Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lakefest plans announced; Ward 3 resident urges Smithville to revisit fireworks policy
Summary
At public comment, a Lakefest representative outlined a new carnival and parade plans for June, while a Ward 3 resident asked the Board to reconsider the city's fireworks policy for White Iron Ridge, citing disruption to children and pets and failures in event notification.
Shauna Houghton, speaking for the Smithville Lake Festival committee, told the Board the festival will transform downtown into a "magical wonderland" for 2026, featuring a first-ever carnival, a car cruise and car show, and a parade on June 20 that will close streets from Church Street to Main Street. Committee members plan to place door hangers on East Meadows Street on June 13 to notify neighbors. Houghton announced that Matt Denton has been selected as the Lakefest Grand Marshal for 2026 and provided a short description of his service with the city.
Following that announcement, Brittany Johnston-Colle, a Ward 3 resident, asked the Board to revisit the fireworks policy enacted Nov. 1, 2022, as it applies to White Iron Ridge. Johnston-Colle said she believes a wedding venue within city limits should not necessarily permit fireworks, citing disruption to neighborhood pets and children. "During the last show, my four-year-old was woken and cried for the entire duration, which ended after 10:00 p.m.," she said. She also said she learned of the recent display informally through a local social media group and that her request to be added to a notification list had not been answered.
Johnston-Colle asked the Board either to revisit the existing policy or decline to renew White Iron Ridge's annual permit; the transcript records no response from the Board during the meeting. The comment was entered during the public comment portion of the agenda; no formal action on the fireworks policy was taken that evening.
