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Seaside council advances fireworks ordinance adding civil fines up to $5,000 in first reading
Summary
After a lengthy work session, Seaside city staff and council voted to approve a first reading of a draft ordinance that would add a civil-enforcement path and presumptive fines for illegal fireworks (proposed tiers: $1,000, $3,000, $5,000), while retaining criminal options for egregious conduct. Attorney review and public outreach remain pending.
Seaside city council on March 23 approved the first reading of Ordinance 2026-02, a proposal to give the city a civil-enforcement route for illegal fireworks in addition to existing criminal penalties.
City staff told the council the change is designed to improve compliance and speed enforcement. Under the draft, civil penalties would be tiered: a presumptive $1,000 for a first violation, $3,000 for a second, and up to $5,000 for a third or an egregious offense, with $5,000 set as the proposed maximum. Staff said the goal is behavior change rather than revenue and emphasized the measure is intended to complement public education.
The ordinance directs the civil enforcement through the city’s nuisance code (chapter 96) while preserving criminal enforcement under section 131.11 for incidents…
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