REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Fred A. Wilson, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Robert Handy, Chief of Police
Subject:
title
Adopt Resolution No. 2019-07 increasing fees for burglar alarm businesses and alarm system subscribers collected by the Police Department as established pursuant to Resolution No. 6656, and incorporating the increased fees into the Consolidated Comprehensive Citywide Master Fee and Charges Schedule as established by Resolution No. 2016-59, and amended by Resolution Nos. 2017-46, 2018-01, 2018-29, 2018-48, and 2018-55 (Supplemental Fee Resolution No. 8) - Continued from February 4, 2019.
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Statement of Issue: Staff recommends adjusting false alarm fees. This resubmission is at the request of the City Council to lower false alarm fees for senior citizens consistent with other reduced City fees for seniors.
Financial Impact: The recommended Resolution lowers the threshold at which false alarm fees are issued and establishes new fees for false alarms for those without an alarm permit. Alarm permits and false alarm fees generate approximately $400,000 in annual revenue in the General Fund. Staff is recommending to increase, decrease and add new fines. Minimal changes are expected to revenues as a result of the proposed changes to the false alarm fees.
Recommended Action:
recommendation
Adopt Resolution No. 2019-07, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach Increasing Fees for Burglar Alarm Businesses and Alarm System Subscribers Collected by the Police Department as Established Pursuant to Resolution No. 6656, and Incorporating the Increased Fees Into the Consolidated Comprehensive Citywide Master Fee and Charges Schedule as Established by Resolution No. 2016-59, and Amended by Resolution Nos. 2017-46, 2018-01, 2018-29, 2018-48, and 2018-55 (Supplemental Fee Resolution No. 8).”
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Alternative Action: Do not approve the Resolution and direct staff accordingly.
Analysis:
The Police Department responds to over 4,000 alarm calls each year and less than 1% are crime related. Of these calls, 85% are the first or second offense. These false alarms are a massive drain on Police Department resources. Our current fee schedule does not allow for cost recovery of the first and second offense. Staff recommends charging $25 for the first false alarm in a 12-month period to be waived if the resident attends an online alarm school and $50 for the second occurrence. The third through fifth false alarm is proposed to decrease from $130-$200 to $75-150. Staff also recommends adding a new false alarm fee for those without an alarm permit. These fees would range from $250 to $1,000 for the first through forth occurrence.
The first false alarm fee may be waived if an alarm permit application is submitted along with the alarm permit fee within 10 days. See Exhibit A of Resolution 2019-07 for the table of proposed fee changes. The fee for an alarm permit is $41 and no change is requested of this fee.
Senior Discount Program
The City currently has a Senior Very Low Income Housing Exemption/Discount Program (Senior Program) that provides, to those who are eligible, an exemption for paying the City’s 5% Utility User Tax for electricity, gas, water, trash, cable, telephone, and cellular services and a 50% discount on Firemed and Trash Services. In order to qualify for the Senior Program, according to Chapter 3.36 of the Huntington Beach Municipal Code, the applicant must be 62 years of age or older and have a combined annual adjusted gross income of all members of the household that does not exceed the Federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Department Income Guidelines of “Very Low Income Category.” Staff recommends applying a 50% discount to the Alarm Fees of $41 for very low income seniors, resulting in a reduced rate of $20.50 to remain consistent with the current program in place.
Environmental Status:
N/A
Strategic Plan Goal:
Enhance and maintain public safety
Attachment(s):
1. Resolution No. 2019-07, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach Increasing Fees for Burglar Alarm Businesses and Alarm System Subscribers Collected by the Police Department as Established Pursuant to Resolution No. 6656, and Incorporating the Increased Fees Into the Consolidated Comprehensive Citywide Master Fee and Charges Schedule as Established by Resolution No. 2016-59, and Amended by Resolution Nos. 2017-46, 2018-01, 2018-29, 2018-48, and 2018-55 (Supplemental Fee Resolution No. 8)”