MARYSVILLE — When fireworks were banned, folks were left without an option in the city to watch a sparkling show during certain holidays.
That’s expected to change on the Fourth of July.
The Marysville City Council unanimously voted this week in favor of adding a fireworks display on that day. The show is scheduled to take place at Marysville Pilchuck High School. The council approved just one celebration and hasn’t yet made it an annual event.
The plan is to start the party in the late afternoon with live music, food and other activities. The night would end with about a half-hour of fireworks, said Connie Mennie, a spokeswoman for the city.
“The city is the host, but we don’t want it to be a city-run thing,” Mennie said. “We want people to feel excited about the community coming together.”
It’s expected to be a free event.
“The plan is fairly loose right now,” Mennie said. “The reason the decision needed to be made early was to hire the pyrotechnicians.”
Fireworks would be set off on the school’s baseball fields, near 108th Street SE. Parking would be available at the campus.
The estimated cost is about $41,000, which would come from the city’s lodging tax.
During the council meeting this week, a neighbor of the high school voiced his support for the event. The city plans to get in touch with people who live nearby to let them know about traffic impacts, Mennie said.
“Fireworks are an issue people are really passionate about,” Mennie said. “Many people are still angry about the ban.”
Even so, nearly 60 percent of city residents supported a fireworks ban when the idea was floated in the form of an advisory measure on the ballot three years ago. More than 10,000 votes were cast.
Around that time, many people testified about their neighborhoods becoming war zones several days in advance of and following July 4.
The law that made it illegal to sell, store or use the explosives was put into place in January 2017. It meant that people who fired smaller fireworks could be fined, and those who sold them or used large fireworks could face jail time.
The first year, 48 people received a ticket for violations during the Fourth of July. That number decreased to 27 last year.
Stephanie Davey: 425-339-3192; sdavey@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @stephrdavey.
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