False alarm service charges; enforcement provisions

(a)

It is hereby found and determined that more than six false alarms within any permit year is excessive and constitutes a public nuisance.

(b)

The activation of false alarms within a permit year will be handled according to the following escalating service fee schedule:

(1)

The first and second false alarms will not be billed a service charge. The third false alarm will be billed a $52.50 service charge that shall be considered a bill owed by the alarm user to the city. Failure to make payment within 15 days of receipt of the bill shall result in a discontinuance of police response to alarms that may occur at the premises described in the alarm user's permit until payment is received. The fourth false alarm will be billed a $105.00 service charge and must be paid within 15 days of receipt or there will be no further police response. The fifth false alarm will be billed a $157.50 service charge and must be paid within 15 days of receipt or there will be no further police response. The sixth false alarm will be billed a $210.00 service charge and must be paid within 15 days of receipt or there will be no further police response.

(2)

The seventh false alarm shall result in no police response and shall also result in revocation of the alarm user's permit in the following manner:

a.

The alarm user shall be given ten days' advance written notification that the alarm user's permit will be revoked, which written notice shall set forth the reasons for such revocation.

b.

The notice shall specify the specific date of revocation, and that the police department will discontinue responding to alarms that occur at the premises described in the revoked permit after the date of revocation.

c.

False alarms occurring before the effective date of police response termination or while an appeal is pending pursuant to section 3-28 hereof, will continue to accumulate service charges which will be billed and handled in accordance with the provisions hereof.

d.

Reinstatement of the permit and police service will be made upon receipt of a letter from an alarm company licensed in accordance with section 3-22 hereof [to the effect] that the alarm system is operating properly, that the permit holder has received alarm system user's retraining on how to properly operate the alarm system, and payment of a $157.50 reinstatement fee and all outstanding service charges.

(c)

For the purposes of this section a permit year will extend from October 1 to September 30 of the following calendar year.

(Ord. No. 10988, §§ 1, 2, 6-11-92; Code 1980, § 3.5-29; Ord. No. 11424, § 1, 12-12-96; Ord. No. 13142, § 3, 2-11-10)