Commissioners considering fireworks rule change; no action yet taken
Updated 12: 25 p.m. July 18
City Commissioners are considering a change to fireworks rules, but it’s unclear what route they’ll take to do that and what the change might be.
During their July 15 work session, commissioners spent the full hour and a half on fireworks, pushing the other scheduled item, an update on using tax increment financing toward workforce housing, to a later meeting.
As of July 18, a special work session has been set for 5:30 p.m. July 22 at the Civic Center to continue the discussion.
No formal action may be taken during a work session so commissioners will have to schedule another special meeting if they intend to send the question to the November ballot, assuming city staff deem a first and second reading necessary, as the drop dead deadline to adopt such a resolution is Aug. 11.
Meeting materials were not posted with the agenda and will be presented during the meeting, according to the city.
Roughly a dozen members of the public spoke during the July 15 meeting, some in favor of banning personal fireworks, some in support of maintaining the current rules, which allow the sale and use of fireworks from July 2-4 from 8 a.m. to midnight within the city limits.
City officials to discuss changes to fireworks rules on July 15
Cascade County doesn’t have any specific fireworks rules as they’re regulated by state law and the county follows that code.
It’s a discussion that’s been held just about every year following the July 4 holiday since locals often don’t abide by the existing rules, starting fireworks before July 2, lighting them after midnight on the days they’re legal and continuing them for days after the holiday.
Fireworks are also allowed for the New Year’s holiday in Great Falls.
Fireworks stand often set up on county parcels within the city limits to be able to operate with fewer restrictions and start selling fireworks well before the July 2 start within the city limits.
This year, fireworks are suspected as the cause of a fire that resulted in the death of an elderly woman, her dog and cat.
Fatal fire believed to be caused by fireworks
Several commenters during the meeting said that the woman had run into a burning building so it wasn’t the fault of fireworks.
Great Falls Fire Rescue officials said that was not the case, but she did open to the door to see the fire and since she couldn’t get out, went back inside.
Carol Bradley said July 4 used to be her favorite holiday, but with a dog, they dread it and the fireworks have gotten “out of hand.”
She said she emphasizes with those who own fireworks stands, but there are thousands of residents “who absolutely dread this holiday,” and animals are petrified.
GFFR reminding residents of fireworks rules, safety
Bradley said she hoped the woman’s death caused by fireworks would be the tipping point for commissioners to step up and ban fireworks in the city.
“We’ve had enough,” she said.
A man who said he lived outside the city limits but worked a fireworks stand this year said they used fireworks as kids decades ago and the dogs were fine.
He said he didn’t know what was different now and didn’t want Montana to turn into other states that have banned fireworks.
The types of fireworks allowed to be used in Montana has changed as state legislators voted to legalize bottle rockets and Roman candles for the first time in 2021.
Pete Anderson, a city commission candidate, said that commissioners should create a pay to play system, requiring permits for those who want to use personal fireworks to generate revenue for the city, but was opposed to prohibiting fireworks.
Foundation fundraising to continue community fireworks display
He said he wanted to request the city to hold a work session on using TIF for workforce housing since he’d heard some other cities do that.
Using TIF for workforce housing was on that night’s agenda, but got bumped due to the lengthy fireworks discussion.
Several speakers said the city should take away the freedom to use fireworks to celebrate the county’s independence from Britain.
For comparison, this reporter is from Yorktown, Va., the site of a decisive battle during the Revolutionary War, where the use of personal fireworks is prohibited.
GFFR responded to seven fireworks calls on July 4 [2023]
Destri Hilbig, manager of a fireworks stand, said that city can’t enforce rules it already has, so it shouldn’t ban fireworks.
Mayor Cory Reeves said he was on the fence and said when he was a cop, the city didn’t have the resources to deal with fireworks complaints.
He asked Great Falls Police Chief Jeff Newton if that had changed.
Cascade County implements Stage 1 fire restrictions; fireworks calls up in city [2021]
Newton said that was a broad question and it seemed they have this conversation every year.
Since June 1 through July 15, GFPD had 5,138 calls for service and 1,542 reports.
Newton said there have been a lot of serious things going on in the city, to include several homicide cases, and it comes down to priorities and resource management.
Those serious calls take multiple officers and significant time, and when they get a fireworks complaint, they may respond but have to divert if they get a more serious call.
Fireworks complaints up this year [2020]
Commissioner Shannon Wilson said that as an Army veteran, “these fireworks are louder than the grenades I used to throw” and they can be a trigger for veterans in recovery and those with post traumatic stress disorder.
But, stopping fireworks would be tough.
She said she supported putting it to a public vote and didn’t want to institute a ban as commissioners.
Commissioner Susan Wolff said fireworks aren’t limited to three days and they were going off in her neighborhood days after the holiday.
She said she understands people wanting to celebrate the founding of the country, but the woman who was killed “had a right to live. She had a right to have a safe home.”
Resident asks city to consider banning fireworks within city limits [2018]
“I know that this would put a hell of a burden on our police force and fire,” as they’re already stretched thin, so they’d have to budget for overtime and institute heavy fines.
“Frankly, I’m going to say we as a commission need to step up and make a decision. I say we need to ban fireworks and put things in place to help our police and fire to try to deal with this. Who else is going to die. Who else is going to lose their house,” Wolff said.
To those who own fireworks stands, she said understands the impact to their livelihood and that it might push fireworks activity into the county, but “I can’t sit here and say it’s okay when we have loss of life.”
Commissioner Rick Tryon said that he’d heard complaints about fireworks every year since he’d been a commissioner.
He said that each year it seems they hear good arguments on both sides but he pushed for this discussion this year since people with concerns want to see some sort of solution.
So they can either send the question to the November ballot or the commision can vote.
“My preference is to put it on the ballot,” Tryon said, with stiff fines such as $500 for the first offense, doubling for offenses thereafter.
He said he didn’t want to have discussion and then fail to act.
Tryon said he wouldn’t support a special election for fireworks and it should appear on the November ballot.
Staff said that leaves little time to draft a resolution, which would need to be approved by Aug. 11 and it may require a first and second reading, which all require proper public notice.
Commissioner Joe McKenney said that he’d prefer to see another work session during which staff would present options.
He said commissioners should make the decision rather than sending the question to the ballot.
Chickens remain prohibited in city limit, no petitions filed to send chickens back to ballot
“We were elected to lead,” McKenney said, and sending the question to the ballot was “avoiding responsibility,” which was the same sentiment he expressed during a January work session when Reeves asked if they could send fireworks to the ballot.
Reeves said during the July 15 work session that he couldn’t support any ban on fireworks until police and fire say they can enforce it.
Wolff said she’d like another work session to hear from police and fire, but the reality, was the city wouldn’t be able to enforce it all.
“Are you going to catch everybody? No, we know that,” she said.
Reeves said he felt like they were rushing the process and will still have fireworks on the county lots within the city.
City Manager Greg Doyon said it would be a quick turn around, but staff could draft a resolution for sending it to the ballot, but given the tight timeline, it depends on commission availability for special meetings before Aug. 11.
Sending it to the ballot also leaves little room for nuance as it requires a yes or no vote.
On July 17, Doyon told The Electric he was awaiting direction from commissioners on how they’d like to proceed.
He said he’d asked them if they want to meet next week, considering the timeline for a ballot question.
No meeting had yet been scheduled.
Pingback: City moving toward sending fireworks to November ballot; no vote yet - The Electric