GENEVA – Geneva resident Colin Campbell is a little burned up about what he calls the city's outdated laws forbidding the burning of anything in an outdoor fire pit or fireplace for recreational purposes.
He asked aldermen this week to consider changing the city's ordinance to match those of other communities that have regulations which accept stone fire pits and backyard fire places called chimeneas.
Aldermen agreed to have staff, Fire Chief Steve Olson and Police Chief Steve Mexin look at the city's ordinance.
"Last fall my wife and I were sitting in our back yard enjoying a small fire in our nice stone – safe stone – fire pit when a Geneva fireman came into the yard and said – very politely and very nicely but very firmly – 'Put it out, now. No public burning is allowed in the City of Geneva whatsoever,'" Campbell said.
"So we put it out and took a look at the ordinance. It was passed before the days of fire pits and chimeneas or outdoor fire places became popular as accessories in gardens."
Campbell said his research showed every municipality that shares a common border with Geneva has a provision to allow recreational burning such as in a stone fire pit or outdoor fireplace. Campbell offered the aldermen copies and online links to the other ordinances.
The city's ordinance allows outdoor fires only for cooking food. Campbell said he has been advised by others with outdoor fireplaces to keep some marshmallows on a stick nearby to show compliance with the law.
Campbell said if aldermen choose to leave the law in place, then they should inform residents that backyard fireplaces are illegal in the city.
"I have talked to probably 50 people including my wife's meeting of the Geneva Garden Club and found one person who knew what the ordinance says," Campbell said. "She got busted, too."
Campbell recommended that a revamping of the city code to allow recreational fires, and cite them if they are a nuisance, smokey or hazardous.
Fourth Ward Alderman Ron Singer did not want staff to pursue changing the ordinance.
"I have had some issues with some of my constituents who had issues with neighbors engaging in burning things they were not supposed to be burning," Singer said.
"How do you go about enforcing what is supposed to be burned? That is the big problem. Somebody's got to complain. If we did not have fire pits, we would not have to worry about people complaining."