Like many other municipalities tired of fireworks going off in the middle of the night, the Orion Township Board is looking to curtail fireworks use with a local ordinance.
At the July 16 board meeting, Township Attorney Dan Kelly said the ordinance would be to outlaw the use of fireworks everyday of the year except for the day before, the day of and the day after a national holiday outlined by state law.
‘With Labor Day coming up, I don’t know how we can’t do something at this point,? said Clerk Penny Shults. ‘It’s created such a nuisance in the township. I know the village is struggling as well.?
Trustee John Steimel said they’ve had issues with fireworks being shot off every year, but this year has gotten out of hand.
‘There is a lot more available because you don’t have to drive all the way to Ohio to buy them,? he said. ‘Also because the Fourth of July fell on a Wednesday the time period really got extended out on both ends.?
Steimel also questioned how the ordinance was going to change anything.
‘If we can’t enforce the noise ordinance, for whatever reason it’s too hard to find the people shooting them or whatever,? he said. ‘I really don’t know what it’s going to change as far as that (enforcement) goes.?
Trustee Mike Flood Jr. agreed
‘We don’t have enough police department here to enforce any ordinance whether it’s illegally setting off fireworks or the noise ordinance. By the time they get out there these people are gone or you can’t tell where they’re coming from,? Flood said. ‘It’s a bad problem, we just got to get the public to make some common sense here and stop doing this stuff when you’re not supposed to.?
Orion Substation Commander Lieutenant Dan Toth said complaints have been reduced, but he knows there are more complaints they don’t receive calls about.
‘We would applaud any tools that we can get to help curve the use of fireworks.?