By Michelle Lacamera, NewJerseyHills.com
September 19, 2023
After extensive debate, the Township Committee adopted an ordinance Tuesday, Sept. 5, which levies fines for false alarms from township homes and businesses and changes time for homeowners and business owners to refute those penalties.
An ordinance amending Chapter 65 “Alarms” of the township code introduced at the Monday, Aug. 7, committee meeting, received an intense discussion amongst the committee members. Numerous false alarms from both businesses and some homes have been reported by the township’s fire companies.
The existing alarm ordinance does not discourage anyone from fixing their alarm systems, and the amendment revamps the fines section of the ordinance and incorporates user cost with multiple false alarms as well as charging a cost for the apparatus to respond.
The fines were split between residential vs. commercial/industrial properties: 1-4 false alarms fee will be $50 per occurrence, 5-10 false alarms will be $150 per occurrence, 11 or more false alarms will be $500 per occurrence for residential property owners, 1-4 false alarms will be $150, 5-10 false alarms will be $300, and 11 or more false alarms will be $1,500 per occurrence.
“This is not unique, it happens all over,” said Deputy Mayor Adam Mueller.
Committeeman John Albanese requested a language change, pointing out that while homeowners have 48 hours to send in a rebuttal to any penalty summons and possibly get it waived, the ordinance states that the letter needs to be sent in 48 hours after the false alarm rather than 48 hours after the summons is issued.
After some debate, the committee agreed to grant property owners 10 calendar days to refute false alarm summons. The issue of who will be the enforcement agency for this was also discussed at length, Committeeman Jonathan Heller claiming that this should not fall on the shoulders of the Police Department.
Administrator Richard Sehola will speak to the township’s police director to get his thoughts on whether or not this is relevant to the police.
The ordinance was adopted despite Committeeman Heller voting no.