ROSEVILLE, Calif. — The Roseville City Council discussed options to increase the enforcement of illegal fireworks in the city at a Wednesday council meeting.
While there were no ordinances introduced or voted on, the options the city council gave guidance on to increase enforcement will have to come back to the council for an approval on action at a future meeting for possible ordinance amendments.
The council discussed three options at the meeting.
The first option includes increased administrative fines to $750 for the first offense and $1,000 for every offense after, removing the infraction cap when someone has more than 25 pounds and allowing the violation to be cited as a misdemeanor. Option 1 also includes allowing the city to charge a person the actual costs for responding to a call for illegal fireworks in addition to the fine amounts.
The second option the council discussed included any part or all of Option 1 but also added a knowing "host" ban that punishes the property owner who knowingly allows someone to violate an ordinance on their property.
The third option was to leave the ordinance as is and not increase enforcement.
After a discussion and public comment, the city council gave guidance on Options 1 and 2 to include some technology and education outreach.
"When this comes back to understand the statistics of the region, understand some of the technology, understand some of the education and outreach. But, like my colleagues, I think Option 2 — including the host could be really beneficial. It only takes one person to go 'Yeah you're not coming to my house next year,'" Roseville Mayor Bruce Houdesheldt said at the meeting.
The city council heard from staff including Fire Chief Rick Bartee and Police Chief Troy Bergstrom.
"This last Fourth of July was a busy time for fire and police working together and running around for fireworks that occurred plus a couple of vegetation fires that occurred 40 plus acres burning at one time," Bartee said. "While Troy and I were both still working there, people were still shooting them off over our heads while we were still working this fire."
Bergstrom said there's a specific window when the calls start pouring in.
"July 4th for us is the single busiest night of the entire year by far. We will take more calls for service from the time — about 45 minutes before the sun goes down until around midnight — we will take more calls for service in that window of time than we will on an average day any other day of the year," Bergstrom said.
Bergstrom said calls they get on a typical day such as DUI, domestic violence, fights and more still happen on top of the fireworks-related calls.
"I think this last year we were up 111, 115 fireworks complaints that came in just in that window of time. It is the single busiest night of the year for us," Bergstrom said. "It makes it exceptionally difficult for us to keep up on calls for service, especially time-consuming calls."
Placer County doesn't allow any fireworks, including "Safe and Sane." Find out more information about state and local laws for fireworks HERE.
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