Seaside City Council approves draft ordinance to ban all fireworks sales.

The issue took an hour and a half to debate, but talk of a ban on the sale of fireworks has returned to the city of Seaside. In their regularly scheduled meeting on Aug. 6, the city council held the first reading of a draft ordinance that would ban all sales of fireworks within the city. 

The ban came up in part due to the large volume of complaints of both legal and illegal fireworks going off weeks before and after the Fourth of July that council members Dave Pacheco and Jason Campbell have fielded, as well as Mayor Ian Oglesby this year. All three however claimed this has been an ongoing issue. 

The discussion opened with talk of the large volume of suspiciously pre-written emails that council members and a few city staff received likely stemming from the website saveseasidefireworks.org. (The website seemed to have sent a text to hundreds of Seaside residents and automatically sent an email if the reader clicked on certain links). 

During public comment there were supporters on both sides of the issue. A registered nurse voiced her opinion that she didn't necessarily dislike the celebratory display but enforcement has been weak. "I see the intent to allow and enjoy [fireworks] the days surrounding the Fourth of July," she said, but continued if enforcement did work "We wouldn't be having at least a three month experience with them every night I wake up 1am, 2am, 3am or 4am in the morning." 

Despite those in favor of the band, there were more commenters who spoke against it and pointed out the benefits of fireworks past as just a family-fun activity. It's a huge cash grab for local nonprofits, many of which make the lion's share of their annual revenue through setting up fireworks stands. 

Jen Gunter of Monterey Bay Christian School stated that this year the school was able to raised $35,000 through fireworks sales something they couldn't do through other fundraising efforts, such as a burger stand, which Gunter claims a few members of the city council suggested as an alternative. "There is so much being taken away right now," Gunter. "Lives will be impacted. There are nonprofits that fund their entire year with fireworks booths." 

Another argument against the ordinance: it could possibly drive the sale of illegal fireworks. Village Project Executive Director Mel Mason and longtime Seaside resident noted, that he understands the noise drives people "nuts," but warned Salinas, tried to ban fireworks but then supposedly saw a huge surge of illegal fireworks and noise complaints the year after. "Take a lesson from Salinas," he said. "If you ban the sale of fireworks, you enrich the underground."

Abdul Pridgen confirmed that all cities on the Peninsula have an illegal firework "problem." And banning illegal or the sale of fireworks hasn't done much to ameliorate or exacerbate the problem. 

But in the end, Councilmembers Campbell and Pacheco led the charge in favor of the ordinance stating they've been approaching this problem for at least seven years from different angles. "We failed, we were not successful," said Pacheco of past year's enforcement. 

Oglesby joined the two members stating that he could "no longer sit around and do nothing while people ask me what I'm doing about [fireworks]"

The council voted 3-2 to pass the draft ordinance on banning the sale of all fireworks. Councilmembers Campbell and Pacheco and Mayor Ogelsby voted in favor, while Councilmembers Jon Wizard and Alissa Kispersky voted against. The second reading is slated for Aug. 20. 

The ordinance, if passed as is, would fine instances of the use or sale of all fireworks in the city up to $1,000. (The council voted to remove jail time as a consequence.) It did not rule out the possibility of a city-sponsored fireworks show.