Mercer to finalize fireworks ordinance

MERCER, Wis. — The Town of Mercer Board of Supervisors is one step away from finalizing a new fireworks ordinance that will include a permitting process.

The board held a hearing prior to its regular meeting on Thursday, where the supervisors reviewed ordinances of seven other Wisconsin cities and towns. The board directed Fritz Schellgell, legal counsel for the township, to draft the ordinance for consideration at the next regular meeting.

Schellgell said the ordinances are not complicated but clearly state what is permissible under Wisconsin Statute 167.10 governing fireworks. The ordinance will state clearly what is restricted and what are allowable fireworks and when they may be used through a permitting process.

“The idea is that everyone must have a permit,” Schellgell said.

Members of residential lake associations have attended several township meetings with complaints regarding consumer, display and even military grade fireworks being set off at all times during the year. The supervisors moved toward a permit process that will allow what are legal fireworks in the state but with a permit.

“The existing ordinance is fine with the exception of the permitting process,” said John Sendra, chair of the supervisors. “This will give us a little more control without being overly restrictive.”

The board agreed that an annual permit fee of around $10 should be included for processing. The members said that would not be excessive and the permit would be valid at all times that fireworks are allowed during the year.

The ordinance would only allow the town fire department or an approved firework professional to be permitted for commercial display fireworks.

The township can fine as much as $1,000 under the statute, Schellgell said. Penalties for the violating the ordinance would increase with each violation.

The board approved a 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 27, special meeting to consider a lease for a broadband tower on township land to be placed by Wisconsin State Broadband. The tower is one of many in northern Wisconsin that are designed to bring broadband technology to rural areas since 2013, said Norm McKindles, of the Gogebic Range Broadband Committee that includes Gogebic and Iron counties, who attended the meeting.

Jim Hannemann, a board member of Lake of the Falls Association, said in the public comment period of the meeting that a boat landing in need of repair is township property. The landing leads from the lake directly along a paved road into the subdivision and falls under the township domain.

Schellgell said he recalled that a conditional use permit had dedicated the boat landing to the township.

“We own it,” he said.

Sendra said the matter would be investigated and added to the next meeting’s agenda. The work under the water line must also be approved by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, he said.

Following an executive session the board 2-1 approved the hire of Derek Kresser as the town garage mechanic. Supervisor Michael Lambert voted against and supervisor Eric Snow was absent, and Sendra votes only to break a tie.

In other business, the township approved:

—The sign ordinance that was passed at the previous meeting.

—A conditional use application for 3439 N. Popko Circle.

—A bike and hike trail expansion.

—Tabling a conditional use application for 3707 Popko Circle East until receiving more information.

—Denying reconsideration of a temporary occupancy permit revocation at Popko Circle, due to inaccuracies in the application.