Recent letters to the editor have expressed frustration over the City Council’s decision to delay adoption of a fireworks ban.
I want to reassure readers we are not ignoring the will of the voters. Rather, we are making sure we pass the right ordinance for our city.
The council needs to discuss all aspects of a fireworks ban – and give the public time to comment. How will we handle permitted displays? What are the penalties for violating the ban? How will we enforce the ban? These are the kinds of questions we need to answer before we adopt an ordinance.
It’s important to understand this key fact: State law says a fireworks ban can’t take effect for an entire year. That means, even if we adopt an ordinance today, it won’t be in effect for July 2016. The earliest a ban will have any impact on a Fourth of July is in 2017.
We are very pleased voters decisively shared their views via last month’s ballot measure. We absolutely heard them, and the City Council intends to honor their wishes. But we want to be deliberate and thoughtful as we make this important public policy change. We hope to see interested parties at our Jan. 19 workshop where fireworks will be a hot topic.
– Dana Ralph, Kent City Council president
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