South Euclid City Council has voted to opt out of Ohio House Bill 172 and continue the city's ban on fireworks use by residents.

SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- The city has joined Mayfield Heights in becoming the latest local communities to opt out of House Bill 172 and ban the use of commercial-grade fireworks by residents.

South Euclid City Council voted unanimously Monday (Feb. 28) to continue to prohibit fireworks use, as the city already has such a ban.

House Bill 172, which takes effect statewide July 1, allows Ohio residents to shoot off fireworks on and around specific holidays. HB 172 also allows for communities to opt out and prohibit such fireworks use.

Councilwoman Chanell Elston, who chairs council’s Safety Committee, said the city’s fire and police departments were represented when the committee crafted the legislation to opt out and to continue the city’s ban.

Amendments to the existing ordinance, Elston said, also prohibit transporting and shipping fireworks and putting on public fireworks displays.

“After looking at the size of our properties, the distance between them and -- Fourth of July last year, we had a lot of issues with people using higher-grade fireworks that aren’t meant for (densely populated) cities,” Elston said. “They’re meant for places that have a lot more land.

“We decided that, for safety issues, we’re going to stay with the current legislation and kind of expand on it.”

Council President Ruth Gray, who formerly chaired the Safety Committee, agreed that the fireworks ordinance needed to be strengthened.

“Last Fourth of July, it was crazy all over (the area),” Gray said. “South Euclid had our share of fireworks. A neighbor of mine indicated that he had firework debris on his roof from the fireworks (shot off) in July.

“That is an example of why it was important for South Euclid to get in front of this before the holiday season comes about,” Gray said.

“If people are able to fire off commercial-grade or almost commercial-grade fireworks in these communities, the fireworks just land where they do and you can lose your property, lose your house or you could lose your life.”

The committee also discussed making fireworks offenses first-degree misdemeanors, but Elston said that is still being considered.

“Some of us (on council) felt there should be a lesser offense for the first time, because this is something that’s new,” she said. “Even though it has been illegal, a lot of people don’t know that.

“We want to focus on an educational platform over the next few months to make sure we get the information out. We’re going to mail letters to individual households, we’re going to put it in the city magazine, we’re going to try to have community forums, just so everybody understands the decision and how we got to the decision.”

Elston also said South Euclid is taking an extra step to try to ensure that summers are not totally without fireworks.

“We’re also going to work with some of our neighboring cities that have a little bit more land, probably Shaker Heights, to see if we can do maybe a regional fireworks show to provide an opportunity for our city residents to go and see something.”

The amendment to the South Euclid ordinance does permit smaller amusements, such as sparklers and novelty and trick noisemakers.

Council additionally approved Monday by a 7-0 vote a resolution that has South Euclid joining the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council’s (NOPEC) Green Community Choice Program for the city’s electricity aggregation program.

“For the first time, NOPEC is going to offer its communities a green community choice initiative and option,” Gray said. “It provides (residents) renewable energy. It costs a little bit more, but it promotes renewable energy.”

Gray said residents who don’t want to participate will have to opt out. Residents will receive a notice of the program and instructions on opting out in an upcoming bill.

“It’s in line with our (city) initiative of doing things to renew energy,” Gray said.

She said the program was devised at the urging of former Ward 4 councilwoman Jane Goodman, and that South Euclid is one of the first communities to be involved.

“It costs a little more -- pennies on the dollar -- but over a period of time, as people get involved in this program, it will have long-lasting effects,” Gray said.

South Euclid continues to hold its council meetings virtually. When asked when in-person meetings may resume, Gray said the goal is to do so “this year.”

For now, such a move is being delayed because City Hall and the South Euclid Community Center, where future meetings may be held, are undergoing extensive renovations.

“They still have a ways to go,” Gray said of when renovation work may be completed. “We may be well into the summer when they’re finished.”

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