CITY OF NEW BUFFALO BERRIEN COUNTY, MICHIGAN
ORDINANCE NO. 280
At a regular meeting of the City Council for the City of New Buffalo held at City Hall on
February 17, 2026, commencing at 6:30 p.m., the following Ordinance was offered for adoption by Mayor Pro-Tem Lijewski and was seconded by Council Member Gear:
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 12, ARTICLE III, SECTION 12-20 C., ENTITLED “CERTAIN PUBLIC NUISANCES ENUMERATED; FIRES AND BURNING” OF THE NEW BUFFALO CITY CODE
THE CITY OF NEW BUFFALO (the “City”) ORDAINS:
Section 1. Amendment. Chapter 12, Article III, Section 12-20 C. of the New Buffalo City Code is hereby amended to read in its entirety as follows:
Section 12-20. Certain public nuisances enumerated.
The following acts, equipment, apparatus, and structures are hereby declared to be public nuisances per however, this enumeration shall not be deemed to be exclusive:
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C. Prohibited Acts; Exceptions. Open burning is prohibited within the City of New Buffalo, except as expressly permitted in this section.
1. Recreational Campfires Permitted. Recreational campfires shall not be considered open burning and are permitted when contained within a commercially manufactured or constructed fire pit designed for outdoor use and equipped with a secure metal mesh or spark- arresting cover, provided all the following conditions are met:
a. Location and Setback. The fire pit shall be located on private property and positioned a minimum of ten (10) feet from any structure, building, deck, fence, or other combustible material, and in a manner that does not endanger adjoining properties.
b. Approved Fuel. Only clean, dry, natural firewood or commercially manufactured fire logs intended for recreational use may be burned.
The following materials are expressly prohibited from being burned:
(1) Yard waste, leaves, grass, or brush
(2) Construction or demolition materials
(3) Treated, painted, or stained wood
(4) Trash, garbage, plastics, rubber, or household waste
(5) Any material that creates excessive smoke, noxious odors, or hazardous emissions
c. Supervision and Safety. The fire shall be constantly attended by a responsible adult until fully extinguished. A readily available means of extinguishment, such as a garden hose, bucket of water, fire extinguisher, or similar device, shall always be present.
d. Extinguishment. All fires shall be fully extinguished upon completion of use.
2. Direction to Extinguish. Recreational campfires shall be extinguished when ordered by the Fire Department or any authorized City official when, in their judgment, conditions exist that pose a fire hazard, nuisance condition, or threat to public safety.
3. Prohibited Burning. All other forms of open burning not expressly permitted by this section are prohibited.
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Section 2. Severability. Should any word, phrase, sentence, or clause of this Ordinance be declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unenforceable, the same shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision or part.
Section 3. Publication and Effective Date. The City Clerk shall cause this Ordinance to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the City, and the ordinance shall be effective 20 days after its enactment or upon publication, whichever is later.
YEAS: Robertson, Gear, Knoll, Lijewski, Price
NAYS: None
ABSTAIN:
ORDINANCE DECLARED ADOPTED.
Vance Price, Mayor
CERTIFICATION
I, Amy Fidler, the Clerk of the City of New Buffalo, hereby attest that the foregoing is a true and accurate copy of an ordinance adopted by the City Council for the City of New Buffalo, Berrien
County, at a meeting of the City Council called and held in accordance with the required statutory procedures.
Amy Fidler, Clerk