LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday night gave staff the go-ahead to approve applications for safe and sane fireworks sales during the first week of July but canceled the city’s annual fireworks display, a decision council members said they took with regret.
City Manager Margaret Silveira asked the council for the direction on processing applications from nonprofit groups for the safe and sane fireworks sales, which are allowed under a voter-approved ordinance passed in November 2009.
She said there usually are four organizations that sell the fireworks from July 1 to 4. All four organizations – which were not named in her report – have submitted their paperwork.
Safe and sane fireworks are only allowed in Lakeport; they are banned in the rest of the county.
Silveira said approvals would be contingent on the current health crisis. “Right now it’s looking really good,” she said of reopening efforts, but if there’s a surge in COVID-19 cases and the Public Health officer feels the county needs to go back to sheltering, those approvals could be revoked.
Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace has looked at and approved the social distancing plan submitted on behalf of the groups by Dennis Revell, working for TNT Fireworks, Silveira said.
Silveira said the only time the council can actually deny the sale of safe and sane fireworks is if the governor issues an emergency ordinance that addresses the risk of fire.
The second item in the discussion related to the city’s July 4 fireworks display, an event that during the discussion staff said brings an estimated 10,000 people – twice the city’s population – into the downtown.
Silveira said this year it would be very difficult to maintain social distancing with the fireworks display.
She said going forward with the display would mean needing to add the $20,500 price tag to the city’s budget deficit. Staff intends to present a budget update to the council at its next meeting.
Councilwoman Mireyta Turner said that, if the Public Health officer approved the plan, it didn’t seem like the council had much of a decision to make.
Councilman Kenny Parlet raised concerns about being able to enforce social distancing rules on the private properties – such as the city’s shopping centers – where many people go to shoot off the safe and sane fireworks.
During public comment, Michael Green, a member of the city’s planning commission, urged the council to approve the safe and sane fireworks sales but to cancel the larger display, noting, “I don’t have a lot of confidence that social distancing could be followed or would be followed at that celebration.”
Jen Hanson, representing the Lake County Channel Cats – one of the nonprofits that has been selling the fireworks for many years – said without the fundraiser they wouldn’t be able to offer swim lessons and other fundraisers can’t fill the need.
Hanson said there are a lot of illegal fireworks used in the city on July 4, and the Channel Cats have hired a cleanup crew that takes care of both the legal and illegal fireworks. They also have hired security and have told people where they can – and can’t – set off the fireworks.
“We’ve been pretty responsible,” Hanson said.
Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said he’s in support of the sale of safe and sane fireworks going forward.
He said by that point he’d had extensive discussions with Revell. “They have a good plan on the distancing,” he said, although Rasmussen said he needed to work with Revell on the messaging about where the fireworks are allowed.
The city ordinance requires Rasmussen to submit to the council a report on how he will deal with fireworks-related issues ahead of the July 4 holiday. He said he will have that plan ready for the council at its June 16 meeting.
If the main fireworks display doesn’t go forward, Rasmussen said he would have more resources to deal with issues related to other fireworks activity in the city.
“I’m not too concerned. I think we’re going to be able to work through it all. We just don’t have it all figured out today,” Rasmussen said.
Councilwoman Stacey Mattina said the only reason the safe and sane fireworks sales were on the council agenda was because of COVID-19.
“It’s worth repeating that it’s not up to us whether we have these sales or not,” and that the council shouldn’t get in the way of that, Mattina said.
As far as the city’s main fireworks display, Mattina said was heartbroken that the big show won’t take place. “It’s just going to have to wait a year.”
Mayor George Spurr asked for separate motions on the two fireworks issues.
Parlet moved to cancel the July 4 fireworks display, adding that he did so “regrettably.”
“I’ll regrettably second,” said Mattina.
The motion passed 4-0. Councilman Tim Barnes was absent from the online meeting.
Turner moved to approve the sales of safe and sane fireworks contingent on Public Health and city staff approvals. That motion also passed 4-0.
In other business, the council pulled discussion of the Eleventh Street Corridor Multimodal Engineered Feasibility Study and will set it for an upcoming special meeting, and approved the 2019-2020 Community Development Block Grant application for housing rehabilitation, micro-enterprise assistance and planning technical assistance programs.
The council also met in closed session, with City Attorney David Ruderman reporting that the council provided unanimous direction to proceed with litigation against 26 pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors in the Northern District of California regarding opioids. He said there was no reportable action in discussions regarding the city manager and labor negotiations.
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Lakeport City Council approves safe and sane fireworks sales, cancels city’s July 4 fireworks display
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On