Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wsu Fireworks topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council schedules Aug. 12 public hearing on WSU fireworks; members urge clearer notice to neighborhoods
Summary
Pullman City Council set a public hearing for Aug. 12 on Washington State University fireworks and several council members urged improved advance notice and collaboration with WSU rather than public criticism.
Pullman City Council announced a public hearing on Aug. 12 to consider fireworks at Washington State University events and discussed steps the city could take to give neighborhood residents more advance notice.
Council members said the topic matters because fireworks at WSU events are close to residential neighborhoods and community members reported being surprised or unsettled by shows. Council member Weller said extending city outreach and sharing WSU event notices on official city channels could reduce surprise and improve public communication. Council member Wright said she regretted how the prior discussion had publicly singled out a WSU administrator and said a more collaborative approach would have been preferable.
Council members described options raised publicly and by neighbors: moving to a single end-of-season show, exploring lower-decibel fireworks, drone shows, and broader notice of event dates. Council member Weller told colleagues she had contacted the Municipal Research Service Center (MRSC) about whether the city may republish WSU event notices; MRSC indicated that reposting is permissible so long as the city is not promoting private businesses. Weller said the city attorney should review any formal plan before the council acts.
The mayor announced the council had formally requested a public hearing on fireworks to be held at the Aug. 12 council meeting. No ordinance or regulatory change was adopted at this meeting; council members framed several options they want to examine during the public hearing and through follow-up work with staff.
Council members emphasized maintaining the city’s relationship with WSU while addressing resident concerns. Wright and Weller both said stronger pre-event communication from the university and amplified notices on city channels could reduce conflicts. Weller said she had also heard specific technical options, including drone shows and low-decibel fireworks, but she framed those as community suggestions to be explored rather than city mandates.
The city attorney will be asked to review any formal proposals before the Aug. 12 public hearing. The public hearing itself will be the venue for formal public comment and any potential council action following that hearing.
