The councils statements were quite shocking especially one of them. Voting total - 6-1
They already have this in California. They are called Knox Boxes. They are mounted near the front door of large commercial buildings. All keys to all the doors in the building are inside these boxes. Supposedly only the Fire Department has they key to the Knox Box.
A pack of unswayable tyrants who need to be voted out of office and then run out of town.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -— Opposition failed to lock down efforts Monday to expand the use of key boxes for emergency responders in Cedar Falls.
In March the City Council approved the first reading for an ordinance adopting new fire codes. However, at the time Councilman Nick Taiber objected to a section that would increase the number of property owners that would be required to have key boxes on site for fire rescue personnel to access buildings in an emergency.
The Evansdale City Council in March voted against requiring such lock boxes over concerns about security and expense.
Cedar Falls already has had an ordinance requiring the lock boxes on commercial properties that have alarms systems, sprinkler systems or for buildings with six or more residential units. That ordinance has been in place since 2002.
The new ordinance would require the boxes be installed on all of those properties, plus buildings with three or more residential units.
Taiber said it’s an unfunded mandate, adding expense for property owners who should have a choice in the matter.
“You can justify a lot of this on life protection and property protection, and I agree. But I can’t see making this mandatory,” Taiber said.
With the lock boxes, property owners place keys to the property in a box accessible only by a master key that is kept by the fire department.
Taiber also questioned whether the city takes on too much responsibility by having a key to all of these businesses.
Fire Chief John Schilling said the most basic model costs about $250. But he said a commercial door can cost $2,000, and the lock box will keep the department from having to break such doors down to investigate an alarm. It also saves the fire department time in responding to calls.
“I hear what you’re saying about unfunded mandates, but I’m concerned about safety,” Councilman John Runchey said to Taiber.
The council took no vote Monday, but Taiber was the only member to voice his opposition to the new ordinance.
Schilling said the department used the lock box keys about 120 times last year. There are currently 269 buildings in Cedar Falls that have the boxes.
Council member Susan de Buhr saw Taiber’s point about making the lockboxes mandatory, but gave the safety issue more weight.
“I think in a perfect world you wouldn’t make this mandatory, people would put them in for the safety of their tenants, but they don’t do it,” de Buhr said.
http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_a1947ab8-14cc-5f16-9f28-2e7d512ab0d6.html
What state is this?
Our Ruling Elite is going rather far. I wonder if Americans will take it.
And we had to put up with 8 years of the commie ‘RAT liberals whining that President Bush was trying to take away their rights. Geeesh! Where are those crybabies now?
>> it allows for the citizens of Cedar Falls to forcefully give the government keys to their comercial properties
Strange wording (and spelling).
City can't affor fire axes?
Come to think of it, why is “property” taxed at all? Government should stay the hell out of people’s relationship with *any* of their own property. Property ownership should be between a property owner and the property.
Why is government involved at all?
I know the only councilman that voted no is a Libertarian, city councilman Nick Taiber. Not sure about the others?
One thing I noticed is how arrogant the councilmen were when talking to the little people!
Before anyone knee-jerks, may I suggest there is more here than meets the eye (or knee)?
I live in a condo complex. We have gates — big hairy gates that are meant to protect us. If we have trouble — an assault, a large fight, a huge FIRE (all of which we have had in the last few years), I want the responders (police, fire, ambulance) to get in FAST! If they don’t have a master key to get in and it is the middle of the night and the problem is way away from the gate (and thus the person who needs the help might not be able to open the gate), HOW IN THE HECK CAN THEY HELP?
I say let the lawsuits begin. And if they come to your door, then protect your property.
The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
Well, since the Cedar Falls government just took ownership of the properties, they can make the tax payments too.
About 25 years ago, the town I live in voluntarily gave the local police keys to their businesses under the same pretense....until the top cop was later arrested for pilfering them regularly.
Hell, just give ‘em the wrong key.
This is one of the dumbest ideas I have ever heard.
First, how incompetent is ALL government? First, ALL lock boxes will have to have a common key in order for “emergency” personnel to enter the buildings on short notice. Third, just how many minutes after these lock boxes are installed will criminals have a duplicate key made from one that one of the incompetent government employees either failed to secure or simply sold to them?
We (the sheeple) freely trade freedom and our God given rights to protect our own lives and property to the government in exchange for their protection. It’s time to end that forever!
The citizens must have got just what they wanted, they voted for the little dictator socialists that voted for this, or maybe they did not go vote at all.