LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i County Council unanimously approved Wednesday a bill setting up several fees for homeowners and businesses that have a burglar alarm system. Before final approval, an amendment substantially reduced the fees originally proposed in the bill, although
LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i County Council unanimously approved Wednesday a bill setting up several fees for homeowners and businesses that have a burglar alarm system. Before final approval, an amendment substantially reduced the fees originally proposed in the bill, although those fees are still higher than similar fees charged on Maui and O‘ahu.
“After passing this out of committee (Aug. 1), I did receive a few calls from constituents … inquiring why the necessity to have such high fees,” Councilman Mel Rapozo said. “I did research the other counties and found that our proposed fees were quite high, and may even act as a deterrent for people on fixed income, or to anyone, to get a burglar alarm.”
Rapozo, who introduced the bill months ago by the administration’s request, said Wednesday he decided to propose an amendment to reduce fees after reviewing the other counties’ ordinances.
When Bill 2435 was first introduced, it originally set an initial registration fee of $50 and annual renewals of $50. On Aug. 1, the council’s Public Safety Committee amended the bill to increase the registration fee to $150. The final bill approved by the full council Wednesday lowered the registration fee to $25 and the annual renewal fee to $10.
Councilwoman Nadine Nakamura said she too received calls from constituents, and the amendment addresses their concerns. Alarm users, she said, pay a monthly fee, and on top of that, the originally proposed fees were “quite high.”
Council Vice Chair JoAnn Yukimura said she also received calls from community members, and she questioned the necessity of having a registration fee at all.
Rapozo said the purpose of this fee was to provide necessary information to the Kaua‘i Police Department should no one be present at the location of a burglar alarm that goes off.
“It’s just a matter of keeping a record of the subscriber,” Rapozo said. “This will give the police the opportunity of finding someone (in case an alarm goes off); that’s the whole purpose of the registration.”
Bill 2435 was crafted after KPD expressed concerns with the vast majority of emergency calls to which police officers respond to are false alarms, as stated in the bill’s language.
“Such (false) alarms are often the result of improper maintenance, faulty equipment, or improper or careless use of an alarm system,” states the bill, which has a “purpose and intent” identical to the Maui ordinance.
The original bill proposed a $75 fee on the third false alarm in one year, with increments of $25 for each subsequent false alarm within a year, until reaching a $100 cap.
On Aug. 1, the committee increased the false alarm fee to $150, and decided to impose the fee on the third and subsequent false alarm within one year. The final bill approved Wednesday leaves intact the committee’s recommendation on the false alarm schedule.
“I’m fine with the false assessment being high, because the bill already allows two false alarms,” said Councilman Tim Bynum, who was another council member who said he received calls from constituents concerned with the high fees proposed.
The bill originally penalized those operating without an permit by slapping them with a $100 fine. There were also other associated fees, such as a $25 appeal fee, a $50 reinstatement fee and other fees. On Aug. 1, the committee simplified the bill by getting rid of all the other fees, but increased to $250 the fine for being caught operating a non-registered alarm system.
The final bill approved Wednesday brought the non-compliance fine back to $100.
Lowered but still higher
Despite a substantial reduction on permitting and assessment fees, Kaua‘i is still charging higher fees than Honolulu and Maui counties, which have similar ordinances.
On Maui, homeowners and businesses are allowed three false alarms in a six-month period before being assessed a $50 fine. After the seventh false alarm in six months, they are charged $100 per call. Only after the ninth and subsequent calls within six months, they are charged the same $150 false-alarm fines charged to Kaua‘i’s homeowners and businesses.
Nowhere in the Maui ordinance, crafted in 1995, it states there is a permitting fee.
The City and County of Honolulu does charge a permitting and annual renewal fee, but those fees are lower than on Kaua‘i; $15 and $5 respectively.
Honolulu’s Burglar Alarm Registration form has some information which is nothing short of alarming.
“Ninety-eight percent of the burglar alarm systems that police responds to turn out to be false alarms,” states the form.
Still, Honolulu allows three false alarms within a year before assessing a fee of $50. Each subsequent false alarm within a year also carries a $50 fee.
Similarly to Kaua‘i, Honolulu slaps a $100 fine on users of non-registered alarm systems.
The bill is now on its way to Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.’s signature, after which it will take six months to go into effect.
