Members of the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly Committee of the Whole said Monday they wanted to clarify the city’s position on fireworks as current laws prohibit their use in the borough. Generally, the city has looked the other way for the Fourth of July and New Year’s holidays.
Currently, there are two laws that prohibit the use of fireworks in Juneau, city attorney Robert Palmer said at the meeting Monday night, a noise ordinance and the fire code. A few years ago, the Assembly instructed the Juneau Police Department to begin enforcing the noise ordinance after receiving complaints about the use of fireworks in residential neighborhoods year-round, Assemblymember Maria Gladziszewski said. But the Assembly left the Fourth of July and New Year’s holidays as exceptions after pushback from residents.
[City fireworks plans fizzle but personal use options available]
The Assembly is still receiving complaints about the use of fireworks in residential areas, particularly for larger, “concussive” fireworks that produce loud noises. However, Assembly members acknowledged the popularity of fireworks and the difficulty of enforcing the ordinance.
Assembly members took no action regarding fireworks Monday but said that allowing fireworks on the holidays was counter to the city’s own laws, and the regulations around fireworks need to be updated. Members said the issue should be addressed in the future, but it was unlikely the Assembly would be able to take any action before the New Year’s holiday when fireworks will be allowed.
While there are some members of the community who would like to see a complete ban on fireworks, Assembly members said, regulating the time, place and sale of certain kinds of fireworks is more likely. Assembly members did not set a date to take up the issue in the future.
• Contact reporter Peter Segall at psegall@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @SegallJnuEmpire.
