Date: Fri 29-Mar-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

council-ordinance-

Full Text:

Panel Reviews Ordinances On Oil Tanks And Security Alarms

BY KAAREN VALENTA

Launching a comprehensive review of all town ordinances, Legislative Council's

Ordinance Committee plans to once again take up the issues of false alarms and

underground home heating oil tanks.

Chairman Pierre Rochman is the only council member still serving on the

committee since it last considered the two topics. The other members - Lisa

Schwartz, Gail Halapin, Bill Brimmer and John Kortze - are new to the

committee and to the council, having been elected for the first time in last

November's election.

The group met in the lower meeting room at the Booth Library Thursday evening

to review the work done by the previous ordinance committee. First, however,

they accepted a petition from Mae Schmidle and Doug Rogers who asked the

committee to consider enacting a scenic roads ordinance.

"A lot of people have concern about our roads, stone walls, trees and rural

quality of life," Mrs Schmidle said. "Protecting and preserving our roads is

an important part of preserving the character of our town and this quality of

life."

Mr Rogers said he served as chairman of the Planning & Zoning Commission years

ago when most developers were town residents. "These days outside contractors

come in and they don't always have the same concerns," he said.

Mr Rochman said that while the committee "doesn't want to wait five years" to

consider enacting a scenic road ordinance, it isn't a priority at this time.

"It may be a little premature at this time," Mr Rochman said. "After we do the

burglar and fire alarm ordinance, and the underground oil tank ordinance, we

will prioritize other ordinances for review."

The petition contained the names of many of Mrs Schmidle's neighbors in the

Tamarack Road-Echo Valley-Sanford Road area who are opposed to a proposal by

the town to widen Tamarack Road.

The issue of false alarms has been bouncing back and forth between the

Ordinance Committee and the Police Commission for nearly two years. Police

Chief Michael DeJoseph, who retired this week, had urged an updating of the

ordinance, explaining that each alarm requires a response by a police officer

and a backup officer. In the last fiscal year, police responded to 2,190 false

alarms at a cost of more than 1,000 hours of police worktime. Only 11 alarms

were real.

The Police Commission had proposed a strengthening of the ordinance, with

heavier fines, a better registration process and biennial fees that would help

pay for the salary of a clerk to administer and enforce the ordinance. The

Ordinance Committee suggested other alternatives, such as having the building

department require alarm registration when permits are issued, having the

police send letters to alarm holders after false alarms occur, and going to

small claims court to collect fines when necessary.

"A lot of the problems are being whittled away without changing the

ordinance," Mr Rochman said. "I'm leaning toward doing away with the

registration."

Mrs Schwartz reviewed research she had done into the ordinance and compared

the ordinance to one recently adopted by the town of Fairfield. The committee

then decided to invited representatives of the police and the alarm company

which serves the schools and the town offices to come to a future meeting to

discuss the ordinances.

Using a series of flip charts, Mrs Halapin reported on the subject of

underground oil tanks and the concern of town officials over the rising number

of instances of water contamination caused by leaking residential tanks.

Acidic soil, internal corrusion and improper installation all have caused

leaks that have cost individual homeowners thousands of dollars in cleanup

costs as well as endangering wells and streams, she said.

Mrs Halapin said that planning to replace tanks before they leak is "a wise

move" - just like people plan to eventually replace cars and appliances. Many

towns have buried oil tank ordinances which run the gamut from one paragraph

long to 52 pages, she added.

"This is a topic that we want to stay very public with," Mr Rochman said. "We

are trying to protect public drinking water and help people so they will be

able to sell their homes someday."

The committee agreed to do more research and meet again in about a month.