The sparkle and boom of fireworks soon may be on display in Muscle Shoals, but only during certain times.
The City Council is considering changes to city ordinances that would allow for the sale and discharge of fireworks within the city limits during what are being called “fireworks seasons.”
Fireworks seasons allow fireworks use on days surrounding certain holidays such as Fourth of July and New Year’s Day.
Consideration of changes comes after Doug Corley, of TNT Fireworks in Florence, approached the council at its Feb. 17 meeting. Corley asked the council to consider ordinances similar to those in Florence and Sheffield.
City officials seem to have a favorable opinion of the possible changes.
City Council President Jim Holland said city attorney Marcel Black is researching potential changes that could bring Muscle Shoals “in line with our sister cities.”
“I think we can have an ordinance that will, if nothing else, take fireworks out of the illegal side and make them legal,” he said. “Even if we don’t issue any licenses (to sell fireworks) we still want to allow our citizens, if they want to shoot fireworks in the backyard with their children, to do that without having to worry about the police.”
Holland said fireworks haven’t been allowed in the more than 20 years he has been on the council.
Muscle Shoals is the only Shoals city that does not allow fireworks.
In Sheffield, shooting fireworks is allowed June 20-July 5 and Dec. 20-Jan. 2. Florence allows fireworks June 20-July 10 and Dec. 15-Jan. 2.
Discharging fireworks is allowed year round in Tuscumbia as long as it does not violate the city’s noise ordinance.
One obstacle for Muscle Shoals will be the city’s ordinance that requires businesses to be housed in a permanent structure with electricity and rest rooms.
Muscle Shoals Mayor David Bradford said the city isn’t willing to waive that requirement because it deters “transient vendors” from setting up shop in a parking lot for one day and taking away from tax-paying businesses.
“It’s not insurmountable, but it will be a little bit more difficult,” he said. “We don’t want to do anything that devalues our current ordinance requiring businesses be in a permanent structure.”
Black is also looking into other city regulations to see what changes would be necessary to allow for the sale of fireworks.
Councilman Joe Pampinto said he’s open to the idea of allowing the sale and use of fireworks as long as it is regulated.
“We are willing to look at it as long as it is within defined parameters,” he said.