Citrus Heights Council approves increased fines for illegal fireworks

By Sara Beth Williams–
The City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved updates to the current fireworks ordinance that will both increase fines and tighten enforcement capabilities for the police department.

The ordinance changes were prompted by multiple residents’ concerns regarding fire danger and inability to enjoy a “quiet environment” due to illegal fireworks, according to a staff report. Residents have spoken on the matter on multiple occasions during public comment in past City Council meetings.

In order to ensure any ordinance amendments would be consistent with neighboring jurisdictions, the city reviewed current fireworks ordinances in multiple regional jurisdictions, including Roseville, Folsom, Rancho Cordova, Woodland, Sacramento County, and Stockton, according to a staff report.

The changes to the ordinance include increasing violation fines and also stipulate that each illegal firework discharged will be a single violation of the ordinance. The first violation will result in a $1,000 fine for each device, a $2,500 fine for each device on the second offense, and a $5,000 fine for each device on subsequent offenses. The increased penalties are consistent with ordinances in Folsom, Rancho Cordova, and Sacramento County, according to the city.

During the presentation given by the Citrus Heights Police Department, Mayor Jayna Karpinski-Costa asked if there would be a cap on the dollar amount of fines issued and how fines are collected if someone can’t afford the fines outright.

Citrus Heights Police Chief Alex Turcotte did not indicate whether there was a cap on fines and said that through due processes with a hearing officer, the police department has the discretion to work with individuals and potentially reduce the total amount of fines due. Bills can also be sent to collections, Turcotte added. Citrus Heights City Attorney Ryan Jones said that individuals can be taken to court as a last resort.

Three years ago, the stipulation that a “social host” would be fined whenever illegal fireworks were discharged from the host’s property was added to the ordinance, and recently, ahead of New Year’s Eve 2024, the department began utilizing “citizen attestations,” which encouraged citizens to submit statements to the police department saying they directly witnessed illegal fireworks. Despite the hesitation to rely on citizens, which Turcotte said he understands, 17 people came forward to attest to witnessing illegal fireworks on New Year’s Eve and into New Year’s Day, Turcotte reported.

“There’s a significant portion of our community who are willing to partner with law enforcement and who are fed up and want to safeguard their community,” Turcotte said.

Along with increasing fines, new language was added to the ordinance to clarify that violations can occur in areas “under the host’s apparent control,” such as sidewalks and streets and any other adjacent property under the host’s control. According to the city, changing the language allows enforcement to include illegal fireworks being shot off on sidewalks or streets in front of a residence. The current policy on the books did not specify or include sidewalks or streets adjacent to the host’s private property, the city said.

Councilmember Tim Schaefer expressed concern regarding homeowners who are fined but weren’t home at the time of the discharge of illegal fireworks. Turcotte said that, through due process, the department can “apply common sense to the law” and that the department will listen to and work with property owners who contest the fines.

“We’re not looking to make money; we’re looking to curb behavior,” Turcotte said, adding that the department would rather “educate.” When asked about the appeals process, Turcotte said the last resort would be for citizens to appeal any decisions made on fines directly to the City Council.

Previously, the ordinance stipulated fines of $750 to a social host for an initial discharge of illegal fireworks, $1,000 for a second offense, and $1,000 for a third offense. Fines were not based on each item discharged. This was also consistent with Roseville’s ordinance and similar to Woodland’s fireworks ordinance.

The amended ordinance will be scheduled for a second reading and adoption at the next City Council meeting on April 23 and will become effective 30 days afterward.

Want to share your thoughts on the updated ordinance?  Click here to submit a letter to the editor.