Columbus residents with home alarm systems pay a license fee to the city. And for almost two decades, that fee hasn’t changed.
But as a result of recent actions taken by Columbus City Council, it’s about to go up, reports Rick Rouan for The Columbus Dispatch.
Mr. Rouan writes:
The Columbus City Council approved an overhaul of regulations for alarm companies and a new fee structure for homeowners and businesses who use them on Monday [June 19].
The city’s alarm rules haven’t been updated since 1998, and city officials have said new technology has made revisions necessary.
Not only does this change mean burglar alarm license fees are going up ...
City code required every home or business with an alarm to pay $35 for a license. The change will increase the residential license fee to $45 and then require an annual renewal fee of $25. The city will charge anyone older than 70 a one-time $15 fee for an alarm. Businesses will be charged $70 for the license and then $35 to renew. ...
A $50 late fee will be charged to alarm users who don’t renew on time. ...
... but it also makes significant revisions to the false alarm fine schedule.
False alarm fines would be based on the type of alarm call, whether the owner had a city license and whether it occurred at a residence, business, bank or school. Fines would range from $50 to $1,000. False alarm offenders also would have to go through training.
[...]
New rules will give all license holders the first false burglar alarm free. [The false alarm fee] for residences, businesses and others who don’t obtain a license is $100 for the first offense and increases substantially for each subsequent incident.
Posts
