Huntingburg Council reviews lock box ordinance
The Huntingburg Common Council reviewed an ordinance that would require new buildings to install lock boxes containing keys to the building.
The boxes would be added to newly constructed commercial or industrial buildings, multi-family residential structures, nursing homes and healthcare facilities. Additionally, any existing buildings in the city that are renovated, added to, or repaired in a way that causes them to be classified as one of these structures will also be required to install the lock boxes.
Councilman Glen Kissling brought the idea to the council in October and at the time recommended the city use a brand of lock box called Knox Box. The new ordinance does give the fire chief the discretion to designate a certain brand of lock box to be installed. This allows for the fire fighters to have a single key to use for all the boxes in the city.
Kissling said at that meeting, that it’s not uncommon for first responders to arrive at an emergency call only to have to wait for a key holder to come unlock the door. That additional time can mean the difference between putting out a small fire or watching a large fire as it consumes a building.
Even though the fire department can knock down doors to gain entry, the lock box will allow them to get inside faster and save the building owners the expense of having to replace a door that has been kicked in by firefighters and first responders.
The boxes are meant for these commercial buildings due to the more expensive windows and doors that could be destroyed by firefighters attempting to gain entry.
At the current time, Huntingburg firefighters have four boxes holding keys for lock boxes that are accessible by firefighters. When the firefighter accesses the box, it records which firefighter accessed it and for how long the key was taken.
The council agreed to review the new ordinance and to potentially take action on it at the next meeting scheduled for 7 p.m., January 22, at City Hall.
The council also took the following actions:
–Approved a proposed economic revitalization area and an economic development target area (St. Joseph’s Hospital property) with the intentions to consider a special tax abatement for the senior housing project there.
–Approved a $50,000 grant to the St. Joseph Hospital senior housing project as part of the economic incentives package for developer Miller Valentiene. According to Mayor Spinner, the economic incentives were important to the score Miller Valentine’s proposed senior housing for consideration of rental housing tax credits. Miller Valentine was awarded the tax credits through the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) but only scored one point above the cutoff. The $50,000 will be paid in two phases, one payment of $25,000 after Miller Valentine closes on the purchase of the property and the second payment of $25,000 upon completion of 75 percent of the project. Miller Valentine’s construction project must also be $5 million or more. Mayor Spinner also stated that Miller Valentine was going through the negotiation process with contractors and could have that finalized by February.
–Approved the appointments to city boards and commissions. That listing is here.
–Elected Councilwoman Amy Lehr as president pro tempore for the council. The president pro tempore presides over the meetings in the absence of the mayor.
–Approved the Huntingburg Press as the official newspaper for the city. The council directed City Attorney Phil Schneider to investigate whether the Huntingburg Press can be considered as the city’s paper if it does not have an office in Huntingburg and is not printed locally.
–Rescheduled the February 12 common council meeting to February 9 at 7 p.m. due to a scheduling conflict.
This ordinance requiring/mandating – operative key words “requiring/mandating” – lock boxes with keys to private property is an affront to the people’s rights – those of property owners, landlords and business owners. In addition, in this big government era and culture of security issues and crime galore, only “from my cold dead hands” (Charlton Heston, NRA) will you ever get a key for MY home and business. Pitch it, sell it, recommend it, etc., but don’t MANDATE it by taking away the freedoms of choice from the common sense of people.
I don’t CARE if you have to break down my door or destroy my window to gain access and fight a fire or rescue me – my house or business may already be going up in smoke or I might be dying of a heart attack, so what’s a door or window??? It’s actually faster access than to be fiddling with a key to a box – to get another key for the door – but the knox box lock is stuck from either rust from weather issues, lack of use, or bugs. But to mandate that I keep a 24-7 key to my house or business in a box on the outside – forget it. Plus, that I must buy only a certain brand ??? What’s happening here??? This ordinance as proposed is ludicrous – hard to believe we’re stooping to such over-reactive political correctness and knee-jerk control over the people in pursuit of a perfect world. C’mon council – get a grip and wise-up. The ends, here, do NOT justify such means.