LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - The Lincoln City Council is considering a proposal that would allow some businesses to build electric fences within city limits.
Electric fences have been restricted in Lincoln since 1963, but a South Carolina company wants an exception to that ban for businesses, the Lincoln Journal Star (https://bit.ly/1VIgrjj ) reported.
Under the proposed ordinance, electric fences would be allowed around businesses with a special permit if they are inside a separate perimeter fence and are marked with signs.
Electric Guard Dog, a security company in Columbia, South Carolina, has been trying to get its product allowed in Lincoln for a year. It has a contract to build an electric security fence around some of the salvage yard of local automobile recycler LKQ Auto Parts.
The fences in the proposed ordinance are aimed at large storage areas with items outside that could potentially be stolen, said Michael Pate of Electric Guard Dog.
During a City Council hearing Monday afternoon, Pate said that the fence is used as an alarm system and physical deterrent. When the voltage of the fence’s battery drops substantially, an alarm goes off, notifying the parent company. Pate said that touching the fence feels like touching a door handle in your home and seeing a spark.
The City Council is delaying a decision for two months while city administrators evaluate the consequences of the ordinance.
“We want to know how this impacts the bigger picture, what other communities are doing,” said Rick Hoppe, Mayor Chris Beutler’s chief of staff. “We feel like there are some questions that should be answered before we move forward.”
The Building and Safety Department director, Chad Blahak, said there are potential safety concerns, particularly with children, the elderly and those with heart conditions.
Electric fences would still be banned in residential areas.
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Information from: Lincoln Journal Star, https://www.journalstar.com
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