After making it through the second reading and a public hearing, Albert Lea city ordinances are now in accord with state law: Residents can light up sparklers and other &uot;non-exploding&uot; forms of fireworks.

The Albert Lea City Council voted to amend the ordinance in order to make it a mirror of what state laws now allow. The amended ordinance also permits licensed vendors to sell those kinds of products within the city limits. According to city staff, several businesses have already indicated interest in selling these products.

The law now allows the sale of sparklers and other fireworks only in the weeks preceding the Fourth of July and the purchase is restricted to those 18 or older.

In other business, the city council:

– Approved a temporary on-sale liquor license for beer and wine at the Freeborn County Fair.

– Approved miscellaneous assessments against property owners for a variety of reasons, including city mowing of private property and unpaid taxes.

– Cleared up title questions for a couple of city businesses by voting to formally vacate a portion of South Street and granting a legal, non-conforming status to the Tire Warehouse, which is not in compliance with current city codes regarding size of structure relative to property.

– Heard a request from Ward 2 for stop signs at the intersection of First Avenue and Clark Street. City engineers will survey the corner for traffic, but will need to wait until the rest of West Main Street is closed for road construction before they make any kind of recommendation about how to deal with traffic patterns resulting from detours.

– Heard a report from Paul Evenson and Stan Sevaldson about the first month of the Skate Park’s operations. Evenson also asked to meet with city staff and council members to discuss additional forms of cooperation between the Skate Park Association and the city, possibly including providing the association access to the city’s liability insurance pool.