HomeMy WebLinkAboutordinance.council.035-88 OF.:D I NFINCE NO. 5
( '._::e r i e s o ? ]. '38:3 )
RN OE'.DINF~NCE F.'iEF'EFIL i[ NE; RND F.':E-ENRC"i'INC; '.E;ECTION:E; :E: 1/2--:-:::.- :---: 1/2--6:,
FtE;DINF: F:EE:TIFmN'.:; L:: 1/'2-1. 1, :E: 1/2--6, 1, 8 1/2--7-
WHEF.'.ERS, the City Coun,:il o.F the City o~' FIsF,~n adoF, t,'-',d an
~r~-rgen,:y F~larm 'Syst~r~s and F'~ot~,:tion 'S~rvi,:~s o~dinan,:~ in 1980
to ~egulate the use o.F alarm systems and the oF, e~ation o.F
eme~enc:y al arm protection services; ~nd
WHERIERS, the a~orementioned ordinance was been amended in
1'384 and in 1'3:38 ~o increase the -False alarm Cee Cot ea,:h public
agency response to a Calse alacm and to re,~uiPe all alarm users
to obtain an alarm i:,eernit~ and
WHERERS, as o-¢ ,July :E:, 1'E4:3:~:, Cewe¢ than 50% o.F the al arr~
cust orne cs in the City o¢ I~s F.e n have ,:ompI ied with the
re,~uiCements o¢ Section E: 1/2 1.1 and obtained an alarm pecmit;
and
WHERERS, re,~uests ¢o~ secvice by a laCr,~ cor,'lpanies are
d~ainin9 the resources o¢ the RSF, en F'oli,:e E~eF, artr,~ent in a manner
disF.~opoetionate to the actual need Toe a police ¢esponse to the
speci¢i,: ce,luest ¢o¢ service, are cost ine¢¢e,:tive, and unnecess-
arily dive~t ¢inan,:ial cesou~,:es and manF, o~er a~ay ¢¢om other
community needs~ and
WHERERS, the City Coun,:il o¢ the City o¢ RsF, en, Colorado,
believes that it is in the best interests of the city to re,Euire
alarm COmF, anies a,z,~uire Cot alarm ~Jsers the err~ergen,:y alarm
permit reCer-red to in Section 8 1/2 1.1 """'-rl-~ mit I~:e,~uired"", and
NHERE. H.:,, the City Co~Jn,:il .Further clesires to reduce the
emotional and ¢inancial burden upon F, ubli,: agencLes respQndin9 to
unF, errnitted or revoked F, ern~it alarms by re,~uirin9 alarm ,:ornF, anies
to respond to al I non-permitted alarms sites and revoked
permitted alarl~s sites with alarm ,:or,~pany personnel in order to
assess the need ¢or addit~.onal action by public agen,:ies~ and
NOW, THEREFORE, E:E IT OF;:DFIINEEI E:Y THE CITY COUNCIL OF:
THE C I'i'Y OF RSF'EN, COLOI~'.FIDO:
:--; e c t i o n 1. F~ r,~ e n d i n :~ '._:; e ,: t i o n :'--: 1 / 2-- 1. 1
That Section :31/2-1.1 of' the Muni,zipal Code of' the I]:ity of'
FIsF, en.- Colorado, is hereby amended to read as ¢ol lows:
.:,=,_. :3 1/2-1. 1 FILRRId USER F'EF~:~:[-I"
(FI) Every alarm business shall obtain, Cot its alarm users,
an em~_rsency a~arm user's permit ~or each separate system
the City o~ I.~spen Finance Oepartment within sixty (60) days
the e~e,ztive date o~ this ordinance or prior to the use o~ an
alarm system. The "perr,'lit year" shall extend ~rom ,July 1st to
the ~ollowin~ dune Z4Oth. ~pplication ~or an emersency alarr,~
user's permit and a ~em o~ ~SS. O0 ~or each permit shall be ~iled
with the Finance Department be~'ore ,J,Jly ].st cH' each year.
Revoked pern~its may be reactivated durin~ the original peri~'~it
yea~ ~o~ m f'ee o~ $100.00. Each permit will bea~ the sisnature
o~ the Police Oepa~tment Director o~ Operations and shall be ~or
m one yem~ period. The ~spen F:'olice OeF, mrtment r,~y ~e,~ui~e the
alarm business to p~ovide the Department with such information
that the Department deems necess~y ~o~ lhe expeditious and saf'e
response o~ o~ice~s and the timely and e~ective billin
~mlse ~lm~m ~ees. This in~o~mation includes, but shall not be
limited to~ the name and current mailin8 and physical addresses
o~ the ml~r,~ 0sePs. The FIspen Poi ice DeF, artment shall
re,~oi~e the F, err,~ittee to provide~ throush the alarm business~
current mnd ~easonabte directions to the ml~rm sight.
