TWO NEW ORDINANCES AND TWO NEW FEES

Two new ordinances were passed at the Fiscal Court meeting held on March 17, 2009. One is known as the “Alarm Ordinance” and the other one is known as the “Peddler’s Ordinance.”

The alarm ordinance essentially provides for a fine for false alarms received by the Oldham County Police Department. Each person would be allowed two false alarms each year before being subject to the fine. Although supporters of the ordinance claimed that the police department was receiving so many false alarms that it was affecting its ability to perform other duties, no statistics were provided to support this allegation. The finance committee was asked if it had the statistics.

What was more surprising about the ordinance was that it provided for an annual registration fee of twenty dollars for registering alarms with the Oldham County Police Department. The fee only applies to those alarms that alert the police department. This is just another way for the county to raise money. It seems that every time the Fiscal Court meets there is some new fee or tax. Magistrates Scott Davis, David Voegele and Steve Church voted against the alarm ordinance. The remaining magistrates and the judge voted for the ordinance.

Then there was the peddler ordinance. The alleged purpose of this ordinance was to keep peddlers from scaring people and to keep unwanted solicitors away from people’s homes. It does neither. It only requires peddlers to obtain a permit in order to peddle their wares. It does not stop them from coming to your house. There will be a background check done on each applicant. However, after reading the ordinance, it does not appear to me that any real grounds for denial of the permit are contained in it. And then there is another fee. The permit, which will cost one hundred dollars, will be valid for a maximum of six months. As originally written, the permit would have prevented salespersons from calling on businesses. Thanks to Magistrate David Voegele that provision was removed from the ordinance.

The peddler ordinance does give police a basis for questioning salespersons and to know who is selling things in the neighborhoods. However, I don’t believe that we needed an ordinance for them to do that.

Magistrates Scott Davis, Bob Leslie and Rick Rash voted against the peddler ordinance while the remaining magistrates and the judge voted for the ordinance.