A new ordinance takes effect Dec. 9.
City Council agreed at a committee of the whole meeting Tuesday morning the current ordinance fines too much money and hampers police.
Two false alarms currently are allowed every year without a fine. A third incident, though, requires a $50 fine while a fourth costs $100, a fifth $300 and a sixth $600.
The new system, though, will work on a monthly basis, Public Safety Director Lou Dekmar said.
“The billing system is too complicated right now,” Dekmar said. “So many bills pile up for various businesses at the end of the 12-month period. The new ordinance will allow the bills to be taken care of each month.”
Business owners will have one free false alarm every month, followed by a $50 fine for additional incidents.
The new plan will help both businesses and police, Dekmar said.
“False alarms are costing us two full-time officers to handle them when they could be handling more important problems instead,” he said. “The long and the short of it is these folks need to take care of their alarm issues so officers can focus on other things.”
Also Tuesday:
n Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police executive director Frank Rotondo presented a plaque to Dekmar and detective Karen Sanders at council’s regular meeting in honor of Police Department for becoming state certified. The department also was state certified in 1998. There are about 95 police departments in Georgia certified while nearly 700 others don’t meet the requirements, Rondo said. “This is the showcase police department in Georgia.,” he said. “A lot of that has do do with Dekmar and the personnel he has brought in. He has really propelled this unit.”
n Mayor Jeff Lukken and council members hung a picture of the late Robert Whatley, the Municipal Court judge, in council chamber. Whatley’s wife, Carol, and family members were in attendance. Carol Whatley wiped tears away as she helped Lukken hang the picture after receiving a plaque honoring her husband, who died Aug. 10.
n Council approved the annexation and rezoning of 14 acres of undeveloped property on Mooty Bridge Road. The property was zoned from residential to a planned-unit development and will combine with 850 acres of property also slated as a PUD. A PUD gives developers more flexibility, allowing more signage, retail construction and public services with potential for a creating a small community.
Kenneth Thompson can be reached at kethompson@lagrangenews.com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 228.
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