Bylaw 31-2008 Alarm Systems

Strathcona County, Alberta

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BYLAW 31-2008 A BYLAW OF STRATHCONA COUNTY, I N THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, TO REGULATE ALARM SYSTEMS WHEREAS the Municipal Government Act, R.S.A. 2000, c. M-26, provides that a Council may pass bylaws for municipal purposes respecting the safety, health and welfare of people and the protection of people and property and services provided by or on behalf of the municipality; AND WHEREAS the Council of Strathcona County considers it necessary and desirable to regulate Alarm Systems being used in Strathcona County; NOW THEREFORE the Council of Strathcona County, dul,y assembled, hereby enacts as follows: Section 1: Short Title 1. This Bylaw may be referred to as the "Alarm Systerns Bylaw". Section 2: Definitions 2.1 "Alarm System" means any device designed to activate an alarm signal upon detecting : (a) an unauthorized entry to a building or onto property, or (b) an emergency within a building or at a property; 2.2 "Alarm System Permit" means a permit issued for an Alarm System under this Bylaw; 2.3 "Calendar Year" means the period from January 1 to and including December 31 of each year; 2.4 "Chief Commissioner" means the chief administrative officer of the Strathcona County. 2.5 "Community Peace Officer" is a member of Strathcona County Enforcement Services and defined as such under the Peace Officer Act, SA 2006 , c.P-3.5. 2.6 "Council" means the Council of Strathcona County. 2.7 "County" means the municipal corporation of Strathcona County or, where the context so requires, the area contained within the boundaries of the County. 2.8 "False Alarm" means an alarm signal generated by an Alarm System which results in the attendance by the R.C.M.P. at a building or property where no unauthorized entry has occurred or been attempted and no emergency exists. Without Document #: Legislative Legal Services.4610.52474.1 BYLAW 31-2008 Page 2 of 6 limiting the generality of this definition, a False Alarm includes circumstances where the Alarm System has been activated as a result of: (a) testing, (b) mechanical failure, malfunction, or faulty equipment, or (c) inadvertence, mistake, omission or negligence. 2.9 "Fees and Charges Bylaw" means Strathcona County Bylaw 91-2007 as amended or replaced from time to time. 2.10 "Manager" means that the individual appointed by the Chief Commissioner to be responsible for the administration of this Bylaw, and in the event no individual is appointed, the Chief Commissioner; 2.11 "Member in Attendance" means a member of the R.C.M.P. that attends at a building or property at which an alarm signal has been activated; 2.12 "Permit Fee" means the amount so specified in the County's Fees and Charges Bylaw. 2.13 "Permit Holder" means a person issued an Alarm System Permit; 2.14 'Person" includes an individual, corporation, firm, partnership, association or other incorporated legal entity and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, as the case may be. 2.15 "Re-lnstatement Fee" means the amount so specified in the County's Fees and Charges Bylaw. 2.16 "Response Fee" means the fee required to be paid by a Permit Holder to the County as a result of a False Alarm at a building or property and as set out in the County's Fees and Charges Bylaw; 2.17 "R.C.M.P." means the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Strathcona County Detachment). Section 3: Alarm System Permits 3.1 No Person shall install or use, or permit to be installed or used, an Alarm System in or on any building or property unless the person is a Permit Holder. 3.2 (a) 'The Manager shall issue an Alarm Systerr~ Permit upon receipt of a completed application and payment of the Permit Fee. (b) The application form shall be of a design and standard as defined by the County. BYLAW 31-2008 Page 3 of 6 (c) The Alarm System Permit shall be issued: (i) in the name or nanies of tlie Person or Persons listed as the applicant on the application; and (ii) for the specific building or property listed on the application. 3.3 An Alarm System Permit is automatically cancelled if: (a) the Permit Holder is no longer the person who is in physical possession of the building or property for which the Alarm System was installed; or (b) the Permit Holder no longer has responsibility for control over the building or property for which the Alarm System was installed; or (c) the Alarm System is relocated to a buildirlg or property not specified on the Alarm System Permit. 