Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


The Hamburg Township Board is proceeding with a fireworks ordinance that will limit the times when they can be discharged.

The Board of Trustees met this week and conducted a formal 1st reading of a draft ordinance, with Clerk Michael Dolan opposed.

Currently, state statute allows fireworks to be discharged after 11am and before 11:45pm from June 29th through July 4th. If July 5th is a Friday or Saturday, the same times apply. The time frame also applies to the Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding Memorial Day and Labor Day. State rules further permit the discharge of fireworks on December 31st after 11am and before 1am on January 1st.

Supervisor Jason Negri clarified there was a complaint regarding fireworks displays from a resident who voiced concerns to the Public Safety Committee – which then charged the chief and himself with “massaging” the ordinance.

Negri said the Committee initially wanted to restrict fireworks displays to only allow them on the days permitted under state statute. He said the Board decided against that and it was the majority's wish to explicitly permit the discharge of fireworks any day of the year, after 11am and before 10pm - except for the days cited in state statute. Negri said the ordinance allows the possibility of obtaining permits if someone wants to discharge fireworks outside of those permitted days and times.

Basically, if someone wants to discharge fireworks outside of the state holidays after 10pm, they need to get a permit.

Only one resident spoke during call to the public to oppose the ordinance, stating it “basically limits a whole mess of things including permits” and how many times permits can be obtained. He said it was also his understanding that one person complained at a public safety meeting, and he “doesn’t feel it’s fair to affect 27,000 other people in this township for just one person’s complaints”.

Clerk Dolan questioned if the board was not comfortable going to going to 11pm during the months of July and August, as it gets dark at 10pm. Negri said nobody suggested that, and he’s not in favor of that, stating it can be done by permit. Dolan later said he agreed with the resident who spoke, and doesn’t want any overreaction to one complaint.

At the board’s next meeting, there will be a 2nd reading of the proposed fireworks ordinance – followed by potential adoption.

A link to the draft ordinance is provided.