Page 10 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • October 31, 2012 Ho-Ho-Kus Alarm registry ordinance receives green light by Jennifer Crusco After agreeing to a minor amendment, the Ho-Ho-Kus Council approved Ordinance 1003, which concerns the registry of burglar alarm systems. Ho-Ho-Kus Borough Attorney David Bole told the council last week that Councilman Steve Shell had made two recommendations that would update the ordinance, but were not material and would not require future publication of the proposal. The amendment effectively pushes the effective start date of the ordinance to Jan. 1, 2013, which will allow residents additional time to comply with the new regulations. Councilman Shell told Villadom TIMES that changing the start date from the day of the council’s approval (Oct. 23) to Jan. 1 would eliminate any potential conflicts that might be caused by the upcoming holidays. He noted that the ordinance requires individuals to register their new alarm systems within 30 days and existing systems within 45 days. Had the ordinance become effective last week, the registration process would have pushed into Thanksgiving and the December holidays, Shell noted. The ordinance, which was approved without any comments or questions from the public, does not carry any initial or annual registration fees. The measure had been introduced by the Ho-Ho-Kus Council earlier this year, and 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. Mayor Thomas Randall recently said he thought the ordinance could be revisited and amended to make it more “user-friendly.” He pointed out that the ordinance is not intended to be a money-maker, but will 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 property owners regarding the causes of those alarms. Police Chief John Wanamaker previously reported that the department has responded to an average of 450 to 500 false alarms per year in each of the last three years. When false alarms occur in empty buildings, he said, contact information would be helpful to police responders. Ordinance 1003 states (in part): “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 will be required to keep an annual log of all false alarms. Written warnings will be issued for the first three false alarms or malfunctions. Fines will 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 will 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 will be required to modify or improve the system to prevent accidental activation. Non-residents may join ‘juniors’ The Ho-Ho-Kus Junior Firefighters Auxiliary may now accept members from outside the Borough of Ho-Ho-Kus. An ordinance approved by the Ho-Ho-Kus Council last week will extend membership in the organization to any “resident of a contiguous town in good standing and of good moral character.” Membership had previously been limited to borough residents between the ages of 16 and 21, and to the children of senior Ho-Ho-Kus Volunteer Fire Department members. Ho-Ho-Kus Fire Chief Chris Raimondi recently advised Villadom TIMES that the group for juniors, which was established in 1972, is one of the oldest groups of its kind in this area. Raimondi called the auxiliary an incredible resource, which allows the senior department to recruit and retain volunteers. He pointed out that several of the department’s past fire chiefs started as members of the juniors. Raimondi explained that the juniors are essentially apprentices whose responsibilities include preparing tools and equipment, assisting with maintenance duties, and providing ancillary support to the fire department’s senior members. The juniors work alongside with the seniors during drills, but must remain in a designated “safe area” during an active fire, he said. Although some training is identical for the juniors and seniors, the juniors are not permitted to enter a burning building. They must be outside the hazardous area. Raimondi reported that the juniors’ activities are carefully reviewed. Juniors range in age from 16 to 21, but most transfer to the borough’s senior department at age 18. The fire chief previously explained that the maximum age for juniors has been left at 21 so that members who are in college are not obligated to adhere to the senior department’s more stringent requirements. The goal, Raimondi said, is to encourage youths to finish school. He explained that the newly-approved ordinance is the result of the fire department’s overall update of its bylaws. J. CRUSCO Leaf collections will be under way in Ho-Ho-Kus beginning Nov. 5, and will continue through mid-December. There will be three complete pickups in each of the borough’s four collection districts. After the third pass in each district, leaves left on the street will not be picked up by the department of public works unless they have been bagged and left at the curb. Collection dates include: District 1, Nov. 14 and Dec. 4 and 18; District 2, Nov. 19 and Dec. 7 and 20; District 3, Borough announces leaf pickups Nov. 5 and 26 and Dec. 12; and District 4, Nov. 9 and 29 and Dec. 14. This schedule may vary due to weather conditions or emergencies. District One includes the sections of Ackerman Avenue, Ardmore Road, and Blauvelt Avenue that are west of Sheridan Avenue, Avenue, Blanchfield Court, Brookside Avenue, Carlton Avenue, Cliff Street, Crescent Place, Duncan Road, Ferris Court, and the portion of First Street that is west of (continued on page 21)