Rohnert Park Cutting Back Number of Days Fireworks Can Be Used

ROHNERT PARK, CA -- The Rohnert Park City Council on Tuesday evening approved an ordinance reducing the number of days that fireworks can be legally used in the city from five to three, with the hope that it would cut down on illegal usage and fire department calls.

The ordinance, which was approved on a 5-0 vote cuts the days that fireworks can be legally used in the city from June 30-July 4 each year to July 2-4, ending at 10:30 pm on the 4th of July.

Under the new ordinance, violators can be fined $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second one, and $750 for a third offense.

During a public hearing on the matter, one person representing a non-profit that's authorized to sell fireworks during Independence Day time period addressed the Council, saying that the ordinance would hurt their fireworks sales and therefore, their fundraising efforts. He suggested that the ordinance allow for five days of sales when the Fourth of July falls on a weekday that's not next to a weekend day, such as this year, when it falls on a Wednesday.

But Councilmember Susan Hollingsworth Adams was among those remarked that reducing the time from five days to three was already a compromise, compared to the possibility of eliminating fireworks sales in the city completely.

"I've worked in fireworks booths, I'm totally in favor of keeping fireworks in the city and helping all these nonprofits who do benefit from having fireworks sales," Hollingsworth Adams said. "But I think this is a really good compromise. And it also will help the police in controlling the illegal fireworks."

The ordinance is set to go into effect 30 days after approval, June 14.