Residents seeking to put on a consumer fireworks display can now do so with a week’s less notice to the town.
During their meeting Tuesday, Select Board members amended the town fireworks ordinance and application to make it easier on residents, at the recommendation of Fire Chief Meredith Lund.
According to the ordinance, prior to the amendment, residents had to apply for a $15 permit 14 days before the display. It also restricts the hours a display can be done to between 5 and 10 p.m. and requires residents to show proof of purchase of consumer-grade fireworks at a New Hampshire licensed retailer.
Long-term storage of fireworks is not permitted.
Failure to follow the terms of the ordinance can result in a written warning and revocation of the permit, or a $250 or $500 fine for subsequent offenses. People with three violations will no longer qualify for a permissible fireworks permit. Applicants are also responsible for costs associated with any fire started as a result of failure to comply with safety requirements.
On Tuesday, Lund said she had reviewed the ordinance to ensure it was still in line with state law, and for the most part wished it to remain unchanged. But she said the 14-day advance notice continually caused issues. She said the town has waived that requirement on multiple occasions and has not been consistent in its enforcement, and she felt it was unreasonable.
“That’s been a problem with us, the selectmen and the consumer,” Lund said. “I think 14 days has kind of tied our hands.”
Select Board Chair Shawn Talbot said he didn’t have any concern approving fireworks permits if the fire chief and police chief – both of whom must also sign off on the permit – were satisfied with compliance with the ordinance. He said he had no objection to reducing the notice period to seven days.
The board briefly discussed what should start the clock on the application process, as an approved permit requires signatures from the fire and police chiefs or their designees and the Select Board. The ordinance requires the applicant must appear before the fire chief to begin the process, and the board agreed that as long as the applicant had started that process seven days prior to the display, they would be in compliance.
Lund only recommended one other change to the ordinance. Prior to the amendments, the ordinance read: “Any complaint received by the Town of New Ipswich as the result of an issued permit shall be grounds for the revocation of the issued permit following an investigation conducted by any enforcement authority.”
Lund suggested the addition of the wording “warranted complaint,” to make it clear there had to be a violation in order to support revoking the permit.
The board approved both changes, as well as a new application form that was more streamlined and required only one signature of a member of the Select Board, rather than all three, for approval.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603 -924-7172 ext . 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.