A possible ban on fireworks in unincorporated Snohomish County has been postponed until at least 2012 after county councilmen opted Monday to spend more time studying a recent proposal.
Councilman Mike Cooper, a retired career firefighter, suggested the ban. He argued it would help prevent the kind of destruction Snohomish County saw last summer, when fireworks-related fires caused more than $4 million in property damage.
To make a new law effective in 2011, the county had to act within the next two weeks. If the proposal passed, that would give it enough time to work its way through required procedural steps ahead of fireworks sales next year. State law says fireworks bans take effect one year after being adopted.
During Monday’s County Council meeting, Cooper moved to schedule a public hearing on June 2. None of his three colleagues present supported scheduling the hearing on short notice. Instead, they wanted to discuss the idea during an operations committee meeting at 1:30 p.m. June 7.
“So, effectively, we’re delaying this for one more year?” Cooper asked.
“Yes, we all understand that,” Council Chairman Dave Gossett replied.
After the meeting Cooper vowed he would, “put a lot of pressure on his colleagues” to schedule a hearing.
“I hope we don’t have a $4 million loss again this year or next year,” he said.
Before the council’s decision, Brad Sebranke, lead pastor at Park Ridge Community Church near Bothell, spoke of how a fireworks ban would hurt the church’s fireworks sales that help raise money to send children to summer camp. The church also lets people use its parking lot to light off fireworks and has never had any problems, he told the council.
“I’m totally opposed to this idea,” Sebranke said.
Under state law, the county has a choice of an outright fireworks prohibition or restricting the days they can be sold, Cooper said. State law does not allow counties to prohibit some types of fireworks or restrict specific areas where they can be discharged.
Several Snohomish County cities already have fireworks bans: Everett, Edmonds, Gold Bar, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo and Woodway.
Cooper has said he was unable to submit the proposed legislation earlier because of health issues. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, in July. As council chairman that year, he devoted much of the fall to drafting and passing the county’s 2010 budget. Cooper recently returned to work after missing two months for stem-cell treatment related to his illness.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465, nhaglund@heraldnet.com.
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