Council approves fines for repeat nuisance parties

Get ready to fork over $250 to $1,100 if Glendale police have to come knock on your door multiple times in response to loud house parties because the City Council this week gave its final approval for new party fines.

The fines were created in response to a party house in northwest Glendale that became a nuisance for neighbors and police. The property manager of the house in the 1300 block of Norton Avenue often rented it out for events, such as birthday and graduation parties, angering neighbors who were frustrated by the loud noise, fights and beer bottles in the streets.

Police responded to six parties at the 4,000-square-foot house on Norton Avenue between October 2013 and this past January, one of which involved a police helicopter shining a spotlight on the home.

The fine system would begin with a written warning, but if officers return to a location because of another party within 12 hours to three months, the person who organized the party or in charge of the premises could be slapped with a $250 fine, according to a city report.

The fine climbs to $500 for the third police response and $1,100 for the sixth.

Police Chief Rob Castro said at a previous council meeting that the fines will give neighbors some reprieve as well as provide a flexible tool for police. Those who receive a party fine can ask police officials to reconsider the fee through a hearing process, Castro said.

The ordinance, similar to one implemented in Glendora when Castro was police chief there, will take effect in about a month.

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Follow Brittany Levine on Google+ and on Twitter: @brittanylevine.

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