Two ordinances related to partying in Chattanooga were shot down on first readings Tuesday night by the Chattanooga City Council.

The council voted 6-0 to withdraw an ordinance that would have established 1,000-foot boundaries between future nightclubs and residential areas. It also voted 6-0 not to approve a special gathering permit be required for anyone attending an event with 50 or more people between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.

Councilman Peter Murphy, chairman of the legal and legislative committee, said at that meeting that more work was needed on the nightclub ordinance, especially on looking at the size of establishments.

As far as the special gathering permits, he said legislation could not fix all problems because of a few bad incidents.

“We can’t legislate responsibility universally,” he said.

At one point during the legal and legislative committee meeting, council members stepped outside the City Council building and watched as a Parks and Recreation employee drove his Chevrolet sport utility vehicle with its stereo blasting 250 feet, 500 feet, 750 feet and 1,000 feet away.

Back inside, Mr. Murphy told the council members he wanted to show them visually 1,000 feet.

“A thousand feet is a long ways away,” he said.

Councilman Manny Rico said other problems also contributed to the noise pollution.

“It’s not the noise of the club as much as the noise of the vehicles,” he said.

Councilwoman Sally Robinson proposed taking a different route to also go after any existing nightclubs, who might be “grandfathered” into the ordinance. City Attorney Mike McMahan proposed looking at tightening the beer ordinance laws.

Chattanooga Police Department Chief Freeman Cooper said that could work.

“We’re not trying to put anyone out of business,” he said. “We want everyone to operate professionally.”