Ordinance No. 1022 01-03-1994 ORDINANCE NO. 1022
AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING A NEW CHAPTER OF THE CITY CODE
OF THE CITY OF FRIDLEY, CHAPTER 112, ENTITLED "FALSE
ALARMS", AND AMENDING CHAPTER 11, ENTITLED "GENERAL
PROVISIONS AND FEES"
The City Council of the City of Fridley does ordain as follows:
112.01. PURPOSE AND INTENT
The purpose of this ordinance is to provide regulations for the
use of burglary, fire and safety alarms, including establishment
of user fees for false alarms.
112.02. DEFINITIONS
The following terms shall apply in the interpretation and
application of this chapter:
1. "Public Safety Personnel" means duly authorized city
employees.
2 . "Alarm User" means the person, firm, partnership, association,
corporation, company, or organization of any kind in control of any
building, structure, or facility wherein an alarm system is
maintained.
3 . "Alarm System" means any alarm installation designed to be
used for the prevention or detection of burglary, robbery or fire
on the premises, which contains an alarm installation.
4 . "False Alarm" means an alarm signal eliciting a response by
public safety personnel when a situation requiring a response does
not, in fact, exist, and which is caused by the activation of the
alarm system through mechanical failure, alarm malfunction,
improper installation, or the inadvertence of the user of an alarm
system or its employees or agents. False alarms do not include
alarms caused by climatic conditions such as tornadoes,
thunderstorms, utility line mishaps, or violent conditions of
nature, nor do they include alarms caused by third persons over
whom the user has no control.
112 . 03 . EXCEPTIONS
The provisions of this ordinance are not applicable to alarm
systems affixed to automobiles, boat trailers, house trailers, and
recreational motor vehicles.
Page 2 - Ordinance No. 1022
112. 04. FEES
1. The user fee shall be as provided in Chapter 11 of this Code.
2. Payment of user fees provided for herein must be paid to the
City Treasurer within thirty (30) days from the date of notice by
the City to the alarm user. Failure to pay the fee within thirty
(30) days will result in the imposition of a penalty of ten percent
(10%) of the user fee.
3. All unpaid user fees and penalties shall be certified as an
assessment against the property on which the alarm was located and
shall be collected each year along with the taxes on said property.
Administrative costs in the amount of ten percent (10%) of the
unpaid fee and penalty shall be added to each assessment.
4 . An alarm user which is required by the City to pay a user fee
as a result of a false alarm, may make a written appeal of the
false alarm user fee to the Public Safety Director or Fire Chief,
as appropriate, within ten (10) days of notice by the City of the
false alarm charge. An adverse decision by the Public Safety
Director or Fire Chief may be appealed to the City Manager, within
ten (10) days of receipt of the Public Safety Director or Fire
Chief's decision. The City Manager will have authority to make a
final determination as to whether or not the user is to be charged
a user fee for the false alarms.
112 . 05. LIABILITY OF CITY
The regulation of alarm response shall not constitute acceptance
by the City of liability to maintain equipment, to answer alarms,
or to respond to alarms in any particular manner.
CHAPTER 11, GENERAL PROVISIONS AND FEES.
Section 11. 10, "Fees" is amended to include the following False
Alarm fees.
112 False Alarms $50.00 for sixth false alarm in
single calendar year and for each
subsequent false alarm in calendar
year, an additional $25.00 (e.g. ,
7th false alarm = $75.00, 8th false
alarm = $100.00, 9th false alarm =
$125.00, etc. ) .
This ordinance shall be in full force and effective from and after
its passage and publication.
Page 3 - Ordinance No. 1022
PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FRIDLEY THIS
3RD DAY OF JANUARY, 1993 .
Wa-1444.TWe---
WILLIAM Y. NEE - MAYOR
ATTEST:
1,3) Q . Q.
WILLI .A. CHAMPA - CITY CLERK
First Reading: November 15, 1993
Second Reading: January 3, 1994
Publication: January 11, 1994
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