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Tuesday, January 6, 2009 9:43 PM CST
Council postpones vote on requiring lock boxes
By ROB STROUD, Staff Writer
rstroud@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON — The City Council voted Tuesday to seek funding from the president-elect’s planned economic stimulus proposal to complete the Interstate 57 access road north of town and replace a key water main.
The council also temporarily tabled a proposal to require that certain rental housing and nonresidential buildings be equipped with key lock boxes for use by firefighter-paramedics. The council plans to clarify the proposal’s language and bring it back for a final vote Jan. 20.
Regarding the funding, the council authorized the Coles County Regional Planning and Development Commission to submit proposals for grants utilizing various state and federal funds through Barack Obama’s expected economic stimulus proposal.
The city will seek $25 million for completing the County Road 1000N access road between the new Interstate 57 interchange and Illinois Route 130 in Charleston’s industrial area. The funding is intended for roadway as well as water and sewer line construction.
In addition, the city will seek more than $1.5 million for replacing the approximately 125-year-old main that connects the water treatment plant to the rest of Charleston.
“Both are shovel-ready projects,” Inyart said of construction preparedness.
Inyart referenced that the city has twice applied to the state for grant funding to replace the aging water main without success. The line runs diagonally from the water treatment plant on McKinley Avenue northwest to 20th Street and Lincoln Avenue, including under some homes.
Regarding the lock boxes, firefighters can use a master key to open boxes on the exteriors of equipped properties and access the keys to the buildings there for quick entry during an emergency.
The city has a voluntary lock box program but the proposed ordinance would make the equipment mandatory for certain properties. The master keys are stored in password-protected holders within the city’s fire trucks and ambulances.
Inyart said he wants the ordinance to clarify that it does not mandate keys be provided for individual apartments in a building and clarify where the lock boxes should be placed on the properties.
“I think it would be nice to be clear about what we are expecting of them,” Inyart said. He noted landlords can provide keys to individual apartments through the voluntary program.
Council member Larry Rennels added the ordinance should clarify that only one lock box is required per building.
Under the current proposal, lock boxes would need to be installed at any rental housing building containing four or more living units and in which access to the building or to common areas or mechanical/electrical rooms within the building is denied through locked doors.
Lock boxes also would be required at any nonresidential building where a fire detection or suppression system is monitored by an alarm company or has an external audible alarm.
There would be a one-time application fee of $50 for a lock box to cover maintenance. Inyart said participants in the voluntary program can sign up for lock boxes without a fee until the ordinance is enacted. Property owners would need to purchase their own lock boxes.
Fire Chief Kris Phipps said having a master key to a lock box frees firefighters from needing to search through key rings for the right one. He said lock boxes also enable firefighters to access locked, unoccupied areas without needing to force entry when an alarm is sounding.
Inyart said the key lock boxes reduce the time firefighters spend at a building verifying that the alarm sounding within is false.
“The sooner we can get (firefighters) back in service I think it’s better for the entire community,” Inyart said.
In other matters, the council held a closed meeting at 7 p.m. to review minutes of previous closed meetings. During the subsequent regular meeting, the council voted to release printed minutes from previous closed sessions and authorized the destruction of audio recordings.
Contact Rob Stroud at rstroud@jg-tc.com or 348-5734.
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Mike P wrote on Jan 7, 2009 10:33 AM:
What is the calculated number of buildings that would need to be lock boxed? How many false alarm calls are there a year, where entry has been an issue?
They fail to grasp that imposing expenses and mandated requirements, needs to be based on substancially more than just convenience.
This bunch was baffled at outside reports of decline. Months later, they have still yet to go beyond dismissing and excusing the data. When 08 gets compiled, can they be blind sided again? Have they made any changes to reflect reality to make an effort to turn 09 figures in a different direction, or at least reduce the degrees of decline. Out of touch, is one thing. When presented with data, and its still business as usual, completely ignoring it, is another all together. Perhaps in 2011, 2010 census reports, will be compelling enough to cause some new directions to be sought. Until then, your just stuck, I guess. "