CLEVELAND — For too long, there has been a quiet menace plaguing our Northeast Ohio skies, and wreaking havoc upon our city. I’m speaking, of course, about balloons.
Ward 16 Councilman Brian Kazy recognized that Cleveland’s balloon issue needed to be addressed. That’s why the council just passed a law that makes the release of 10 or more balloons illegal!
But where exactly was this anti-balloon sentiment coming from? Why is our City Council such a bunch of Balloon Buzzkills?
"That came about because of the issues balloons are causing to one, our utilities, and two, the environment," Kazy told me.
Kazy says that in addition to the environmental benefits of not littering the Earth with mass amounts of festive trash, the primary issue is that balloons frequently get stuck in power lines causing outages, which is not good, even if it is inarguably cool to watch happen.
"Cleveland Public Power averages a little more than one outage per month due to Mylar balloons," he said.
For reference, let's take a look back at Cleveland's failed "Balloon Fest" of 1986:
I pushed the councilman for some clarification regarding the new ordinance, on behalf of all people like myself who still wish to incorporate balloons into their celebrating but don’t want to run afoul of the new law - which could land you a misdemeanor offense punishable with a $150 fine!
Kazy says the primary goal of the new law is to educate the public on the dangers balloons have on the environment and to encourage alternative options instead.
"You could blow bubbles, you could plant grass seed... you could do wildflowers. We've recommended that," Kazy suggested. "If anyone needs any alternatives to releasing balloons, Cleveland Public Power's website has a list of things you could do, or you could always reach out to me and we'll help you come up with alternatives as opposed to releasing the balloons."
So remember folks, there’s a new rule on the books and law enforcement is on high alert. So if you want to keep your record clean and the power grid operational, limit those celebratory balloon releases to no more than 9 units, or be prepared to face the consequences. Because In Cleveland, Balloon Justice, is on the rise.
This is Mike Polk, working the Mylar Beat, for 3News.
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