Council sends John Carroll fireworks ordinance back to Safety Committee after resident objections

University Heights City Council on June 4 declined to approve proposed changes to the city fire code governing fireworks and instead voted to send the measure back to the Safety Committee for additional restrictions and clearer notification rules.

Rory O’Neill, John Carroll University’s alumni director, told council the university seeks a seven-minute professional display staged by Pyrotechnico and pledged the school would improve community outreach — signage, postcards, email lists and social posts — if the ordinance allows campus displays. "We were sorry that we did not do a great job communicating the fireworks display to the community but were looking forward to rectifying that and doing a better job communicating with the community this year," O'Neill said.

Multiple councilmembers and members of the public said they still had substantial concerns. Councilmember Winifred Weizer said the ordinance as drafted imposed no cap on how many displays could be permitted or on display length and warned that the city could face frequent or longer shows without explicit limits. "As it stands, as it is written, I could not support it unless restrictions were added to it," Weizer said, noting she had received constituent emails from a veteran with PTSD, pet owners and others urging a no vote.

Vice Mayor Michele Weiss moved for passage but the motion failed for lack of a second. Council then approved a motion to refer Ordinance 2025-06 back to the Safety Committee for additional restrictions and to have the committee return the item to Council for reconsideration. On roll call, council voted to refer the ordinance; the record states all voted “aye” except Weiss, who voted “nay.”

Mayor Michael Brennan framed the debate against recent changes to state law, saying the city’s intent was to restore the prior status quo that broadly prohibited most fireworks except by permit. "If the council had done its job and reinstated the fireworks ordinance to the pre-state interference status quo, there would have been no controversy," Brennan said, adding that he favored a limited, professionally managed campus display during alumni weekend.

Councilmembers who opposed immediate passage urged the Safety Committee to draft specific limits — for example, maximum display duration, an annual cap on permits, minimum notification lead time and stronger public-notice provisions — before returning the ordinance to Council. John Carroll representatives told Council they would cooperate with enhanced notice requirements.

Next steps: Ordinance 2025-06 will return to the Safety Committee for edits and a follow-up committee referral; John Carroll representatives said they will be notified and invited to participate in committee discussions.