Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Fireworks topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Willard schedules emergency meeting to set July fireworks boundaries amid high fire risk
Summary
Fire Chief Van Mund told the council the Governor's order does not allow municipalities to ban fireworks; the Mayor and Fire Chief can designate a limited zone for July 2–5. Council set a tentative emergency meeting for June 29 to adopt restrictions and planned broad resident notification.
Willard — Willard city officials said on June 25 they will hold a special emergency council meeting to adopt temporary fireworks restrictions for the July 2–5 period as part of preparations for the city’s Fourth of July celebration.
Fire Chief Van Mund told the council that the Governor’s executive order on fire restrictions does not itself give municipalities authority to ban fireworks; that municipal authority remains local. Under the executive‑order framework, he said, the Mayor and Fire Chief can designate a specific area within the municipality where legally licensed fireworks will be permitted for the July 2–5 window; all areas outside that designated zone would then fall under state forester restrictions.
Councilmembers discussed a tentative permitted zone roughly bounded by 600 North (north), 600 South (south) and 400 West (west), with the east side of Highway 89 remaining fully prohibited. Chief Mund said the boundaries may be refined pending guidance; City Planner Madison Brown was scheduled to attend a League of Cities/State Forestry webinar the next morning for clarification, and the council tentatively set a special emergency meeting for Monday, June 29, 2026, at 6:00 PM to formally adopt any needed restrictions.
Officials described a multi‑channel notification plan if restrictions are enacted: Facebook posts, the city’s water‑bill email list, CERT calling tree, and printed notices distributed to approximately 854 residences (potentially with scout or CERT assistance). Chief Mund also said he would reassess wind conditions to confirm whether the planned fireworks launch site remains appropriate.
What happens next: City Planner Madison Brown will obtain precise process guidance from state forestry and report back; the council intends to meet on June 29 to formally adopt any emergency restrictions and finalize public notifications.