3.4 An Alarm System Permit is automatically revoked if: (a) the Alarm System generates three (3) or more False Alarms within a six (6) month period; or (b) the Permit Holder has failed to pay the Response Fee within thirty days of being invoiced by the County. 3.5 The Manager shall notify a Permit Holder that their Alarm System Permit has been revoked. 3.6 An Alarm System Permit that has been revoked may be reinstated upon application by the Permit Holder if: (a) The Permit Holder pays the Re-Instatement Fee; and (b) the Permit Holder has paid any and all outstanding Response Fees. 3.7 If an Alarm System Permit is reinstated pursuant to Section 3.6, the Alarm System Permit shall not be revoked pursuant to Section 3.4(a) unless there have been three (3) False Alarms since the Alarm System Permit was reinstated. Section 4: False Alarm Response Fee 4.1 The determination of whether or not a False Alarm has occurred shall be made by the R.C.M.P. Member in Attendance. - 4.2 When the Member in Attendance determines that a False Alarm has occurred, the Permit Holder for the Alarm System that has activated the False Alarm shall pay a BYLAW 31-2008 Page 4 of 6 Response Fee to the County. The Response Fee shall be due and payable to the County thirty (30) days after the date that the Response Fee is invoiced by the County. 4.3 Notwithstanding Section 4.2, a Permit Holder shall not be charged a Response Fee if the False Alarm is the first False Alarm generated by the Permit Holder's Alarm System during the Calendar Year. Section 5: Offences 5.1 A person who contravenes Section 3.1 is guilty of an offence and shall pay the penalty specified in Schedule 'A". Section 6: Violation Tags 6.1 A Community Peace Officer is hereby authorized and empowered to issue a Violation Tag to any person who the Community Peace Officer has reasonable and probable grounds to believe has contravened any provision of this Bylaw. 6.2 A Violation Tag may be issued to such person: (a) either personally, or (b) by mailing a copy to such person at his last known post office address. 6.3 The Violation Tag shall be in a form approved by the Chief Commissioner and shall state: (a) the name of the person; (b) the offence; (c) the appropriate penalty for the offence as set out in this Bylaw; (d) that the penalty shall be paid within thirty (30) days of the issuance of the Violation Tqg; (e) any other information as may be required by the Chief Commissioner. 6.4 Where a contravention of this Bylaw is of a continuing nature, the Community Peace Officer may issue further Violation Tags, provided that no more than one Violation Tag shall be issued for each day that the contravention continues. 6.5 Where a Violation Tag is issued pursuant to this Bylaw, the Person to whom the Violation Tag is issued may, in lieu of being prosecuted for the offence, pay to the County the penalty specified on the Violation Tag. 6.6 Nothing in this Bylaw shall prevent a Community Peace Officer from immediately issuing a Violation Ticket for the mandatory Court appearance of any Person who contravenes any provision of this Bylaw. BYLAW 31-2008 Page 5 of 6 - Section 7: Violation Ticket 7.1 If the penalty specified on a Violation Tag is not paid within the prescribed time period then a Community Peace Officer is hereby authorized and empowered to issue a Violation Ticket pursuant to Part I1 of the Provincial Offences Procedure Act, RSA 2000, c. P-34. 7.2 IVotwithstanding Section 7.1 of this Bylaw, a Comm~~nity Peace Officer is hereby authorized and empowered to immediately issue a Violation Ticket pursuant to Part I1 of the Provincial Offences Procedure Act, RSA 2000, c. P-34, as amended, to any person who the Community Peace Officer has reasonable grounds to believe has contravened any provision of this Bylaw. Section 8: Severability Provision 8.1 Should any provision of this Bylaw be invalid, then such provision shall be severed and the remaining Bylaw shall be maintained. Section 9: Effective Date 9.1 This Bylaw, except for Sections 4, 6 and 7 shall come into force and effect after third reading and upon being signed. - 9.2 Sections 4, 6 and 7 of this Bylaw shall come into force and effect on January 1, 2009. READ a first time this / 0 day of , 2008. READ a second time this /a day of -? , 2008. READ a third time and finally passed this / 0 day of , 2008. MAYOR MANAGER U LEGISLATIVE & LEGAL SERVICES BYLAW 31-2008 Page 6 of 6 SCHEDULE "A" OFFENCES PENALTY $300.00 SECTION 3.1 OFFENCE Installation or use, or permit to be installed or used, an Alarm System in or on any building or property without a Permit