Sentinel staff report–
The Citrus Heights City Council on Thursday voted unanimously to extend an urgency ordinance designed to make it easier for law enforcement to issue citations for illegal fireworks, along with curbing late-night discharge of all fireworks.
As a last-minute “urgency” measure enacted before the Fourth of July holiday, the ordinance was set to expire on Aug. 9 without council action to extend it. Councilman Bret Daniels was absent from the meeting, making for a 4-0 vote.
The ordinance has now been extended for another 10 months and 15 days, but City Attorney Ryan Jones said staff will likely bring back a regular ordinance during the next 10 months, which will then be permanent, if adopted.
A police lieutenant said 16 violations of the ordinance were turned over to code enforcement for followup, with a total of nine citations now being pursued.
As previously reported, the ordinance allows for “social hosts” of locations where fireworks are discharged to now be cited, instead of authorities being only able to cite the person who actually discharged an illegal firework. Police said officers in the past have often been unable to document sufficient evidence to prove who actually ignited the firework.
Hosts are defined in the ordinance as owners of private property, or “any person who has the right to use, possess, or occupy public or private property under a lease, permit, license, rental agreement, or contract; or any person who hosts, organizes, supervises, officiates, conducts, or accepts responsibility for a gathering on public or private property.”
Hosts are exempt from responsibility if they initiate contact with police or fire officials “to assist in removing any person from the property or terminating the activity in order to comply with this chapter” as long as the request was made prior to a complaint being lodged about illegal fireworks.
Violators of the ordinance are guilty of a misdemeanor, allowing for administrative fines of $750 for the first violation and $1,000 for any subsequent citations.
Fireworks labeled “safe and sane” are not banned by the ordinance and can continue to be able to be bought, sold and discharged in Citrus Heights, around the Fourth of July holiday.