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City may support curbs on fireworks
By ADRIENNE P. SAMUELS LARGO -- This city could soon join the ranks of other Pinellas County governments supporting a movement to crack down on private residents who use illegal fireworks. City commissioners on Tuesday discussed their options after listening to a presentation by County Commissioner Ken Welch, who is gearing up for a countywide public hearing June 10 on a proposal to tighten the current regulations on fireworks. Welch is traveling to different cities to garner support for his ordinance, which essentially limits the amount and type of fireworks sold in the county by requiring the seller to verify that each buyer has a valid fireworks permit. If that happens, Welch said, the only people buying fireworks will be reputable companies instead of little children. "We're just enforcing the current laws," Welch said. "These are explosive devices. Professional grade devices need to be handled by professionals." Some Largo commissioners and the city's fire and police leaders spoke out in support of the ordinance Tuesday night. Since 1999, there have been 19 fireworks-related fires in the city, said Fire Marshal Mark Jones. The fires caused about $8,500 in damage, Jones said. Police Chief Lester Aradi told the commission that fireworks complaints give his department major headaches. "We can't even begin to respond to the complaints on the Fourth of July," Aradi said. The proposed changes to the county's fireworks ordinance would not prohibit professional fireworks displays or the sale of sparklers. Commissioner Charlie Harper reminded his colleagues to think of the people who do like to buy fireworks, but he is concerned about how fireworks affect a dense population. "This county is no longer the rural county it was once," Harper said. State laws ban the sale of most fireworks except for those used for mining or to scare birds at a farm or fish hatchery. Fireworks stores sell them anyway by getting customers to sign a form stating they are obeying the law. Welch last July started pushing for the ban. Clearwater, St. Petersburg and Seminole already support changes to the fireworks ordinance. The public hearing in June would be the first step toward further fireworks regulation. -- Adrienne P. Samuels can be reached at 445-4157 or samuels@sptimes.com
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From the Times North Pinellas desks |
