Verona resident urges tighter open‑burning rules after repeated smoke incidents

Jenny Pavlovic, a Verona resident, told the Common Council during public comment that recurring open burning in her neighborhood has created “very poor air quality” and urged the council to tighten the city’s open burning and noxious‑odor ordinances and clarify enforcement procedures.

Pavlovic said current rules are not always enforced effectively and asked the council to explicitly prohibit burning leaves, yard waste, green or wet wood, furniture, trash or treated wood; to ban unattended fires and overnight smoldering; and to set a recommended limit of three hours for small recreational fires.

“I called the non‑emergency fire department number,” Pavlovic said after recounting an incident in late May where a neighbor’s fire smoldered for more than 16 hours. She told the council that firefighters and a police officer responded but she was not satisfied with the enforcement response. “The consequences are too high for our neighborhood to have to put up with this all summer,” she said.

Mayor Luke Diaz responded during the meeting’s public comment transition, saying the city is examining the issue and residents should “expect to see something in the future.” The city attorney clarified that alderpersons are not permitted to respond to public comment items unless the subject is on the meeting agenda.

Pavlovic referenced both the city’s open burning ordinance and the public nuisance/noxious‑odor ordinance; she requested clearer guidance on how residents should report violations at different times and whether enforcement personnel know to treat such complaints as their responsibility.

No ordinance changes were enacted Monday; the mayor said staff is looking into the matter and will return to the council with potential next steps.