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Village board weighs changes to fireworks rules, considers 10 p.m. cutoff and higher insurance
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Summary
After public comments about neighborhood disturbances, the Village of Waukesha board discussed revising Ordinance 16-2 on fireworks, including requiring permit-holder notification, a 10 p.m. night cutoff, and raising minimum liability insurance from $500,000 to $1,000,000; staff will draft ordinance language for a future meeting.
The Village of Waukesha village board discussed revisions to Ordinance 16-2 on fireworks regulation during its June 6 meeting after a resident urged clearer language and tighter limits.
Sandy Hamm, a resident, told the board she had read the draft and was “interested in restricting fireworks more than we have today.” The discussion that followed focused on whether the village should require permit-holders to notify nearby residents, set a dusk-related or fixed nightly cutoff for displays, and raise the minimum liability insurance required for permitted public displays.
Board members and staff noted that much of the draft ordinance follows Wisconsin state law (cited in the meeting as state statutes 167.1 and 167.10) and that some phrasing in the local ordinance mirrors the state statute verbatim. Several trustees suggested practical changes rather than wholesale rewrites: a notification requirement for permit applicants to place notices or signs in nearby locations, a clear time limit so displays end by 10 p.m., and a higher minimum insurance requirement for permit holders. One trustee said enforcement should prioritize illegal, unpermitted fireworks that are already a frequent source of complaints.
Officials discussed logistics and limits. Options mentioned included: requiring posting of notification signs at specified nearby roads or high‑visibility locations, using a radius (participants suggested a quarter- to half-mile) to identify affected properties for notification, and allowing the village to impose case‑by‑case conditions on permits. Legal staff noted fees are set by separate resolution (permit fee “established by resolution” in the draft) and that ordinance language changes must be drafted and brought back for formal action. Trustees also discussed whether the $500,000 insurance minimum was sufficient; several board members said the village commonly sees a $1,000,000 minimum in other jurisdictions and asked staff to consider raising the requirement.
No amendment to Ordinance 16-2 was adopted at the meeting. The board directed staff to draft proposed ordinance language reflecting the discussion — including a nightly cutoff and updated insurance and notification language — and to place the draft on a future agenda for formal consideration.
Next steps: staff will prepare specific ordinance language and a resolution (if the board wants to change the permit fee) and return the proposal to the board for a later vote.
