Westfield has become the latest city to issue stricter fireworks restrictions.
The City Council has approved a new ordinance prohibiting fireworks within Westfield at all times and locations with the exception of the following dates and times:
■ Between the hours of 5 p.m. and two hours after sunset on June 29 and 30, and July 1 through 3 and July 5 through 9.
■ Between the hours of 10 a.m. and midnight on July 4.
■ Between the hours of 10 a.m. Dec. 31 and 1 a.m. Jan. 1.
■ Any other time and location duly authorized by the City of Westfield by permit to be obtained prior to the scheduled event.
“It’s meeting the state law. Any day, any time other than that, you can’t do it,” said Council Vice President John Dippel.
Before voting, council members took the proposal to WECAN twice for public and business input.
“It’s not only around the holidays but regular nights,” Council member Bob Smith said about public complaints.
“I receive more complaints from residents on fireworks than anything else. Not to say that’s a lot. People are very frustrated this goes on. It’s very annoying. We are allowing the days it is celebratory,” Council member Steve Hoover said.
The ordinance is not exclusive to noise makers.
“More house fires and personal injuries come from sparklers than anything else,” Smith said.
Previously, the police department was unsuccessful using the noise ordinance to handle complaints. Westfield Police Chief Joel Rush said this ordinance provides his officers with the ability to issue citations to city court.
“We didn’t have the ability to do that before. There was nothing we could do,” he said.
According to the ordinance, “violations shall be punished by a fine of no more than $500 per incident as well as other penalty provided by the Westfield Code of Ordinances.”
While the burn ban last summer significantly reduced the number of complaints, Rush said summertime is when the police department receives the most calls from the public.
“More so when school starts,” he said. “It gets darker earlier, and kids are in bed.”
