Meeting to address Knox Box concerns is full of sound and fury but yields little

Local business owners and landlords voiced their opposition to the borough's Knox Box ordinance at Wednesday night's legislative committee meeting. In a gathering full of sound and fury, facts and opinions were tossed about, but in the end nothing was resolved. Those opposing the ordinance expressed reservations about the safety of the Knox Box and the mandatory nature of the ordinance and said they simply wanted the right to choose. The committee gave no definite assurance that the ordinance would be revised, amended, or rescinded.

The ordinance requires all places of business and various other establishments to have key lock boxes, commonly known as Knox Boxes, installed and accessible to firefighters and police. The ordinance was passed in December 2017 and gives business owners until this December to comply. At July's borough council meeting, several citizens voiced their opposition to the ordinance. Further information on the requirements of the ordinance can be found on the borough's site here: https://ecode360.com/33113294

Wednesday's meeting included members of the legislative and safety committees, Mayor Leo Lutz, Borough Manager Rebecca Denlinger, Zoning Enforcement Officer Jeff Helm, Police Chief Jack Brommer, and Fire Chief Doug Kemmerly. Kemmerly read a letter addressing the Knox Box issue from the fire department's perspective. Columbia Spy previously published the letter HERE.

Bruce Murray: "I don't think it benefits me to allow you access to my business."

Bruce Murray, owner of Elite Energy LLC, expressed concern about credit card information that could be exposed if a Knox Box were breached at his business. He said he does not understand why anyone would need access to his property. "I feel like I'm responsible for 7200 customers," he told the committee.

David Mountz: "Does this mean that anybody that has a door that locks has a restricted access and therefore has to have a Knox Box?"

Attorney David Mountz said that his office building was recently subjected to a code inspection and he consequently had to install five carbon monoxide monitors, 10 smoke alarms, and five fire extinguishers. He felt that it was "overkill" for a two-and-a-half story building used as a law practice. He said that at the time of the inspection, he was not notified of the Knox Box requirement but later received a letter notifying him. He asked for an explanation of the criteria used for requiring a Knox Box.

In the interest of time, Legislative Committee Chair John Novak asked commenters to limit their questions during a conference call with a Knox Box representative. After the call, however, he allowed virtually unlimited citizen input.

After several commenters had addressed the committee, Legislative Committee Chair John Novak asked Larry Lulich, a Knox Box Company representative, to join the discussion from Texas via phone, for part of the meeting. Lulich was invited to answer questions and address concerns, but ultimately did little to reassure doubters.

Dr. William Kraft told the committee: "When you're telling me I have to do something and won't turn around and do it yourself, that is hypocrisy."

Dr. William Kraft, a Columbia chiropractor, was the first to question Lulich, and the the exchange soon became heated. Kraft seemed frustrated by Lulich's apparent sidestepping of his questions. Kraft told Lulich he is concerned about access to sensitive patient information in his office. He asked if Knox would be responsible for a breach of its lock box if patient records were exposed, and Lulich replied that Knox is just the manufacturer and would not be liable. Kraft told him that his insurance does not cover breaches of patient records and Lulich recommend changing policies, triggering laughs and jeers from the audience.

Kraft also mentioned several incidents in which Knox Boxes were compromised. Lulich said the behind-the-scenes reality differed from news reports which he labeled "fake news." He said Knox is not responsible for any damages related to its products. He again said Knox is simply the manufacturer, a mantra he fell back on several times during the meeting.

Keena Soukup: "We want the right to choose."

Keena Soukup of Soukup's Automotive, stated for the record her understanding that "Knox Box has zero accountability for anything that happens." She continued, "To us, that means that accountability is going to fall on the borough." She said businesses are being forced to install the boxes. When Lulich told her that having a Knox Box is no different than having a sprinkler system, Soukup replied, "The difference is sprinklers don't allow people into my building." Soukup had previously circulated a petition with dozens of signatures of business owners and others opposed to the ordinance, which she asked to present to the borough manager at the meeting.

Chief Kemmerly defended the Knox Box as being valuable for saving time and property. "It's easier to take 10 seconds to get that key out of the box to open the door. It's going to take us longer to break in." Kemmerly said having a Knox Box available can prevent property damage because fire personnel would not have to break down a door to enter a building.  "We're trying to save property damage. We truly, truly are."

Mayor Lutz: "It should be up to the property owner."

After hearing all arguments, Mayor Leo Lutz said that if he were a business owner, he would install a Knox Box, but that owners should have the right to choose. "If a business wants to opt out, let them opt out," he said, adding that if people could continue to be educated about Knox Box use, they might gain trust about the issue. He said owners who opt out would need to sign a waiver releasing the borough from liability for any damages incurred in the event of a fire.

When questioned about the next step, Novak said "The ordinance is what it is and does remain in effect. If there are any changes made to it, it would be discussed." He noted that since the issue is one of safety, the next discussion would occur at a safety committee meeting. Novak reminded everyone that the ordinance was eight months in the making and the public had an opportunity to weigh in on it during that time.