Posting it here just in case....
Bemidji City Council tables wood-burning stove issue
Bethany Wesley, The Bemidji Pioneer, Minn.
Oct. 21--The proposed ordinance regulating outdoor wood-burning stoves has been tabled until Nov. 17.
The Bemidji City Council unanimously directed City Attorney Al Felix to revise the proposed ordinance based on input received from city residents and those involved in the business.
Felix said the issue is not about the safety of the stoves and furnaces.
"It's the smoke -- and that's what you're really attempting to control," he said.
The smoke from older stoves and furnaces, which are less likely to meet emission standards, can irritate those with respiratory illnesses, he said.
Councilor Nancy Erickson questioned the wisdom, then, in grandfathering in existing stoves and furnaces.
"It's unfair to say it's a health issue ... yet we'll grandfather in (existing stoves)," she said. "That seems to defeat the ordinance."
Four people spoke during the public hearing, including a representative of North Central Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association.
Resident Barb Fellman said her family did a lot of research before purchasing their current wood-burning boiler, which also would be covered under the proposed ordinance.
" I would be concerned," she said. "We did have an investment involved in this. It would definitely be a hardship if it isn't grandfathered in."
Resident Kelly Skime implored the council and city staff to do more research. He asked councilors to consider what the smoke situation was 70 years ago. He asked if people were that much unhealthier then.
Skime, a career firefighter with the Bemidji Fire Department, cautioned the council against making a "knee-jerk reaction" to two complaints and asked them to consult with the local authority, the Fire Department.
Councilor Nancy Erickson, in response to Skime's comments, asked Felix if it was true that the city's Building Department had received just two complaints before the ordinance was proposed.
Felix said the Building Department had received complaints and inquiries from residents interested in purchasing wood-burning stoves and furnaces.
The proposed ordinance also includes a height requirement for chimney stacks, but several people questioned how that could be done or if it would be beneficial.
Michael O'Rourke of Nevis, a member of the North Central Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, said the smoke seems to not bother some people at all and can irritate those with health issues.
But, controlling the height of the chimney won't matter until you can control the wind, he said.
"The height of the chimney is not going to be much of a factor," O'Rourke said. "If the wind is right, it's going to get there anyway."
Fellman also said that the chimneys aren't made of much more than tin, and if they go too high, they will just fall over.
Resident David Mathisen, who said he was a 20-year wood-burner, asked the council to consider other options.
"I think you should look at cleaning up what's out there," he said. "Educate, not legislate."
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