At the City Council meeting on Monday, June 15, a request to amend the City Code to allow fireworks within city limits with a permit failed to pass in a narrow 4-5 vote. The request came from the Fire Marshall’s office, and if approved, would have allowed the discharge of certain fireworks within the City with a $25 permit on July 3, 4, 5, and December 31.
The requested change comes at a time where the citizens may be looking to celebrate on their own after American Heritage Bank announced in mid-May that they would be canceling their annual fireworks celebration.
Sapulpa Fire Chief David Taylor spoke on behalf of the new ordinance, and clarified that “this would limit the type of fireworks you would be able to use.” He said the fire department “knows it’ll happen anyway. This would help educate the public.” Firefighter Josh Wood echoed Taylor, saying, “Let’s take a different approach and put some guidelines in place.”
City Manager Joan Riley said that permits could be purchased from the city clerk or straight from the fireworks stand for $25 apiece. She said Jenks and Glenpool do the same thing.
Local citizen Billie Kelsey spoke against the ordinance, pleading, “I am asking you, please don’t bring that back!” In a letter she wrote to City Council, Kelsey related how “large fireworks (more like bombs)” were being set off in her neighborhood a few years ago, when it was still legal in city limits. “It was scary.” She said the next day she collected four or five of the large fireworks from her yard and roof and that she was afraid they might have set her house on fire. She argued that the income to the city is minimal and that the onus it places on the officers to police it is onerous. She stated, “just because some people completely ignore the law doesn’t make it okay.” Kelsey also asked those in the room about how it would be enforced, and that she hoped “the police would have more important things to do,” than to check everyone’s permits.
Councilor Vickie Beyer spoke next, and said, “I’m not comfortable with the way the ordinance is worded. The type of fireworks is not specified. I think a $25 permit is cumbersome and incidental. It gives the police one more thing to check.” She concluded, “I think this came together too quickly. I think we can do better.”
Councilor Suggs asked what the current fine is if someone is in violation, and City Attorney Widdoes answered that it is a $200 fine.
The motion was put to a vote, with Suggs, Anderson, Bledsoe, and Naifeh voting yes, and Beyers, Galloway, Gunn, Henderson, and Martin voting no. The motion failed.
