(a) The City may subscribe to one or more telephone lines for burglar or robbery alarms, or fire alarm purposes, or for similar purposes; and when any alarm line is so designated as provided for herein, persons may, upon proper application and compliance with applicable laws, be granted a permit to install a device which automatically selects the designated telephone line for the purpose of playing a recorded message or to otherwise report an intrusion or other emergency.
(b) No person shall use or cause to be used, for burglary or robbery, or fire alarm purposes, any telephone device or telephone attachment that automatically selects any telephone line allocated by the telephone company to the City or any of its departments or divisions, except a telephone line which may be specifically designated by the City Manager for such purpose. Such designated telephone line shall terminate at the Communication Department Center.
(c) For alarms of the type described herein, the message shall comply with the following restrictions:
(1) Length of message shall not exceed thirty seconds;
(2) The message shall not be repeated more than three times for each dialing;
(3) Contents: The message shall first state: "This is a recording." The balance of the message shall be appropriate to the purpose for which the alarm is installed and shall be subject to approval of the Chief of Police and/or the Fire Chief. The entire message shall be intelligible.
(d) For alarms of the type herein described, each such device shall be programmed to first dial the Police Station or Fire Station, using an unlisted number assigned for that purpose. The device shall next dial a number selected by the applicant, such second number being that at which a person having a key to the building where the alarm is installed can normally be found. A third number subject to approval of the Chief of Police or the Fire Chief may be programmed for the next dialing. No more than three such dialings, may be programmed except upon approval of the Chief of Police or the Fire Chief. No enforcement agency other than the City Police Department or Fire Department may be selected.
(e) The cost of providing the service described above, including any fee or payments charged by the telephone company, shall be paid by the applicant.
(f) The fee to be charged by the City shall be determined on an annual basis by dividing the cost of phone service for such purpose to the City by the number of holders of permits or alarms, adding fifteen percent (15%) for administration and rounding off to the next highest dollar, except that the minimum charge shall be twenty dollars ($20.00) per year per subscriber. All fees shall be payable on a calendar year basis in advance. Delinquency in excess of ten days shall result in cancellation of the permit.
(Ord. 87-33. Passed 7-6-87.)