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Denison council discusses amending local fireworks rules after state law change
Summary
Following enactment of Senate File 303, council members discussed two options — repeal the local fireworks ordinance or amend it to comply with state law while retaining other local restrictions — and directed staff to prepare amendments for a future council meeting.
City staff briefed the Denison City Council on options for adjusting the local fireworks ordinance after a recent change in state law (referred to in the meeting as Senate File 303).
Staff summarized the two paths available under the new law: repeal the local ordinance entirely or amend it to comply with the state statute while retaining other local limits (for example, restrictions tied to alcohol impairment, time of day, or burn bans). “Based on Senate File 303...the board of supervisors, and city council may by ordinance or resolution prohibit or limit the use of consumer fireworks…on any day other than July 3, July 4, and December 31,” a staff member told the council.
Council members asked whether local time‑of‑day and proximity restrictions remained allowable and how enforcement would interact with existing noise ordinances. One council member noted the governor had signed the measure the previous day. Several members favored amending the local ordinance to comply with the state provision while keeping other local restrictions that address public safety and noise. Staff said they would amend the draft in Dropbox and bring proposed language back to council for a first reading.
Next steps: staff to prepare a draft amendment that aligns the city ordinance with the state law while preserving other locally permissible restrictions and return it for council consideration and formal readings.
