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Bell Gardens council introduces ordinance to allow sale and discharge of ‘safe and sane’ fireworks; motion passes 3–2
Summary
The Bell Gardens City Council voted 3–2 to introduce Ordinance No. 967, which would permit the sale, use and discharge of state‑approved “safe and sane” fireworks under a nonprofit lottery system; a staff presentation outlined application limits, fees and an implementation timeline.
The Bell Gardens City Council voted to introduce Ordinance No. 967, a measure to permit the sale, use and discharge of state‑certified “safe and sane” fireworks, after a contentious public hearing and a 3–2 roll‑call vote.
City planner Alfonso Hernandez, presenting the draft ordinance, said staff recommended that the council find the proposal exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act under section 15061(b)(3) and then introduce it by title. Hernandez outlined key provisions: applications will be limited to nonprofit organizations; the city will approve a maximum of three permits per year selected through a lottery drawn from three applicant categories (school/club/sports organizations; religious institutions and affiliates; and other nonprofits); applicants must pay a $150 fee; staff set a timeline with a second reading scheduled for May 11, an effective date of June 11, an application deadline of June 15 and a lottery on June 18.
During public comment, resident Edwin Gonzalez supported reinstating legal fireworks as a family tradition but warned that “the effort to curtail illegal fireworks will have to be perfected by local authorities and other agencies,” urging careful enforcement. A virtual participant who identified only through the Zoom connection urged the council to drop the item, saying reinstating sales would worsen noise and air‑quality problems and would not stop illegal fireworks.
Mayor Miguel de la Rosa moved to find Ordinance No. 967 exempt from CEQA, waive full reading and introduce it by title; Councilmember Chavez seconded. The clerk recorded roll call votes as follows: Varsana — No; Travis — Aye; Sanchez — No; Mayor Pro Tem Guillen — Yes; De La Rosa — Yes. The motion passed 3–2.
If the council follows the schedule Hernandez presented, the ordinance would return for a second reading and potential adoption on May 11; the ordinance is proposed to take effect June 11, with applications opening in mid‑June and a lottery to select nonprofit vendors.
The draft ordinance rescinds the city’s 2019 prohibition (Ordinance No. 894) that barred sale and discharge of safe‑and‑sane fireworks and replaces it with a regulated permitting process limited to specified nonprofit uses. City staff noted a prior public notice was published April 16 in the Bell Gardens Review and that no written comments had been received before the hearing.
Councilmembers who voted in favor said the ordinance restores a family holiday tradition with public‑safety safeguards; those opposed cited concerns about enforcement, neighborhood noise and illegal fireworks that would not be resolved by permitting legal sales.
Next steps: the ordinance was introduced by title; the second reading and adoption are tentatively scheduled for May 11, 2026.
