SOLEDAD — This July Fourth, and every other day of the year, residents will find the fireworks ordinance for the City of Soledad updated and changed to clarify some points and make it easier for Soledad Police Department to act when they are needed.
Last year on the Fourth of July, there were several reports of illegal fireworks being lit off and that personal celebrations were being extended into the wee hours of the morning and disturbing neighbors and their pets. There were also several grass fires started by these fireworks.
Soledad City Council asked staff to bring the item back with suggestions to help regulate the problem and how to enforce city code and also to clarify the code. In August, staff brought back their recommendation of changes needed to the regulation of illegal and legal fireworks and enforcement of Soledad Municipal Code Ordinance 710, and bring back to council an amendment to Chapter 8.16 – Fireworks.
Changes were made to several sections; Soledad Fire Department Battalion Chief Brian Nichols presented them to the council at its last meeting.
The language was clarified in the ordinance; definitions were added for the words guardian, minor and response cost.
The new “Response Cost” clarification and section (8.16.015) means that the person or persons (including guardians) responsible for a violation in the code will be responsible for the cost associated to the call and the enforcement of the code. Meaning they will be charged for the wages of the responding Public Safety Personnel (PSP); they will be responsible for the cost of any medicals treatment of PSP if injured during the code violation; and,
they will be responsible for the cost to repair or replace any public safety equipment that is damages on the code violation call.
In the City of Soledad only “safe and sane” fireworks are legal, all others are prohibited. There are also restrictions on dates and times of use for fireworks and when it is legal to sell said fireworks. Use is restricted to June 28 to July 4, between 12 and 11 p.m.
Fines have been modified along with the classification of the offense. It is now an infraction instead of a misdemeanor. Fines start at $100 for the first violation in the year, the second in a year is $250, and they move up to $500 each for every fine after in that year.
Since a Public Hearing was held and the council approved the Second Reading of the updated ordinance and the changes adopted, they will go into effect after 30 days have passed.
Misuse of fireworks in the city could be very costly to those who are caught.
