SEQUIM — Talks about banning fireworks within the Sequim city limits are back on, and this time, City Council members are considering putting it to a citywide vote.
Council members Monday asked city staff to draft ballot language for the Nov. 8 general election. The council will discuss the possible measure at the July 25 city council meeting, when they will gather at 5 p.m. at the Sequim Civic Center, 152 W. Cedar St.
City Manager Charlie Bush said the proposed ballot measure would ask residents if they want to fully ban fireworks.
Council members could opt to go forward with that for the ballot, lessen the number of days allowed for shooting off consumer fireworks or delay the topic, Bush said.
“If a ban were to go on the ballot, it has the potential to resolve this conversation for a decade or more,” he said.
Ban in effect 2018?
If a referendum does go forward and residents vote to ban fireworks, it would go into effect July 4, 2018.
Currently, consumer fireworks are sold and allowed to be discharged within the city limits from June 28 through July 5.
In June, council members discussed possibly banning or limiting consumer fireworks within the city limits but didn’t reach consensus on the decision.
Deputy Mayor Ted Miller suggested bans on fireworks within the city limits a few times before and after the June discussion.
He recommended that other council members speak with constituents and revisit the topic later.
Public vote
They did, and council members supported a public vote Monday night.
“I like the idea of letting the public decide,” said Councilwoman Genaveve Starr.
Miller told other council members he was investigating the logistics and cost of putting a referendum on the November ballot.
The Port Angeles City Council voted in March 2015 to ban the discharge of consumer fireworks within the city limits. It went into effect this summer.
Port Townsend outlawed fireworks in 2003.
Bush said the deadline for putting a referendum on the Nov. 8 general election ballot is Aug. 2, so the City Council will need to decide at the July 25 meeting or hold a special meeting before Aug. 2.
Estimated cost
He estimates it would cost between $4,000 and $5,000 for the city, depending on how many items are on the ballot.
“Resolution of this discussion was something requested by proponents of fireworks being legal in the city several weeks ago at a council meeting,” Bush said.
“It would also provide those who want a ban to present their case to the community.
“Both sides would have several months to debate this issue.
“Given that November is a general presidential election, it will have high turnout and therefore should provide an accurate read from the public on their position on this topic.”
Bush said going forward with a vote doesn’t indicate a stance by the City Council but that “they want to have a discussion and have the public make a decision.”
Fireworks show kaput
A community group approached city staff earlier this year about a community fireworks show, Bush said, but the group needed more time to organize it.
The Sequim Irrigation Festival’s logging show in May hosts the Sequim-Dungeness area’s only public fireworks display annually.
Consumer fireworks are allowed for the Fourth of July in Clallam County from June 29 through July 5.
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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach him at mnash@sequimgazette.com.
