A. An alarm user who holds a valid City alarm permit is allowed one false alarm response without charge per each permit year. Upon a second false alarm in a permit year, a false alarm charge will be assessed as per the fee schedule established by resolution of the City Council.
B. The Alarm Administrator may waive the false alarm charge for a chargeable false alarm if the City-approved online Alarm User Awareness Class is successfully completed within thirty (30) days of the notice of the false alarm charge. Alarm users without online access may request the online school and test to be mailed to them. An additional time of five (5) days to complete the Alarm User Awareness Class shall be allowed for mail delivery.
C. When the police respond to a false alarm, and the alarm user does not hold a valid alarm permit issued by the City, the first and any additional false alarm responses are charged to the alarm user, according to the fee schedule established by resolution of City Council. If the responsible party applies for and obtains an alarm permit within thirty (30) days of receiving the first notice of a false alarm charge, the false alarm response fee may be waived by the City. The false alarm will be counted toward any additional false alarms in that permit year. After the permit fee is paid, the user will be assessed a charge for any second false alarm, which may then be waived upon completion of the Alarm User Awareness Class, as set forth in this Chapter.
D. The third and any subsequent false alarms within a permit year will be assessed without eligibility for waiver of the false alarm response charge.
E. In determining the number of false alarms within a permit year, multiple alarms occurring within any twenty-four (24) hour period may be counted as one (1) false alarm, to allow the alarm user time to take corrective action, except where the alarm user has a history of chronic false alarms, as determined by the Police Department.
F. All charges assessed for false alarms, as set forth in this section, shall be paid to the City within thirty (30) days from the date of the invoice. A late fee in an amount set by City Council resolution will be assessed after thirty (30) days if payment is not received by the City, unless the alarm user files a timely request for appeal of the false alarm charge under § 11.04.055.
G. The charges imposed pursuant to this Chapter shall be a debt owed to the City and may be collected by any method permitted by law, including but not limited to civil action.
(Ord. No. 2016-008 § 2 (part))