Gig Harbor restricts fireworks to July 4; violators can be fined $1,000
The skies over Gig Harbor will be a little less bright and a lot quieter in July of 2022, after the city council voted Monday to restrict the hours fireworks are allowed to be fired in the city.
The new law reduces the allowable window for fireworks to just one big hurrah on Independence Day.
The ordinance mandates that “no person shall use or discharge any fireworks within the corporate limits of Gig Harbor except between the hours of 9 a.m. and midnight on July 4.” Violators could be subject to a $1,000 fine if they don’t abide by the new ordinance, which will take effect for the 2022 holiday season.
Previously, fireworks had been allowed on four days, from July 1 through July 4.
The council had first discussed the ordinance at a meeting on April 12. There were competing concerns over issues such as the potential business impact versus the relief offered to those with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
An open question facing the city, is how strictly the new ordinance can be enforced when it takes effect.
Enforcement could be hard
At the April 12 meeting, police chief Kelly Busey told the council that his department might not be able to respond to every call.
“I just want to make the council aware that any change might put the police department in a position where we might not be able to meet expectations,” Busey said. “It would be a new tool and we would expect a big rise in calls to respond to reports of fireworks use in the days that would be prohibited.”
Busey said there would likely be a “notable increase in call volumes to a crime that is not easily enforceable” as violators may have already left the scene. He did say police will always try to enforce a council ordinance and will work to get better at responding over the next several years.
This isn’t the first time the city has changed the hours people can set off fireworks. In 2016, the city had reduced the window for fireworks to between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. from July 1 to July 3 and between 9 a.m. and midnight on July 4.
Debate over $1,000 fine
One key issue was the amount of how much violators should be fined.
Mayor Kit Kuhn said he considers a fine of $1,000 to be too steep. But Busey said municipal code only allows infractions to be issued in amounts of $100, $500, and $1,000.
Council member Spencer Abersold said he supported the higher amount, citing a desire to give parents an incentive to monitor their children possibly using fireworks in a dangerous fashion.
Council member Bob Himes agreed, saying the financial consequence would ensure there was a strong motivation for people to be educated about the new rules.
The council left the fine at $1,000, though council member Le Rodenberg said it would be discussed in a separate committee meeting.
On Monday the city heard from Paul Rice, building official and fire marshal, who said out of 233 comments received, 74 percent were in support of the ordinance, 11 percent wanted it to stay the same, and 11 percent wanted a complete ban.
Compromise offered
Council Member Jim Franich offered an amendment that would allow fireworks on July and the Saturday following.
Busey interjected to inform the council that the Saturday after the holiday may fall outside the state definition of the holiday. Franich then changed it to the Saturday prior.
The city attorney then questioned whether Franich’s amendment would mean having a day of fireworks a week prior to the 4th of July if the holiday landed on a Saturday.
Council member Robyn Denson said while she supported the attempts at compromise, she couldn’t justify two days of fireworks after hearing from people in opposition.
Franich’s amendment failed 4-3.
Woock, Rodenberg on opposite sides
One of the most vocal supporters of the ordinance was council member Jeni Woock, who had sent out an email to a group of subscribers encouraging them to speak at the meeting.
“Your comments for 1 day were overwhelmingly in favor and yet some council members are not persuaded. I’m not sure this will pass without your voice. Folks associated with TNT Fireworks and their financial interest spoke in favor of 4 days,” Woock said in the email. “If you are in favor of 1 day, July 4th for fireworks in Gig Harbor it is vital the council needs to hear you say that.”
On the opposite side, Council Member Le Rodenberg was a forceful opponent of the ordinance. He argued that Woock’s outreach had inflated the number of people who attended to speak in support of the ordinance.
Rodenberg also called the validity of these comments into question. Rodenberg said he believed someone from a different state or even countries like the Ukraine could have weighed in on the city’s ordinance without being a Gig Harbor resident.
Rice, the building official, acknowledged that it is “really difficult” to determine where people are located when submitting a comment, but that there were local people weighing in on the issue.
The ordinance passed 6-1, with Rodenberg as the sole no vote.
In other business, the Gig Harbor city council:
Voted 4-2 to approve $50,000 in LTAC grants to local organizations to boost tourism. The breakdown in funding was $1,000 for The Canterwood Ladies Golf Association, $4,000 for the Greater Gig Harbor Foundation, $15,000 for the Harbor History Museum, $6,000 for United by Music North America, $6,000 for the Gig Harbor Boat Shop, $5,000 for the Peninsula Art League, $8,000 for the Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Racing Team, and $5,000 for. The Gig Harbor Sportsman’s Club.
Heard year-end reports from groups Harbor Wildwatch and the Eddon Boat Shop about how they have navigated the COVID-19 by shifting their programs to meet people safely. Harbor Wildwatch specifically pointed to their use of social media to connect and inform the community about issues surrounding environmental education.
Discussed how the final details about the YMCA Sports Complex required pulling it from the agenda. The final details will be ironed out at a council study session on May 6 before coming back for a final vote at the next regular council meeting on May 10.
Heard City Administrator Bob Larson gave an overview of how the city intends to allocate the estimated $2.3 million in federal funds it expects to receive under the American Rescue Plan. The mayor and city administrator have recommended the funds go to Harborview/Stinson sanitary sewer repair, Civic Center HVAC overhaul and replacement, to repay water utility base fees that were waived in Spring 2020, and to modify video and audio technology in the council chambers/municipal court to allow in-person meetings to be seen by the public. Final details will be worked out when the city gets more information about how the funds can be used, Larson said. he also noted that the total amount is an estimate and is subject to change.
This story was originally published April 27, 2021 at 5:30 AM.
