Lexington council votes to allow fireworks sales

Urban County Council approved an ordinance Thursday allowing fireworks to be sold in Fayette County and establishing restrictions on times and places fireworks can be detonated. Fireworks can be set off between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. except for New Year's Eve and July 3 and July 4, when revelers can extend their noisy fun until midnight. Fireworks cannot be used within 200 feet of a car, building or person.

The ordinance takes effect Jan. 1. Sales of sparklers will not be affected.

A permitting process for selling fireworks at either permanent or seasonal locations is part of the ordinance, with permit fees that range between $500 and $2,500. A state law approved in March allows the sale of bottle rockets, mortars and firecrackers in Kentucky. But each municipality has to pass an ordinance to permit the sale in their community and set usage guidelines.

Council member Doug Martin cast the only dissenting vote, saying his constituents in the 10th district told him in no uncertain terms they did not want fireworks sold in Lexington. Martin said regulating use of fireworks would be difficult because police have more urgent public safety issues to respond to than fireworks going off in the middle of the night.

This story was originally published November 4, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Lexington council votes to allow fireworks sales."