Warsaw Council Defeats Fireworks Proposal, Might Revisit Next Year
By Dan Spalding
InkFreeNews
WARSAW – A lack of significant feedback and mixed emotions on whether to further restrict fireworks inside the city of Warsaw appears to have dampened the appetite for change.
City Council had been considering a proposal that would have limited fireworks to a combined 12 hours on weekend nights, but on Monday, Dec. 6, they chose instead to defeat it.
The city has been studying the issue of enacting further restrictions for six months after a request and acknowledgment by some that it’s a serious concern for some residents.
Council voted for the restrictions on first reading in November but sought more input from the public before making a final decision.
A majority of council members said they only received a handful of emails or comments on the issue and most were generally divided on the topic.
Another apparent turning point was the number of police calls concerning fireworks.
According to information provided Monday by Council President Jack Wilhite, city police have received ten calls this year over fireworks.
Council members had said previously that new restrictions won’t have any impact if people are not willing to call police.
Councilman Josh Finch, who was the only one of seven on council to vote against it on the first reading, pointed to the lack of calls.
“Thirty thousand phone calls, ten of which were fireworks-related – it’s a non-issue,” Finch said.
He called the proposal “a bit lopsided.”
Nobody spoke in strong support of the proposal and Council voted 6-0-1 against, with Klondaris abstaining.
The committee worked closely with city attorney Scott Reust, who complimented the group on efforts to find some kind of compromise.
Klondaris, who served on the committee to study fireworks with Jack Wilhite and Finch, was frustrated the council appeared ready to do nothing.
“I would hate to think we spent all those hours, the four of us talking, and come up with a big fat zero,” Klondaris said.
Councilwoman Diane Quance replied, “I don’t think that’s the case. I think we’ve raised the public awareness.”
Some council members wondered if more interest would arise next summer when the use of fireworks are more prevalent.
Quance and Klondaris both said they’re open to revisiting the issue next year. Quance encouraged people upset with fireworks to alert the police.
The ordinance would have targeted devices intended to produce visible effects by combustion and designed to produce noise. Those include skyrockets, roman candles and firecrackers. Exceptions were in place for sparklers, snakes, glow worms.