HomeMy WebLinkAbout10F - Ord Amd re False Alarms
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CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
July 21, 2003
10F
Frank Boyles, City Manager
CONSIDER APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT RELATING TO
FALSE ALARMS.
History: In 2002 the city council adopted a false alarm ordinance. The purpose of
the ordinance was to reduce the incidence of police and fire false alarms. This
was to be accomplished by allowing each fire alarm user three police and three
fire false alarms each year. On the fourth incident, the alarm user pays a penalty.
The penalty begins at $100 for the fourth false alarm and escalates by $50 per
additional false alarm.
Current Circumstances: Our experience in 2003 is that fire false alarms have
been reduced. No single user has experienced more than three false alarms.
Police and fire alarms have been minimized, but we have 15 instances where
users have exceeded three false alarms. Five have paid the alarm penalty. The
remainder have not paid despite our collection letters. Many of the outstanding
penalties are from repeat offenders.
The present ordinance does not provide a means by which to collect unpaid
alarm penalties. We propose that unpaid false alarm penalties be treated the
same as public nuisances in section 605. Under that provision the city may
assess the costs against the property and collect them in one lump sum or up to
ten (10) equal annual installments.
Conclusion: To accomplish this, the city code needs to be amended to define a
false alarm as a public nuisance.
Our experience shows that only a minority of alarm users is promptly paying the
alarm penalties. By being able to specially assess the penalty against the alarm
user's property, the City will have a means of collecting the penalty with little
additional effort. The intent is to encourage prompt payment to discourage
additional false alarms.
ALTERNATIVES: (1) Adopt an ordinance amendment declaring false alarms to be a public
nuisance so collection can take place through special assessment.
(2) Take no action and direct the collection of additional information.
RECOMMENDED
MOTION: Alternative 1.
16200 Eagle Creek Ave. S.E., Prior Lake, Minnesota 55372-1714 / Ph. (952) 447-4230 / Fax (952) 447-4245
I :\CQUNCIL \AGNRPTS\2003\F ALSE ALARMS.~..AMD?OOONITY EMPLOYER
CITY OF PRIOR LAKE
ORDINANCE NO. 03. XX
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 806 OF THE PRIOR LAKE CITY CODE
DEFINING MORE THAN THREE FALSE ALARMS AS A PUBLIC NUISANCES,
AND AMENDING SECTION 605 TO AUTHORIZE COLLECTION OF UNPAID FALSE
ALARM PENALTIES THROUGH SPECIAL ASSESSMENT.
The City Council of the City of Prior Lake does hereby ordain that:
1. Section 605.200 of the Prior Lake City Code is hereby amended to add the following:
(4) Failure to promptly pay any and all false alarm penalties as defined in Section 806.300 of the
Prior Lake City Code.
2. Section 806.300 of the Prior Lake City Code is hereby amended to add:
806.301 Collection of False Alarm Penalties: If an alarm user fails to make payments prescribed
herein, the City may, after notice, specially assess the penalties against the property
pursuant to Minnesota Statutes and Section 605.800 of the Prior Lake City Code.
This ordinance shall become effective from and after its passage and publication.
Passed by the City Council of the City of Prior Lake this 21 sl day of July, 2003.
ATTEST:
City Manager
Mayor
Drafted By:
City of Prior Lake
16200 Eagle Creek Avenue
Prior Lake, MN 55372
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16200 Eagle Creek Ave. S.E., Prior Lake, Minnesota 55372-1714 / Ph. (952) 447-4230 / Fax (952) 447-4245
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