HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinances - MC-89-510 - 10/11/1989 - Ch 18 amending police alarm systemsORDINANCE NO. MC-89-510
AN ORDINANCE
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
MCHENRY, MCHENRY COUNTY, ILLINOIS, AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 18 of the Municipal Code, City of
McHenry, Illinois, is hereby amended by adding the following
provision as and for Article VI thereof:
ARTICLE VI POLICE ALARM SYSTEMS
SECTION 18.90 DEFINITIONS:
POLICE ALARM SYSTEM: The alarm monitoring and control
system located in the McHenry City Hall Hall onto which
any person or business (a "subscriber") may connect the
alarm system of their premises for a fee.
ALARM SYSTEM: An assembly of equipment arranged to
s gnal the presence of a life or property threatening
hazard requiring urgent attention and to which the
police department is expected to respond.
ALARM USER, OR USER: Any person or business on whose
premises an alarm system is maintained other than alarm
systems on a motor vehicle.
FALSE ALARM: Means the activation of an alarm system
through mechanical or electronic failure, malfunction,
improper installation or the negligence of the owner,
user or lessee of an alarm system, or his employees or
agents, except that the following shall not be
considered false alarms:
(1) Alarms caused by the failure or malfunction of
the equipment .located in the McHenry City Hall.
(2) Alarms caused by an attempted, or actual
illegal entry.
(3) Alarms caused by an on -premises fire.
(4) Alarms intentionally caused by a person acting
under a reasonable belief that a need exists to call
the police department.
(5) Alarms caused by tornadoes, earthquakes, major
floods, or other natural disasters.
SECTION 18.91 FALSE ALARMS PROHIBITED:
It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly
activate an alarm system for the purpose of summoning
the police if such person knows or suspects that there
is no actual or prospective emergency.
SECTION 18.92 CHARGES:
When six (6) or more false alarms are received from any
subscriber's premises during any calendar year by the
alarm monitoring and control system, a service charge
of $25.00 for the 7th false alarm and $25.00 for each
and every false alarm thereafter shall be assessed and
billed to the subscriber.
SECTION 18.93 SUBSCRIBER'S REQUEST TO RECONSIDER
SERVICE CHARGE:
Within fifteen (15) days after receiving a bill for
false alarm charges, the subscriber may file a written
request with the Chief of Police to reconsider whether
such alarm was false. Such request shall state the
subscriber's opinion with respect to the cause of the
alarm and shall indicate the facts upon which the
subscriber bases said opinion. Within five (5) days
after the receipt of such a request from a subscriber,
the Chief of Police shall make a determination whether
the alarm was false or not and shall notify the
subscriber of that decision in writing by personal
delivery or by mail.
SECTION 10.94 DISCONNECTION OF SUBSCRIBER'S PREMISES
FROM POLICE ALARM SYSTEM:
A. zf more than ten (10) false alarms are received
from the same premises in any calendar year, the Chief
of Police may initiate proceedings to disconnect said
premises from the police alarm system by forwarding a
written request for such disconnection proceedings,
alon? with any and all reports of false alarms at such
premises in such calendar year, to the City Council.
B. Upon receipt of such request from the Chief of
Police, the City Council shall set a date for hearing
to consider whether or not the subscriber's premises
should be disconnected from the police alarm system. A
written notice of such hearing and hearing date shall
be mailed to the subscriber at least fifteen (15) days
prior to such hearing date.
C. The City Council shall conduct the aforesaid
disconnection hearings and the Chief of Police and
subscriber shall be permitted to present evidence in
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support of or in opposition to such disconnection.
At said hearing adeterminationL,, by a majority vote of
the Corporate Authorities, shall be made whether or not
to disconnect the subscriber's premises from the police
alarm system and the City Clerk shall notify the
subscriber of the Council's decision in writing
within seven (7) days of the hearing date.
D. In determining whether or not to disconnect any
subscriber's premises from the police alarm system, the
City Council may consider the following factors:
1. The number of false alarms from the
subscriber's premises.
2. Whether or not the subscriber responded to
deactivate the false alarms within one (1) hour after
such false alarms began.
3. The efforts made, if any, by the subscriber to
control, direct, and instruct the subscriber's
employees with regard to the proper use of the
subscriber's alarm system.
4. The efforts made by the subscriber to repair
and maintain the alarm system in proper working order.
5. Any other matter the City Council deems
relevant.
SECTION 2. Any person, firm or corporation violating
any provision of this ordinance shall be fined not less than
Twenty Five Dollars ($25.00) nor more than Five Hundred
Dollars ($500.00) for each offense committed on each day
during, or on which, a violation occurs or continues.
SECTION 3. All ordinances, or parts thereof, in
conflict witF the terms and provisions hereof, be and the
same are hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict.
SECTION 4. This ordinance shall be published in
pamphlet form by and under the authority of the corporate
authorities of the City of McHenry, Illinois.
SECTION 5. This ordinance shall be in full force and
effect from and after its passage, approval and publication
in pamphlet form, as provided by law.
PASSED this llth day of October, 1989.
AYES: Bolger, Donahue,--Lieder, McClatchey, Patterson
Serritalla, Smith, Teta
NAYS: None
ABSTAINEDs None
ABSENT: None
NOT VOTING: None
APPROVED this llth day of October, 1989.
MAY R
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK