Sec. 46-50. - Legislative intent.

(a)

The abatement of public nuisances and noise disturbances is essential for the protection of public health, safety, and welfare. In some circumstances the process of abatement can be a drain on finite municipal resources in that it requires multiple contacts with properties that are the cause of public nuisances and noise disturbances. This results in the increase in the need for police and fire personnel and also increases the cost of providing public safety services by increasing the overtime cost associated with these services. The abatement of multiple public nuisances and/or noise disturbances at a single residence also negatively impacted the ability of the municipality to provide public safety services to the remainder of the community because police and fire services are needlessly tied up responding to public nuisances and noise complaints.

(b)

In the past and presently police, fire, and other emergency response personnel have and are required to respond on multiple occasions to public nuisances and noise complaints on private property. The responses to such incidents have resulted in a disproportionate expenditure of public safety resources of the Town of Narragansett, which are underwritten by municipal taxes paid by its taxpayers and residents and delaying police responses to regular and emergency calls for the remainder of the town.

(c)

The purpose of this article is to reduce the cost of providing police, fire, and other emergency response services by imposing a civil fee against persons responsible for conducting, aiding, allowing, permitting, or condoning a public nuisance or noise disturbance at a residence or other private property. The civil fee is based upon the recovery of costs associated with providing law enforcement, fire, and other emergency response services to public nuisances and noise disturbances.

(Ch. 952, § 1, 12-5-2011)