Fireworks talk tabled

The township is going to wait and see what the state of Michigan does this winter, rather than forge ahead themselves.

“The State of Michigan will be revisiting that statute and may be making some changes to it,” Township Manager Bill Cargo said.

The state currently allows local municipalities to limit fireworks use to the day before, during, and after 10 national holidays: New Year's Day, Presidents Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“People can have 30 days they can use fireworks,” Cargo said. “We can’t do anything about that, period.”

Added Cargo: “They can do it all 365 days in the township, for now.”

There are already regulations in place in some surrounding communities, as the city of Grand Haven and Spring Lake Township restrict fireworks to only holidays permitted by the new state law.

“If we’re going to adopt an ordinance, we’re drawing up something different than the people around us have drawn,” Cargo said.

Based on the ordinance the township was initially considering, fireworks use would have been allowed year-round with the exception of extreme fire danger days, and between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m. every day.

To read more of this story, see Saturday’s print or e-edition of the Grand Haven Tribune.