Residential permittees may be re.Euired to display the house
number so that it is visible and disce?nable f'rom the street. ~n
alarm business shall act as an asent f'or the emersency alarm user
in the handlin8 of' permit matters."
Section 2. Flddition o? Section 8 I/2-2(F)(G)
That the Municipal Code o? the City of' 19spen. Colorado, is
hereby amended by addin~ Section 8 1/2-2[F')CG)~ which said
subsections ~eads as ~ol lows:
"Sec. 8 1/2-2. FJLRRM BUSINESS LICENSE REQUIRED; F~PPLICSTION;
FEE; 80ND.
(I--) Fill alarm business Iicensees shall re,~u i re: as a
condition o~ apF, roval o~ the alarm business license, that the
licensee's alarm customers cOfllpt y with the ~e.~u i rem,~ nt s o.f'
Section 8 1/2 t.1 "Pern'~it R.e.~uired";
CG) Operation o~ an alarnl conIpany without a alarn'~ busit~ess
license o~ in violation o~ the terms o~ the license is a
rilE SdSf~18 8 ~0~."
'.E;ection 3. Flmendin;-] '.Section 8 1/2-F.. 1
That Section 8 1/2-6 of' the Municipal Code of' the City o~
Bspen.~ Colorado, is hereby amended, which said section reads ;as
f'ol lows:
"'.Bec. 8 1/2-6. 1 REVOCBTION OF F~I_F~I;?.M USER'S PERMIT.
eR) Rny alarm system which lnas ~our or more ~alse alarms
within a permit year shall be subject to permit revocation as
provided herein.
CE:) F~ddi'tionatly, ~ailure on the part o.F the alarm business
to provide current permit in¢ormation to the Finance ,.]nd Police
OeF. a~tments shall subject the alarm permit to ~evocation.
CC] I.F the Police Dep~rtment ~ecords indicate that -Four or
more Calse alarms have occu~recl within a permit year ~o~ an alarm
system, o~ i¢ the alarm business ~mils to comply with reasonable
re,Euests to update alarm permit in¢o~mation, 'the Flspen Police
Department Oi re,zt o~ o~ Operations Chere~t~ "Director" ]shal I
notify the alarm use~ and the alarm business that monitors the
alarm that the use~ permit will be revoked i~ the alarm
business/alarm user does not contact the [)ipector ~ithin -Fi.¢teen
days o¢ the sendin9 o¢ the notice by ce~ti¢ied mail. The notice
shall be mailed to the last known address as provided by the
alarm business on the current year's permit application and to
the alarm business at the add~ess indicated on the alarm business
license application. These notices shall also advise the ala~r,'~
business/alarm use~ o-F the F,~ocess .For ~e,]uestin8 a revocation
hearin9.
CD) I~ contacted by the alarm business/alarm user the
Director shall ~e,Euire the alarm business/alarm user to arrange a
meetin9 with the Oi~ecto~, the alarm use~ and a representative o~'
the alarm business within ¢iCteen days to determine a plan
eliminatin8 the -False alarms.
CE) I.F the alarm business/alarm use~ does not contact the
Oirecto~, o~ i¢ the Director determines that the action
~ecommended by the user and/or business ~epresentatiwm will be
ine¢¢ective the Oirecto~ shall revoke the permit and send a ¢inal
notice o¢ revocation to the al a~m business/al a~m user by
certified mail.
(F) I~ the action ~ecommended by the use~ and/or business
~epresentative is acceptable to the Oirector the permit shall not
be revoked, howevep, the Director shal I advise the alarm
business/alarm user that one more f'alse alarm in the permit year
will result in the summary revocation o.F the use~ F, ermit.
(G) The return o¢ unre,zeiptecl certi¢ied notices o~ bil Is to
the City o~' 8spen shall be evidence o.[' non-comF, l iance with permit
re,]uirements by the alarm business/alarm use~ and shall result in
the immediate revocation o-F the alarm permit.
CFI) Rn alarm business/alarm use~ whose permit has been
revoked may ~e,~uest an appeals hearin9 be-Fore FIsF, en City Council
within thirty days o¢ the mail in8 o¢ the ¢inal ~evocation notice
by the Police Department. Fin appeal is F, erCected by f'ilin8
notice thereo¢ with the city cl~rk. The city clerk shall s,at the
matter on the asenda o~' the next regular city council meeting, at
which hearin9 the alarm business/alarm user shall be p~rmitted to
introduce all relevant evidence and be al lowed to examine and
,-ross-examine witnesses. Fit the conclusion of the hearing., or
within ten days thereot~.~ the city coun,zil shall make f'indin~s and
state reasons ~or its decision."
