(A) A response fee (and not a tax) is hereby imposed on all security alarm users to reimburse the village for the increased costs incurred to provide response services to false security alarms from any security alarm system.
(B) For each such occurrence, the Chief of Police or his or her designee, shall send an invoice for response fees to the Security Alarm User in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
(C) Such invoice shall be personally delivered or sent by postage paid U.S. mail to the Security Alarm User where the false security alarm(s) occurred.
(D) Payment of the invoice for response fees for false security alarms shall be due and payable within 30 days after it is mailed in accordance with the following schedule, as amended by the village from time to time:
(1) After the third false security alarm in a calendar year, the security alarm user shall pay a response fee of $100 for each false security alarm.
(2) For the fifth through the eighth false security alarms in a calendar year, the security alarm user shall pay a response fee of $200 per false security alarm.
(3) After the eighth false security alarm in any calendar year, the security alarm user shall pay a response fee of $400 per false security alarm.
(4) All invoices for response fees shall be paid within 30 days.
(5) The police department shall keep a complete and accurate record of all invoices for response fees and the amounts paid thereon.
(E) The village may take any lawful action to collect arrearages for invoices for reimbursement of response fees. Any delinquent account shall be subject to a service charge equal to 3% per month of the amount then due. The 3% service charge shall be added to the amount then due each month that any part of the charge is delinquent.
(F) Collection of fees. In addition to any outstanding response fees, there shall be added and imposed any and all additional fees incurred by the village to collect such debt. The additional fees to be added for a debt referred to a debt collection agency or attorney for collection shall be the greater of:
(1) The actual fees incurred by the village to collect such debt; or
(2) An amount equal to 35% of the debt.
(Ord. 2005-60, passed 8-8-05; Am. Ord. 2019-36, passed 11-4-19)