about the new ordinance, though. The Blue Mangrove Grill has music every night and says the new fines are unfair.

"The idea of it just being an arbitrary decision on somebody’s part that its loud or too loud is the issue that I have how do you fight that in court," said Mark Bartlett, the restaurant's general manager.

The police department will give one warning per year, and after that it becomes a fine. So if you get a warning in September, and they are called back to your establishment in December, it's still $250.

Palmetto officials say officers have more important things to do than knock on doors multiple times in one night to tell people to turn down the music. The city believes these fines will help reduce this problem.