Medical Lake council to ask voters about fireworks; approves public display and retail permits
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Summary
The Medical Lake City Council voted to approve two retail fireworks permits and a June 20 public fireworks display while moving forward with an advisory ballot measure asking voters whether the city should limit personal fireworks. Council and staff discussed timing, committee formation and legal limits on enforcement timing.
Medical Lake City Council on Wednesday approved two retail fireworks permits and a June 20 public fireworks display and agreed to put an advisory fireworks question on the November ballot to gauge voter sentiment.
The advisory question will ask residents their view on fireworks; it is nonbinding. "This is completely advisory," said Merrick Cooper, who explained the ballot measure process and emphasized that it would provide the council with data to consider before any ordinance change. The council approved permits for retail sales by the Lions Club and LifeSpring Fellowship and approved a public display contracted by Reimagine Medical Lake for Founders Day on June 20.
Council members and staff said an advisory vote gives the widest, clearest measure of public opinion. Legal counsel explained the timeline and statutory limits: any change to a fireworks ordinance would not be enforceable for 365 days after adoption, so any ordinance passed after a vote would not take effect until the following July 4. Tom, the citys legal counsel, told the council that committee members who form the "for/against" committees are not technically required by statute to be registered voters, though the legislature apparently assumed interested committee members would also be voters.
The city will solicit letters of interest for the pro and con committees and expects to have committees identified by mid-June so paperwork can be filed with Spokane County Elections. Spokane County Elections gave initial review feedback on the draft ballot language and said it looked good but that the city's legal counsel must prepare and approve the explanatory statement and final language for the county.
Councilmembers discussed timing and costs of different election options and agreed to hold the advisory question at the general election for cost efficiency; staff noted the citys approximate cost for last November's ballot was about $2,600 but would approach $26,000 if the city were the only item on the ballot. The council also approved two retail permit applications and the public-display permit after the fire district recommended approval with standard weather and safety conditions.
Council action: motion and unanimous approval of the permit for Reimagine Medical Lake's June 20 public fireworks display; separate unanimous approvals of two retail fireworks vendor permits (Lions Club and LifeSpring Fellowship); and direction to place an advisory fireworks question on the November ballot and solicit formation of for/against committees.
The advisory vote will be tabulated like any other election but is nonbinding; the council retains authority to decide whether to act on the result and must observe the statutory 365-day enforcement delay if an ordinance change follows.
