City council skirts a burning issue

A large group of citizens attended the Rogers City Council meeting Monday to support local businessman, John Vogelheim?s request to have the city issue a permit to burn three piles of used wood and building materials on the lakefront of the old Vogelheim Lumber Company premises. In a letter dated July 13 to the City, Vogelheim stated, ?Any shingles, treated wood, or oil composition products would be separated from these piles and hauled to a landfill.? ?This request,? he continued, ?is a must in order for the demolition on my property to be completed? for the previously announced condo project to move forward.? Mayor Beach Hall informed Vogelheim that there was little the city could do about the request for a burning permit because of strict state laws governing open burning.

OPEN BURNING is defined in the International Fire Code of 2000 as the burning of materials wherein products of combustion are emitted directly into the ambient air without passing through a stack or chimney from an enclosed chamber. Open burning of leaves, wood, trash, and construction materials are not allowed under PA 451 (1994) because these items generally are considered to be a ?nuisance.? Recreational fires are not banned by this law as long as they are outdoor fires. Recreational fires are allowed for material other than rubbish where the fuel being burned is not contained in an incinerator, outdoor fireplace, or barbeque grill with a total fuel area of three feet or less in diameter and two feet or less in height, for pleasure, religious, ceremonial, cooking, warmth, or similar purposes. Outdoor fireplaces and chimneys are permissible as long as they do not create excessive amounts of smoke, such as burning leaves in them. If these types of fires become a nuisance, and a complaint is filed with the city police or fire department, residents will be asked to extinguish these fires.

VOGELHEIM responded that he was aware of the state law but he wanted the city to make some calls to the state to seek a variance in order to burn the debris. ?I would have thought the city could have worked out something for me on this much-needed project?thr

ough fire department training. ?I think, too that my neighbors deserve to have the area cleaned up,? Vogelheim continued. Local businessman Mike Lynch addressed the council after Vogelheim. ?I have spent a lot of time and money over the past 30 years to help get the economy moving and I hope the council can find some way to help out,? Lynch said. Realtor Ed Lamb said any creative leadership the council could bring to bear on the issue would be appreciated. Mayor Hall responded that much of what needs to be done concerning the demolition and preparation of the building site ?has to be done by the private sector.?

RESTAURANT MANAGER Sherry Robinson voiced her support for Vogelheim?s request as did members of the chamber of commerce and other private citizens, including Dennis Bannon. ?I don?t have a problem with burning wood. What?s the difference between this and wood burning stoves that we smell all winter around here?? Bannon said. Hall pointed out, however, that the law specifically differentiates between brush and logs as opposed to lumber and construction materials. Council member Jim Sinclair said he wanted to know more about the problem. ?I?d like to go look at these three piles of stuff but they have a ?Keep Out? sign in front of their gate.? Councilman Karl Heidemann noted that the request for assistance was not unreasonable considering the project?s benefits to the community. He offered a motion to continuing looking into ways to solve the problem. The motion passed with unanimous support, including a letter from councilman Gary Nowak who was absent but voiced support for the Vogelheim request.