Haines Borough officials said they’d work in the future to provide advance public notice following complaints about a borough-approved private fireworks display that started about 10:10 p.m. Monday at Fort Seward Lodge.
Interim borough manager Julie Cozzi said the borough received “a couple” complaints. Some residents questioned approval of the show at a late hour on a weeknight. The display lasted about 10 minutes.
Fire chief Scott Bradford said he approved the 10 p.m. written request from Kelsey Harrell, who was seeking to celebrate her birthday. “Why wouldn’t it be (approved)?” Bradford said this week. “Thank God somebody in this town wants to have fun… I was at a fire (department) meeting, so I was still up.”
In her March 4 request, Harrell said she planned to have pyrotechnician Phil Wilde on hand to ensure safety. Bradford said he approves fireworks permits for private parties from time to time.
Lodge owner Nick Trimble said he didn’t have much to do with the show. Harrell asked if she could use the lodge for a fireworks show she put together, he said. “I said, ‘Sure.’”
According to borough code, “The fire chief is authorized to grant permission for a fireworks display for any special occasion or reason within the townsite service area. No such display shall be given without first securing permission from the chief of police and establishing to the satisfaction of the chief of police that the same will be conducted in a manner ensuring the safety of all persons watching the same and the property in the immediate vicinity of the display.”
Cozzi said she has asked the fire chief and police chief “to make sure the borough manager has an opportunity to review the request before permission is granted in the future and to make sure the public is given a heads- up.”
“As with most procedures, we try to use every opportunity to fine-tune (or) improve the process,” Cozzi said.