CITY OF
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
TO: Mayor and City Commission
FROM: Richard
D. Sala, City Manager
BY: Tammy L. Reed-Holguin,
Community Development Director
Lou Cavallo, Public Safety Director
DATE: January
8, 2008
SUBJECT: Second
Amendment
to create Section 82-308 Entitled “Penalty for Response to False Alarms at
Unregistered Alarm Location”, by amending Article IV “Alarm Systems” of the
City’s Code of Ordinances.
As
you may recall, the City Commission approved Ordinance No. 02-01-1045 in
January 2002, which requires the registration of burglar alarm systems and
provides the ability to assess a fine for false alarms. The goal of the
ordinance is to encourage owners to register their alarm systems. The initial registration fee for a burglar
alarm system is $25. In April 2004, the
City Commission amended the Ordinance to further encourage owners to register
their alarms by eliminating the renewal charge if there were three or fewer
false alarms responded to during the previous year.
Since
the implementation of the registration of alarm systems and enforcement of
penalties for false alarms began in April 2002, there have been 1,870 alarm
systems registered within the City of
To
offset these costs due to unregistered alarms and to further encourage
registration, it is recommended that a penalty of $50.00 be immediately
assessed at the time a false alarm is responded to at a property where the
alarm is found not to be registered.
Based on the numbers identified to date, there was historically a
potential revenue source of approximately $16,000 for the 338 unregistered
systems that were responded during a 10-month period. Although it is hoped that the number of
unregistered alarm systems will decrease as we achieve compliance, in the
interim, the amendment will enable the City to recover some of the costs incurred
when responding to unregistered false alarms.
The
attached ordinance was approved on first reading by the City Commission on
November 29, 2007. Tonight, we are
presenting it for second reading and adoption.
RECOMMENDATION:
The
City Administration recommends Commission’s consideration and adoption on
second reading of the attached ordinance
amending Article VI., entitled “Alarm Systems” to create Section 82-308
entitled “Penalty for Response to False Alarms at an Unregistered Alarm
Location” to provide penalties to the
owners of unregistered alarm systems when a false alarm is responded to.
ORDINANCE
NO. 08-____________
AN
ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF NORTH LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA, CREATING SECTION 82-308,
ENTITLED "PENALTY FOR RESPONSE TO FALSE ALARMS AT AN UNREGISTERED ALARM
LOCATION" OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES TO PROVIDE PENALTIES TO THE OWNERS OF
UNREGISTERED ALARM SYSTEMS WHEN A FALSE ALARM IS RESPONDED TO; PROVIDING FOR
CONFLICTS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE;
PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, City of North Lauderdale Ordinance No. 02-01-1045
requires the registration of burglar and security alarms, provides for annual
registration and renewal fees, and establishes a fine schedule for excessive
false alarms; and
WHEREAS, the alarm registration ordinance assists the City by
reducing the growing number of "false alarm" calls, which have a
potentially adverse impact on the City's law enforcement resources and
response; and
WHEREAS, there are approximately 1,870 alarm systems registered
in the City of North Lauderdale, and since the implementation of this
ordinance, it has been reported that the number of false alarms has been
reduced, thereby demonstrating the effectiveness of the alarm registration and
false alarm fee program; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the City's
alarm registration ordinance is to encourage alarm users to install and
maintain their alarm systems in a responsible manner, thereby reducing
"false alarm" responses; and
WHEREAS, it has been determined that
there remains a significant number of unregistered alarm systems and costs
continue to be incurred to respond to false alarms generated by unregistered
systems and to encourage registration; and
WHEREAS, it is recommended that a
penalty of $50.00 be immediately assessed upon owners of unregistered systems
when a false alarm is generated.; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission of the
City of
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY
THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
Section 1. The
foregoing "WHEREAS" clauses are hereby ratified and confirmed as
being true and correct and are hereby made a specific part of this Ordinance
upon adoption hereof.
Section 2. Section 82-308, entitled "Penalty for Response to False Alarms at
an Unregistered Alarm Location" of the City of
Sec. 82-308. Penalty for Response to False Alarm at an
Unregistered Alarm Location.
In
the event that the City’s Public Safety Department responds to an alarm and
determines that the alarm is not registered with the City, there will be a
$50.00 fine issued immediately and the property owner must register the alarm
with the City.
Section 4. Codification. It
is the intention of the City Commission of the City of North Lauderdale that
the provisions of this Ordinance shall become and be made a part of the Code of
Ordinances of the City of North Lauderdale, Florida and that the Sections of
this Ordinance may be renumbered, re-lettered and the work
"Ordinance" may be changed to "Section",
"Article" or such other word or phrase in order to accomplish such
intention.
Section
5. Severability. If any clause, section or other part of this
Ordinance shall be held by any court of competent jurisdiction to be
unconstitutional or invalid, such unconstitutional or invalid part shall be
considered as eliminated and in no way affecting the validity of the other
provisions of this Ordinance.
Section
6. Conflicts. All Ordinances or parts of Ordinances,
Resolutions or parts of Resolutions in conflict herewith, be and the same are
hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict.
Section 7. Effective Date. This
Ordinance shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.
PASSED
AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
PASSED
AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
__________________________________________
SAMUEL S. GOREN
CITY ATTORNEY ____________________________________
MAYOR
JACK BRADY
ATTEST:
____________________________________
VICE
MAYOR JOHN R. CANGEMI
__________________________________________
PATRICIA VANCHERI, INTERIM CITY CLERK
Rev.
11-17-07