While most issues brought up at Monday night’s meeting of the Perry City Council were quickly dispatched to everyone’s apparent satisfaction — from discussing the new statues soon to grace Violet Hill Cemetery to approving the McCreary Community Building’s service agreement with SVPA Architects — the subject of Fourth of July fireworks required a little extra consideration.
The council discussed whether fireworks displays would be allowed at all and if so, on how many days fireworks displays would be permitted and what the penalty would be for illegal shooting off of fireworks.
Despite the safety committee recommendations, the council voted to allow fireworks displays only on July Fourth rather than adopting the July 1-4 window they appeared to favor at the last council session.
Ultimately, the council voted to allow citizens to shoot off fireworks from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 4 only. Detonating fireworks illegally will incur a $250 fine.
Several council members said Perry citizens phoned or wrote emails to offer their views on the issue. Mayor John Andorf said concerns expressed included the harmful effect fireworks have on pets and the way they can upset military veterans and others with PTSD.
A minority of citizens favored banning fireworks entirely, Andorf said, while most requested a limit to how many days fireworks would be allowed.
Addressing the issue of how many days to allow fireworks displays, Council member Dr. Randy McCaulley said it made little sense to him to suggest celebrating the Fourth of July on any day other than the Fourth of July.
“We don’t celebrate it on the first, second, third or fifth,” he pointed out. Like Andorf, McCaulley noted he too had been hearing from citizens about the issue, and no one who contacted him supported the idea of a bigger window for fireworks. One day was enough, he said.
No one at the meeting advocated banning fireworks displays entirely.
“Let the citizens have their day to blow things up,” Council member Barb Wolling joked, drawing a chuckle from the rest of the council and the audience.
Among others, Council member Vicki Klein agreed it would be reasonable to give fireworks one more chance. She said there were problems with citizens shooting off fireworks illegally last year, but she was inclined to give people a second opportunity to enjoy the Fourth of July fireworks. Klein said some residents fear people will shoot off fireworks illegally again this year.
“Let’s hope they prove us wrong,” she said.
The council mentioned the Perry Police Department took a more laid-back attitude toward enforcement of the fireworks law last year because of the size of the fines. Chief Eric Vaughn assured the council the police department would be proactive in enforcing the fireworks ordinance this year.
Wolling said citizens who see illegal fireworks activity should be sure to report it because the police “can’t be everywhere.”
The general consensus, stated repeatedly by different council members, was that this is a last chance. If the city’s rules surrounding fireworks are ignored this year, council members agreed they will vote to ban fireworks entirely next year.
