A.G. Gancarski
Though the major story of Tuesday’s city council meeting was that the city may have to spend $100 million and that JEA may have to spend $30 million (in funds that should be reimbursed) to get back to normal after Hurricane Matthew, bills nonetheless were deliberated and passed.
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On Tuesday night, the Jacksonville City Council passed a bill increasing penalties for false residential and commercial burglar alarms.
Of the 45,000 alarms in Jacksonville yearly, a staggering 98 percent are false, taking up 18,000 manpower hours.
With that impact in mind, this bill changes the permissible number of false burglar alarms from six to one, mandates yearly registration, and increases fines up to $500 for each incident after the fourth false alarm.
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Another bill appropriates $3,223,932 in Foreclosed Property Registry funding for foreclosure intervention purposes.
Funds would include direct cash assistance up to $8,500 to 117 different individuals and families who are in default or facing possible foreclosure action.
As well, for those in need of foreclosure mediation, funding will be available to 500 clients to prevent foreclosure actions through possible loan modification or credit counseling services.
