SL City Council Approves 1st Readings Of Proposed Ordinance Revisions Including One That Would Outlaw The Use Of Fireworks In The City

(Spirit Lake)– The Spirit Lake City Council Tuesday evening approved the first readings of two proposed ordinance revisions. One would tie any fireworks violation with the city’s disorderly house ordinance as City Attorney/Administrator Gregg Owens says it would add one more offense to the list that would cause possible liability for the property owner…SL Fireworks Revisions (Owens) 

“Which means that if fireworks were proven to be used illegally on somebody’s property the police wouldn’t necessarily have the issue of having to identify the particular person that lit the fireworks. As a property owner you’re going to be responsible for making sure certain things don’t happen which now would include if this passes, of course, at some point, the illegal use of fireworks.”

A motion to approve the first reading of the proposed ordinance amendment was approved unanimously.

Another proposed ordinance revision would outlaw the use of fireworks in the city of Spirit Lake altogether. Councilman Wes Farmer spoke in favor of the proposal, citing complaints the city received over the past couple of years…SL Fireworks Revisions (Farmer) 

“For me there’s too many instances where people are shooting them off and they end up in other people’s yards or on their roof or on the street and the don’t get cleaned up and for me the size of those fireworks to me are not conducive to the tight neighborhoods we have here in town, so that’s my opinion.”

Councilman Jerry Harbst spoke against the proposal to outlaw the usage of fireworks…SL Fireworks Revisions (Harbst) 

“Now that we may have an ordinance that will help eliminate some of the problems that we have, hopefully a lot of the problems, I am totally against eliminating them 100 percent. I would still like to see something either for a one day or the day before, whatever the case may be, so that’s my thoughts.”

The motion to approve the first reading of the proposed ordinance amendment to outlaw the usage of fireworks passed on a four-to-one vote, with Harbst casting the lone no vote.

Both proposed revisions will come back to the council at future sessions for subsequent 2^nd and 3^rd readings and possible adoption.