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1 ORDINANCE NO. ______ _
2 An Ordinance amending Chapter 13A of the Code of Ordinances of the City
3 of South Miami, Florida, entitled "Balloon Regulations," providing for the
4 regulation of balloon usage and balloon releases in the City limits.
5 WHEREAS, there are two types of balloons in general use -latex and mylar; and
6 WHEREAS, although latex balloons are considered bio-degradable, it takes anywhere
7 from 6 months to 4 years to decompose and they can wreak havoc before they do; and
8 WHEREAS, mylar balloons are far less friendly to the environment -they are made
9 from metalicized polyester, which is dirty in both production and disposal; and
10 WHEREAS, all released balloons, whether they are released intentionally or not, return
11 to Earth as litter and contribute to marine debris; and
12 WHEREAS, balloons return to the land and sea where they can be mistaken for food and
13 eaten by animals. The resulting debris from released balloons bears a strong resemblance to
14 jellyfish or squid, which all species of sea turtles have been documented to eat; and
15 WHEREAS, sea turtles, dolphins, whales, fish and birds have been reported with
16 balloons in their stomachs which can lead to stoppage of the gut and eventual starvation; and
17 WHEREAS, the ribbons and strings attached to balloons can lead to entanglement,
18 causing death; and
19 WHEREAS, Florida's East Coast is home to some of the most densely utilized sea turtle
20 nesting beaches in the country and the City Commission wishes to protect them; and
21 WHEREAS, the City Commission desires to adopt this ordinance to help prevent harm
22 caused by the release of lighter-than-air balloons.
23 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
24 COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA:
25 Section 1. Chapter 13A, shall be amended to include a new Section 13A-22 of the
26 City of South Miami Code of Ordinances which shall read as follows:
27 Sec. 13A-22. -Release of balloons prohibited.
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(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to violate the terms of this section:
(1) Balloons inflated with lighter-than-air gases shall not be released
in the City limits.
(2) Any balloons filled with gases that are lighter than air. such as
helium, shall, immediately after inflation, be tied securely to an
object heavier than the balloon (e.g., a fishing weight, heavy
washer, rock, stick, etc.) and a paper tag shall be attached to the
string/ribbon attached to the balloon that states: "Releasing this
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balloon will hann the environment! Soltando este globo al aire
dafiani la naturaleza. "
(3) Any event occurring in the City that distributes or sells light-than-
air balloons shall display a clearly legible (bold print that appears
equal to· or greater than 20 point font) copy of this section of the
City Code of Ordinances in a prominent location where it can be
seen by all persons who receive such balloons.
(b) This section shall not apply to balloons released by a person on behalf of a
governmental agency, or institution of post-secondary education for
meteorological purposes.
12 Section 2. Codification. The provisions of this ordinance shall become and be made
13 part of the Land Development Code of the City of South Miami as amended.
14 Section 3. Severability. If any section, clause, sentence, or phrase of this ordinance
15 is for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, this
16 holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance or the Guidelines
17 adopted hereunder.
18 Section 4. Ordinances in Conflict. All ordinances or parts of ordinances and all
19 sections and parts of sections of ordinances in direct conflict herewith are hereby repealed.
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Section 5. Effective Date. This ordinance shall become effective upon enactment.
PASSED AND ENACTED this __ day of , 20_
ATTEST: APPROVED:
CITY CLERK
1st Reading
2nd Reading
READ AND APPROVED AS TO FORM:
LANGUAGE, LEGALITY AND
EXECUTION THEREOF
CITY ATTORNEY
MAYOR
COMMISSION VOTE:
Mayor Stoddard:
Vice Mayor Welsh:
Commissioner Edmond:
Commissioner Harris:
Commissioner Liebman:
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