(I) Public sa~e~y a~encies shall no~ be ~e~ui~ed ~o ~espond
to non-permitted or revoked alarms, and ~ach business I ic~nsee
shall be responsible f'or communicatins this -Fact to their alarm
CU S~ ome P s=
Section 4. Rmmndin:~ Section 8 1/2-7. 1
'That Section 8 1/2-7.1 o.F the Municipal Code of the
City o¢ Flspen~ Colorado~ is hereby amendmd, which said section
reads as ~ot lows:
"Sec. 8 1/2--7. 10F:'EF?.I:tTION OF UNF'ERMIT'FED RLFtRM SY'.::;"['EM;
F~ILIJI~'.E 't"0 PF~Y F~3LSE BLBRM F'EE.
Operation o-F an aiarm system without a permit:, .Failure 'to
obtain an alarm permit For an alarm user or Failure to pay False
alarm f'ees is a misdemeanor."
Sectic)n 6. Severabil ity
I? any section~ subsection~ sentence~ clause~ F, hrase or
portion o? this ordinance is ?or any reason held invalid or
unconst itut tonal in a court o.F competent jurisdict ion~ such
portion shall be dee~,~ed a separate~ distinct and independent
provision and shall not a~'Fect the validity of' the remainin~
port ions thereof.
Sect ion 7.
Nothin~ in this ordinance shat l be construed to a.F?ect any
risht~ duty or l iabiIity under any ordinances in effect prior to
the effective date of' this ordinance:, and the same shall be
continued and concluded under such prior ordinance.
Sect ion 8.
19 public hearin~ on the ordinance shall be held on 'the
day of ~ i'BE:8~ in the City Council
Chambers~ ~spen City Hal l~ Ftspen~ Colorado.
INT~'.OOUCEO~ RE~O ~NO OROEREO PUE:LISHEO as provided by law by
the City Council o? the City o? ;gspen on the day o?
~ 1'388.
Wil I tam L. Stifling., Mayor
F~T'FEST:
I.:::athryn S. Koch.. City Clerk
FINRLLY adopted., passed and aF, F, rOv,:-d this day o¢
.. l'-3:B,'-_q.
Will lam L. F;tirl ins:, Idayor
RT'FEF;T:
~::; a t h r y n S. 1.::;o,: h .. C i t y C: I e r k
D Fit F~ F' T ~ q - n .-, - ,:: ,:,
~ _ ~..' .....
R larms, ord4
TO: MAYOR AND COUNCIL
THROUGH: ROBERT S. ANDERSON, JR., CITY/COUNTY MANAGER~
FROM: JOHN GOODWIN, POLICE CHIEF~
DATE: SEPTEMBER 7, 1988
RE: AMC ORDINANCE 8 1/2, FALSE ALARMS
SUMMARY:
The current false alarm ordinance is defective in that it does
not provide for the suspension of police alarm response in cases
where alarm owners/users fail to comply with permit requirements.
I recommend that the ordinance be amended to allow us to suspend
response to non-complying owner/users. I also recommend that
alarm companies be required to make permit applications on behalf
of their customers.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION:
On March 14, 1988, Council approved changes in the alarm
ordinance that required an alarm permit for all alarms and set
fees for this permit and police response to false alarms.
PROBLEM DISCUSSION:
The current ordinance does not provide for the suspension of
response to alarms that do not meet permit requirements.
Without such a provision the ordinance would have little effect
in encouraging owner/users to be responsible for the proper
installation, maintenance and use of their alarm systems. Also,
since the ordinance was approved on March 14, 1988 we have
experienced great difficulty in informing owner/users of the
requirement to obtain a permit. One alarm company refused to
provide us with a list of its customers that we requested. It
was our intent to inform each customer of the changes in the
ordinance. Since we respect the business relationship that
alarm companies have with their customers we take the position
that in this context the alarm companies bear the responsibility
for applying for permits for their customers.
RECOMMENDATION:
I recommend that the proposed ordinance changes be adopted. They
place the responsibility for the use of alarm systems on the
alarm companies and alarm users and provide encouragement for
both to help us increase the quality of our service to them.
PROPOSED MOTION:
I move to read Ordinance Number~~', series of 1988, (Attachment
A).
I move to adopt Ordinance Number~'~, series of 1988, (Attachment
A).
JG/ats
MJGALARM. ADJ