Fireworks sparked a heated debate at Tuesday night’s board ofaldermen meeting, with both the sale and the discharge of themwithin the city being discussed following requests from twoorganizations for seasonal permits inside the city.

On a suggestion from City Attorney Joe Fernald, aldermen decidedto revisit the issue after coming up with a permit application thatsets some standards on acreage and safety measures for local venuesto be considered for shooting inside the city. Current lawsprohibits both the sale and discharge of fireworks inside the citylimits.

Mayor Bob Massengill suggested permit requirements include alicense, sufficient acreage, licensed professionals to set off thefireworks and both the fire chief’s and the police chief’sapproval. He said it would also be important to look at weatherconditions and whether burn bans are in effect.

Tuesday’s requests came from Easthaven Baptist Church, whichhosted the Patriotic Picnic July 1 of this year, and the JuvenileRehabilitation Facility, which hosted a display at New Year’s lastyear. Through annexation, both entities recently brought inside thecity and were asking to be allowed to continue with their seasonalcelebrations in the future.

Ward Six Aldermen Buddy Allen was against allowing for permits.He said it would be unfair to allow some parties to shoot thefireworks while still arresting others in the city for the sameoffense.