October 17, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 7 Ho-Ho-Kus Alarm registry ordinance back on council’s table by Jennifer Crusco Ordinance 1003, which concerns the registry of burglar alarm systems in the Borough of Ho-Ho-Kus, has been reintroduced – this time without any initial or annual registration fees. The measure, which was introduced by the Ho-Ho-Kus Council earlier this year, originally included a $100 initial registration fee and a $25 annual fee. However, several outstanding issues led the council to table the measure in March. The amended ordinance was introduced in September and will be up for a public hearing at the council’s Oct. 23 meeting. The proposal will also be considered for final adoption at that time. At the September work session, Ho-Ho-Kus Borough Attorney David Bole noted that the police department favors the burglar alarm ordinance. Bole pointed out that, when the ordinance was tabled, there had been questions about whether an initial registration fee should be charged, whether there should be an annual fee, and what the procedure would be for alarm systems that are not connected to the local police department. Mayor Thomas Randall said he thought the ordinance could be revisited and amended to make it more “userfriendly.” He said the ordinance is not intended to be a money-maker for the borough, but would allow the police to establish a database of contact information for those with alarm systems. Ordinance 1003 was introduced as a refinement to Ordinance 1001, which was adopted in late 2011. Ordinance 1001 established a $100 fee for the installation of burglar alarm systems, and required that those systems be registered with the Ho-Ho-Kus Police Department. When Ordinance 1001 was adopted, borough officials noted that the Ho-Ho-Kus police respond to many false alarms each year, and the registration program would allow the police to communicate with the individual homeowners regarding the causes of those alarms. Earlier this year, Police Chief John Wanamaker reported that the department has responded to an average of 450 to 500 false alarms per year in each of the last three years. The chief previously noted that, at times, false alarms occur in empty buildings. He said that contact information in such cases would be a help to police responders. The text of the newly-introduced version of Ordinance 1003 states: “There shall be no initial or annual registration fee. However, in addition to the penalty provisions in Section 3-5 below, any alarm device or alarm system that is not registered with the police department by the dates set forth in Section 3-2 shall subject the alarm user to a late fee of $25.” The police department would be required to keep an annual log of all false alarms. Written warnings would be issued for the first three false alarms or malfunctions. Fines would then progress to $50 for the fourth and fifth events, $150 for the sixth through ninth events, and $250 for the tenth and subsequent events. In addition, alarm system users who experience more than 12 false alarms in a calendar period may be required to disconnect the offending alarm for 90 days, unless the alarm is a fire alarm or is required by law. The individual concerned would also be responsible for providing a statement from the alarm service indicating that any malfunction has been corrected. In cases where a fire alarm malfunctions more than four times in any 12-month period, the owner would be required to modify or improve the system. As part of the service learning program for seventh and eighth graders, Ho-Ho-Kus Public School announced that 90 seventh and eighth grade students will host a Thanksgiving Tea for the senior citizens in the Ho-Ho-Kus area. This event will be held at the school on Lloyd Road from Seniors invited to Thanksgiving Tea 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. on Nov. 20. The menu will include savories, scones, sweets, and dessert. In 1863, at the height of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that Thanksgiving should be a (continued on page 19)