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Will ban take pop out of the 4th?
By LISA GREENE, Times Staff Writer
Got an opinion on whether Pinellas County residents should have free rein to set off fireworks? You'll get a chance to voice your views on June 10. After a heated debate, county commissioners agreed unanimously on Tuesday to hold a hearing on a proposed ordinance. Commissioner Bob Stewart, who is leaning against the proposal, scolded his colleagues for the tenor of Tuesday's discussion. "We have debated this thing ad nauseam," he said. "The thing that disturbs me ... is the bantering (between commissioners.) This isn't the occasion for that." Illegal fireworks are sold routinely in Pinellas and the rest of the state. Many fireworks can be used legally in Florida only for a handful of exemptions, such as frightening birds on a farm or fish hatchery. Fireworks sellers ask buyers to sign a form saying they comply with state law, but some people either don't know or don't care what they're signing. The proposed crackdown, which was brought forward by Commissioner Ken Welch, would try to close the loophole by targeting sellers. It would require they keep records proving that buyers had a permit -- not just a signed form -- for one of the exempt uses. Other commissioners on Tuesday raised doubts about Welch's proposal. Commissioner Susan Latvala is conflicted on the issue. But she said she expects people will simply drive over the county line to buy fireworks, and just as many people will set them off on the Fourth of July. "We'll talk about it on July 5th," she told Welch. "I think you'll see a very minor decrease." Commissioner Calvin Harris said he worries Pinellas is "becoming the 'no' government. All we talk about is what citizens cannot do." But Welch also got some new support from Commissioner Barbara Sheen Todd, who brought in legal opinions and records of a 1986 county ordinance restricting fireworks. Todd said later she thinks the county needs to find a way to better enforce current laws. Commissioner John Morroni said he's never had so many people offer their opinions on a commission issue. A sure sign, he said, that it needs more debate. "I think it's healthy to allow the public to come here and speak," he said. Welch on Tuesday reeled off a list of city commissions and law enforcement groups supporting the proposal. He asked commissioners Tuesday to treat this ordinance as other proposals that routinely go to a public hearing. "I know this is a difficult issue for several of you," Welch said. "I understand that ... but I know this is a commission that can handle tough issues. Today we're simply being asked to schedule a public hearing."
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