KENNEBUNK — The town of Kennebunk may impose a consumer fireworks ordinance this summer.

The Board of Selectmen, at the third reading of a proposed consumer fireworks ordinanc, voted to send it to the town’s annual meeting, to be held June 13. At that time, residents will have the opportunity to approve or reject the ordinance, which limits the explosion of fireworks to certain days out of each year.

Town Manager Michael Pardue said the regulations were proposed shortly after July 4, when residents approached the selectmen about noise and safety concerns.

“There was a lot of discussion by residents right after July 4 and several came forward and shared with the board some concerns about fireworks, about wild animals and young children,” Pardue said. “The board received a lot of those comments and thought it was important to advance an ordinance in town to take action on.”

Despite concerns from some residents, firework complaints have declined in Kennebunk each year since the pyrotechnics were legalized under Maine state law in 2012.

In 2012, the town received around 75 complaints. So far this year, it has only received about 18 complaints. No injuries related to fireworks have been reported in the town since fireworks were legalized.

Currently, Kennebunk allows the sale, purchase and use of consumer fireworks pursuant to state regulation. Those regulations prohibit the explosion of missile-type rockets, bottle and sky rockets and aerial spinners.

But the law is subject to local ordinance, and regulations vary from municipality to municipality.

Kennebunk is one of 13 York County communities without an ordinance pertaining to the possession or use of fireworks.

Kennebunkport, Old Orchard Beach, Wells, Eliot and North Berwick all have partial bans on fireworks, meaning residents in those communities may possess fireworks, but they are not allowed to set them off.

Biddeford, Sanford, Ogunquit and York are the only York County municipalities that ban both possession and use of fireworks.

According to state law, people in Kennebunk may use fireworks from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. any day of the year, with the exception of July 4 and Dec. 31, when they may use fireworks until 12:30 a.m.

If approved in June, the new ordinance would limit the number of days residents would be allowed to shoot off fireworks to just four occasions each year.

Those days include July 4, Independence Day, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. July 5; Dec. 31, New Year’s Eve, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Jan. 1; and to commemorate two other occasions of their choosing each year, such as birthdays or weddings.

Each scenario, however, requires the purchase of a consumer fireworks permit from the town’s Fire Department, Pardue said, on the day during which residents wish to light up the sky. This can also only be done under certain fire conditions, and will be prohibited when the risk of fire is too great.

“The objective we’ll have … will be to help educate the public on the permitting process and the importance of how to discharge fireworks,” he said.

Pardue also said a registry of those who have obtained fireworks permits will be posted on the town’s website, viewable to the public.

In addition, permit holders must be at least 21 years old and will not be allowed to send off the explosives within 20 feet of any building, “all for the sake of safety, while not restricting the public too much,” said Pardue.

Despite the potential restrictions, Pardue said most residents he’s heard from seem to support the ordinance.

“We’ll see how the voters feel about it,” he said. “The vast majority of comments seem to be positive.”

— Staff Writer Alan Bennett can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or abennett@journaltribune.com.