Novi Asks Michigan Legislature to Amend Fireworks Act

The Novi City Council passed a resolution Monday that asks the Michigan Legislature and Governor Snyder to amend the new Michigan Fireworks Safety Act, which legally in Michigan.

The resolution asks for the Act to be amended to give local governments permission to enact and enforce the following regulations, even on national holidays:

1. Time limits for use, ignition and discharge of fireworks
2. Noise and nuisance activities
3. Permitted locations for use, ignition and discharge of fireworks

The city clerk will send the resolution to Gov. Snyder, as well as Novi's state senator and representative.

In Novi, an ordinance prohibits the discharge of consumer fireworks on public, school, and church property, and private property owned by others without permission. Fireworks are also prohibited from being fired in the city's parks.

The city also has its own noise ordinances.

Yet, the new law bars municipalities from regulating fireworks use on federal holidays – such as July 4 – or the day right before and after.

Novi's resolution states that local communities have been swamped with numerous complaints related to the use of fireworks, and that Novi experienced a 143 percent increase in fireworks-related calls and complaints from last year. The police department received 16 total complaints in 2011 and has received 39 so far this year. Before this year, Novi saw a trend of decreasing complaints from year to year.

According to the resolution, the increase in complaints has caused a significant increased demand on city services and cost to the city.

The council asks that the legislature amend and clarify portions of the act to allow full regulation and and ordinances that can regulate or prohibit the sale and use of low impact and consumer fireworks, "without regard to any licenses, certificates, registrations or permits issued by the State of Michigan or otherwise, and without regard to the other provisions of the Act," it states.

The resolution also states that the new law is confusing in some parts.

"In addition, neutral laws and ordinances that relate to noise, littering, general commercial sales and similar regulations are cast into doubt as to whether and when they can be enforced," the resolution states.

Mayor Pro-tem Dave Staudt was the only one that voted against the resolution, stating that it was not useful.

"I generally don't support resolutions that lecture our state legislature," he said.

Mayor Bob Gatt said many cities in Southeast Michigan are passing similar resolutions.

"I agree with my colleagues: I don't think that the people in Lansing are too concerned with what we send up there as far as a piece of paper resolving that we don't like what they did, but if several different cities do the same thing, then maybe there is strength in numbers," Gatt said.

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