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Council reviews change to false-alarm ordinance to treat multi-building alarm panels as single site
Summary
Staff presented a change to the city's false-alarm ordinance to clarify how "alarm site" is defined so apartment complexes on one panel are not treated as multiple separate alarm locations; council gave consensus to add "tract or parcel" language and move the amendment forward.
City staff asked the Salisbury City Council on Feb. 10 to amend the municipal false-alarm ordinance to clarify when multiple addresses served by a single alarm panel should be treated as one alarm site.
A staff member explained that fines currently escalate after repeat false alarms — for example, $45 after the first three incidents, $90 after the fourth, and $135 after the fifth and subsequent incidents — but that enforcement became confused when apartment complexes with multiple street addresses are tied to one central alarm panel.
"The problem we're running into is apartment complexes that are on one alarm system but they have multiple buildings," the presenter told council. The proposed language would define an "alarm site" by the main panel location so a single panel serving several buildings counts as one system for the purpose of counting repeat alarms.
Council President asked why the ordinance used the term "tract of land"; staff confirmed it was legal terminology but agreed to make the language inclusive. Councilmember feedback led staff to propose replacing or expanding the term to read "tract or parcel of land" to ensure the change covers commercial properties as well as apartment complexes.
Council gave consensus to move the amendment forward to the legislative session for formal consideration.
