CITY NEWS | NEW Garbage Ordinance, Aerial Fireworks Banned, Jeanne Hansen Park STILL Closed

At the February 9, 2015 Snoqualmie City Council meeting, council members enacted a couple of new ordinances that  affect residents’ garbage and their fireworks displays.

Garbage Container Maintenance Law

A year after a bear killed a dog in the Heights neighborhood of Snoqualmie Ridge, council members enacted new rules about garbage containers that are not wildlife resistant.

Bear seeking out leftover pizza on Douglas Ave near SE Carmichael Street in Snoqualmie

The new law makes it a Class 2 civil infraction to negligently feed wildlife by allowing wildlife access to garbage containers and a misdemeanor to intentionally feed wildlife by allowing them  access to garbage containers.

Residents will be subject to the misdemeanor charge after being issued an infraction for negligent feeding wildlife or having been notified in writing by the public works director to use a Wildlife-Resistant Garbage, according to the ordinance.

Before the council approved the new ordinance, they removed the sections about the times regulating when cans can be placed curbside and the section stating can had to be kept in a secure place like at garage or shed.

You can read the full new garbage ordinance HERE.

Bye-Bye Mortar/Aerial Fireworks in Snoqualmie

Coming July 4th 2016, residents will also have a new fireworks ordinance to abide by.  Council members also voted to ban aerial fireworks within Snoqualmie city limits at their February 9th meeting.

Fire on Fairway Ave on Snoqualmie Ridge, 7/4/14
Fire on Fairway Ave on Snoqualmie Ridge, 7/4/14

The amended fireworks law follows a devastating fire on July 4, 2014 that caused about $700,000 in damage and destroyed a Snoqualmie home. The fire was caused by fireworks.

The amended fireworks ordinance removes aerial (mortar type) fireworks from the existing code. It also increases the fines associated with illegal types of fireworks – from $124 to $250 for illegal possession and $750 for illegal discharge of fireworks.

The city says the ordinance is modeled from other communities that have chosen this safer option. Ground-type fireworks are still legal.

You can read the full amended fireworks ordinance HERE.


Jeanne Hansen Park Construction Drags on

Will the new community park ever open?  It looks done…. but it’s not.

Many residents are frustrated with the delay in opening the Jeanne Hansen Community Park on Snoqualmie Ridge. City of Snoqualmie staff say they are frustrated as well.

They say  delay stems from the park developer’s progress. Construction does not yet meet the City’s development standards or pedestrian accessibility requirements, among other project completion elements.

The City of Snoqualmie cannot accept parks until they meet all codes or else they are liable for the costs to meet those standards in the future.

According to a city press release, “It is of greatest importance to the City of Snoqualmie that all park features are fully functional and safe before it is opened for public use. A completion date cannot be confirmed at this time.”

The new park and athletic complex was scheduled to open in August.  A grand opening celebration was held in September and attended by thousands of residents.

City officials say the developer assured them that the park would definitely be open by the grand opening celebration date. It wasn’t and city officials are still waiting.

Snoqualmie Ridge mitigation agreements provides that home developers are responsible for building new parks. Once they are complete and meet all city codes, the Snoqualmie Parks Department takes over ownership and maintainence of the new parks.

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Comments

  • Weak sauce by Snoqualmie city leaders. Not going after the bigger risk by banning shake roofs is borderline negligent. And not creating an alternative community show will likely bring more fireworks based on the feedback i heard today. I heard from two people today who plan on buying MORE aerial fireworks this 4th as a show of displeasure, and another person who said they would now start using aerial fireworks where previously they did no fireworks at all.

    1. No surprise! I am sure you are correct, Hugh. This has been a great way for neighbors to get together and have some safe and sane fun.. The real problem was the illegal bottle rockets that a kid set off tht hit a shake roof. Going after that would be more to my liking than penalizing everyone else for a family tradition that has had ONE issue in at least 10 years.

      Government over reaction instead of finding and fighting the root cause! Not surprised but disappointed.

  • I attended the last City Council meeting and I believe that the section that gave specific times (4:30 AM to 9:00 PM) for placing garbage containers curbside was deleted from the ordinance that passed. Granted, it’s sometimes hard to tell exactly what the City Council is voting on.

    1. Thanks Rob… it seems they did alter it before approving, but the the link with the ordinance wasn’t altered to match. Updated the info. Thanks again.

  • So essentially nothing changed?
    People are still going to use fireworks and people will put trash out days early.
    Government waste at its best- This was 6 months of conversation?

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