A City Council committee has approved moving ahead with a noise ordinance proposed by Ald. Brendan Reilly, aimed at cracking down on the "Bucket Boys" and other street performers downtown. Picking up where his predecessor Burt Natarus left off, Reilly wants to give an existing noise ordinance more teeth by revoking a performer's license after fewer violations of playing above acceptable decibel levels. Police Cmdr. Steve Georgas testified to the committee agreeing with Reilly that the performers weren't just annoyances, but can also contribute to petty crime, like pickpocketing. more ›

Alderman Brendan Reilly (42nd) has taken up the mantle of his predecessor Burt Natarus in the crackdown on street performers. For years Natarus tried to get them -- especially the "bucket boys" -- to pipe down, and introduced two ordinances towards the end of his career. The first -- which sought to ban street performers entirely -- met with charges of "urban cleansing" so the second time around, instead of bans, Natarus requested license fees, noise limits, and control of where performing was permitted. That version made it into law. more ›