Kent voters to be asked if city should ban fireworks | Advisory proposition

An emotionally loaded question about fireworks requiring a simple yes or no answer will face Kent voters on the Nov. 3 general election ballot:

“Shall the sale, possession and discharge of consumer fireworks be prohibited in the city of Kent?”

The City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday at a special meeting to refer the advisory proposition to voters. The council will use the results of the vote to help determine whether to ban fireworks in the city. Any new ordinance passed by the council would not apply to the city’s Fourth of July Splash fireworks display at Lake Meridian or any other permitted display.

Numerous complaints from residents to the council over the last few years about fireworks going off in their neighborhoods before, during and after the Fourth of July caused the council to consider a ban.

“I want to thank the council for getting to this point,” Councilman Jim Berrios said. “I think we’ve had some very healthy discussions about the concerns with fireworks and the number of complaints that we’ve received throughout the community. And we’ve had people against a ban as well. I think we’re at a point where it’s time to listen to the rest of the community that perhaps haven’t had the opportunity.”

Kent city code allows people to purchase and possess legal fireworks from June 28 to July 4, but fireworks can only be discharged from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 4. Violators of the code must pay a $250 fine.

State law allows fireworks sales and use on certain hours between June 28 and July 5. According to state law, any ordinances adopted by a county or city that are more restrictive than the state shall have an effective date no sooner than one year after their adoption. That means if the council adopts a ban later this year or early next year, it won’t become effective until 2017.

“We have received a great deal of correspondence about this,” Councilman Dennis Higgins said. “This is an advisory vote, it’s non-binding but I will personally consider it binding. The council is going to have to follow through, assuming a ban is voted in favor of by the people. If they don’t vote in favor, of course, the council doesn’t need to take any action and the status quo will be in place.

“My crucial point is at the end of all this there’s going to be some sizable portion of the city that will be disappointed. I may be one of them, I don’t know,” Higgins said. “It could go either way and I will probably be disappointed in some way, shape or form. … I hope that everyone will respect the will of the majority and follow through on that, even those who end up on the losing side of the argument I hope they will respect the will of the majority.”

It will cost the city less than $5,000 to put the measure on the ballot, according to city documents.

Kent is one of the few cities in South King County without a ban. Federal Way, Des Moines, Burien, SeaTac, Renton and Tukwila have bans. Auburn, Maple Valley and Covington restrict use. Maple Valley city leaders are considering a ban.

Pro, con reports needed

The council seeks people to serve on the pro and con committees to prepare written arguments in support and in opposition to the fireworks ban, which will be included in the King County Elections local voters’ pamphlet for Nov. 3.

Applications to the city are due by 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3. Apply online at Kentwa.gov/ProCon. For more information, contact city clerk Ronald Moore at 253-856-5728 or rmoore@kentwa.gov.

The council will appoint up to three people to each committee at its meeting at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 4.

Each committee’s statement must be no more than 200 words and be submitted to King County Elections no later than 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 13. Any rebuttal statements are due by Aug. 17. There is a limit of three members, but committees may seek advice of any number of people to assist in developing the statements.