(a) The City may subscribe to one or more telephone lines for burglar alarms, or for fire alarm purposes, or for similar purposes; and when any lines so designated as provided for herein, persons may, upon proper application and compliance with applicable laws, be granted a permit to install a device or devices which automatically select 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, 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 or lines shall terminate at the police station or fire station communications centers.
(c) For alarms of the type described herein, the message shall comply with the following:
(1) Length of message - 15 seconds maximum;
(2) Message shall not be repeated more than three times for each dialing;
(3) Contents - message shall first state: "This is a recording." Balance of 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 Chief of Fire. The entire message shall be intelligible.
(d) For alarms of the type herein described, each such device shall be programmed to irst 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 Chief of Fire may be programmed for the next dialing. No more than three such dialings may be programmed except under unusual circumstances and upon approval by the Chief of Police or the Chief of Fire. No enforcement agency other than the City of Mentor Police Department or Fire Department may be selected.
(e) The cost of providing the service described above, including any fee or payment 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 the applicable phone service to the City by the number of holders of permits for 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 month per subscriber. All fees shall be payable on a calendar month basis in advance. Delinquency in excess of ten (10) days shall result in cancellation of the permit or permits.
(1969 Code 59.02)