PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Presque Isle City Council has less than a month before Independence Day to enact a consumer fireworks ordinance.
But the council could vote on such an ordinance at its meeting Wednesday, June 7, 2017, following more than a year of debate over whether or how the city should address concerns about noise and safety associated with the consumer use of fireworks.
Last month, city councilors agreed that the city staff should draft an ordinance with a “permit based system that would pertain to the urban compact zone,” said City Manager Martin Puckett.
The resulting ordinance proposal would only apply to the most densely-populated section of Presque Isle. According to a copy of the proposal included in the council’s agenda packet in advance of Wednesday’s meeting, the ordinance would require fireworks users to obtain a permit from the Presque Isle Fire Department and to notify the department before they intend to use the products.
The permit would be purchased for a fee to be set by the City Council, and the fire or police departments would be able to deny a permit based on a location or particular fire risk, according to the ordinance proposal.
The ordinance also states that fireworks usage would be prohibited during any periods of class 4 or 5 fire risks based on the National Fire Danger Rating System. Penalties for violations would range from $100 to $500.
Input on the ordinance will be taken from members of the public ahead of any vote Wednesday.
The ordinance would take effect 10 days after being adopted or at a date set by the city council, although Puckett said that the city would still have to hustle to have the ordinance operational by Independence Day.
“Since we do have to notify the public, order and put up signs, and print permits we may consider delaying the implementation until after the 4th of July to properly notify the public,” Puckett said in one of the council meeting documents.
Wednesday’s meeting starts at 6 p.m. in council chambers at City Hall.
