Call To Order
Roll Call
Committee Chair Kaylee Galloway called the meeting to order at 3:31 p.m.
in a hybrid meeting.
7 -
Present:
Elizabeth Boyle, Barry Buchanan, Ben Elenbaas, Kaylee Galloway, Jessica
Rienstra, Jon Scanlon, and Mark Stremler
Announcements
Committee Discussion
1.
Ordinance amending Whatcom County Code Chapter 5.20, Fireworks, to strengthen
fireworks regulations by limiting the days fireworks are allowed and prohibiting
fireworks during burn bans
This agenda item was DISCUSSED.
AB2026-431 and AB2026-475 were discussed together under AB2026-475
2.
Ordinance amending Whatcom County Code Chapter 5.20, Fireworks, to strengthen
fireworks regulations by limiting the days fireworks are allowed and prohibiting
fireworks during burn bans
Galloway stated since both AB2026-431 and AB2026-475 are related, she is
going to read both of them into the record and they can have one combined
discussion. Both versions had a public hearing and were referred to
committee, but she has not had time to get answers to all the questions so
she is looking for high-level discussion and direction from Council for the
next phase of this work. An ordinance could then maybe be brought back
later this year with that advice incorporated. She would also like to get an
indication of which version of the ordinance they should move forward
with.
Councilmembers discussed hearing community support for having limits or
restrictions on fireworks during a stage 2 burn ban, if people would get on
board with amending the days of use to July 3rd and 4th, getting a response
from the tribes, interest in having a conversation with Birch Bay
Community Advisory Committee and residents to hear what the impacts
might be to Birch Bay, looking at what is actually working in other
communities to reduce risks and concerns regarding fireworks, if there is
an advisory committee that could study this, that the Sheriff’s Guild said in
an email that they are opting not to engage on this issue and provide an
official stance and that they indicated concerns around enforcement
capacity in a resource-constrained environment, getting the perspective of
emergency management, a preference to continue on with AB2026-475
which notes the stage 2 burn ban, looking at ways to increase safety when
fireworks do happen and creating safer spaces to engage in them, hearing
