Oxnard Municipal Code § 11-74 False Alarm Notices; Bills for Fines and Fees; Hearing

Sections 11-74.1 and 11-74.2 shall govern the security alarm application process for noticing false alarms, bills for fines and fees, and the hearing process.

(Ord. 2951)

(A) A retrievable record shall be generated for every alarm dispatch request to which police personnel respond.

(B) The alarm administrator shall prepare a notice of false alarm responses, including the date and time of response; an identification of the responding agency; a statement urging the alarm user to ensure proper operation of the alarm system in order to avoid fees and penalties; and the fees and penalties that are in effect for false alarms.

(C) The alarm administrator shall deposit such notice in the United States mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the alarm user at the mailing address stated in the application for the alarm permit for the alarm site. If an alarm permit is not in effect for the alarm site, the alarm administrator shall address the bill to the owner of the alarm site, as shown in the records of the Ventura County Assessor.

(Ord. 2951)

(A) The alarm administrator shall review each record prepared for alarm dispatch requests, and determine whether an alarm permit is required for the alarm site, and if so, whether an alarm permit is in effect for the alarm site. The alarm administrator shall determine if the permit was valid at the time of the alarm dispatch requests. If an alarm permit is required and is either not in effect or never existed, the alarm administrator shall mail to the alarm user an application form for an alarm permit and a bill for the fee and penalty referred to in section 11-69(B).

(B) When the alarm administrator determines that an excessive false alarm has occurred, whether or not an alarm permit is required for the alarm site, the alarm administrator shall mail to the alarm user a bill for the prescribed fees and penalties.

(C) The alarm administrator shall mail a bill to each alarm user that incurs a fine, fee, or penalty.

(D) The fines, fees, and penalties referred to in this article are cumulative. The alarm administrator may prepare a separate bill for each fine, fee, and penalty, or may include in the same bill all or some of the fines, fees, and penalties incurred by an alarm user.

(E) Each bill shall state that the alarm user shall pay the bill within 30 days of the date the bill was mailed.

(F) The alarm administrator shall deposit each bill in the United States mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the alarm user at the mailing address stated in the application for the alarm permit for the alarm site. If an alarm permit is not in effect for the alarm site, the alarm administrator shall address the bill to the owner of the alarm site, as shown in the records of the Ventura County Assessor.

(G) The alarm administrator shall include with every bill such information that provides an overview of the process, including fees, fines, and penalties if not timely paid.

(H) If the fees, fines, and penalties are not timely paid, the hearing officer shall hold a hearing and issue a decision as to whether imposition of the fees, fines, and penalties is justified by this article. The hearing officer shall hold the hearing in the manner set out in subsections 11-75.2(C) through (F) of this article, whether or not the alarm user attends the hearing.

(Ord. 2951)