Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fireworks Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Chamber and Winco urge Grandview to modernize fireworks rules, offer safety partnerships
Summary
Business and chamber representatives told the Board of Aldermen they support updating Grandview’s decades-old fireworks ban so licensed vendors can sell locally, arguing modern consumer fireworks are safer and that industry groups can provide immediate safety education; the board agreed to place the issue on a work session for further review.
Liz Ogle, president of the Grandview Chamber of Commerce, told the Board of Aldermen that Grandview’s fireworks ordinance “no longer reflects the reality of our region or the needs of our economy” and urged the city to update the rules so reputable vendors can operate inside city limits.
Ogle said modernization would "not mean compromising safety" and would instead allow regulated vendors to provide safety instruction at the point of sale. She spoke on behalf of Winco Fireworks and said updating the code would align Grandview with neighboring communities.
Mike Coller, representing Winco Fireworks, said the company moved its distribution center to the area in 2017 and has since invested in the community. Coller told aldermen the company has operated since 1979 and urged a phased approach: "We think we should start on a very small basis with some temporary locations to see how it goes." He argued legal sales would allow the city to regulate and inspect retailers rather than drive sales to unregulated locations.
Neil O'Hare, operations director for Winco, told the board Winco has invested more than $20 million across three local facilities and employs about 53 full-time workers with additional seasonal staff; he said residents currently travel to nearby cities to buy fireworks that could be sold locally if the ordinance were changed.
Lauren Coller, who said she helped form the American Pyrotechnics Safety and Education Foundation, offered the foundation’s free safety curriculum to Grandview schools and community groups and said the nonprofit would be ready to partner "immediately" if the ordinance is revised.
The public testimony emphasized safety education, local economic benefits and the ability to shift sales into regulated, inspected retail environments. One resident earlier in public comment urged the board to prioritize infrastructure and sewer fixes over new projects, calling some proposed spending "wasting city money." That comment was heard but the board did not take action on that item.
After public comment, the mayor asked speakers to send staff written facts and figures for review. The board voted to place the fireworks topic on an upcoming work session so aldermen and staff can examine ordinance options, public-safety implications and possible permitting frameworks before any code change is drafted.
