Council votes not to change fireworks policy
By Dan Thesman on Friday, May 10th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – The Walla Walla City Council yet a very lengthy discussion of its fireworks policy Wednesday. However, the discussion ended with the council voting 4-3 to not change the city’s policy.
The council spent nearly 90 minutes discussing the issue, which began with public comments.
Before the council voted, City Manager Elizabeth Chamberlain and Walla Walla Police Chief Chris Buttice expressed enforcement challenges and staff time on a holiday, including overtime, for police officers and fire department personnel, should the city outright ban the use of fireworks.
Also at the meeting Wednesday, in a 7-0 vote, the Walla Walla City Council unanimously approved accepting a grant from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. City staff requested $350,000 to carry out the first phase of the plan which includes 69 tree removals, the pruning of 44 trees, 174 stump removals, and the planting of 222 new trees. On April 10, 2024, staff were notified by DNR that the city’s application had been selected to receive funding. This funding will expedite the city’s ability to perform the work.
A recap of Wednesday’s city council meeting, including the fireworks’ policy discussion and decision can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/941388065.
