HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmergency Services Committee Minutes 08.23.2010 MINUTES
EMERGENCY SERVICES COMMITTEE
AUGUST 23, 2010 5:30 P.M.
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
Members Present: Doug Poehls Chuck Dickerson
Norm Stamper Emelie Eaton
Dick Fritzler
Others Present: Chief Musson
Mike Penne—Towing Service in Laurel
Public Input:
There was no public input.
Chairman Poehls read the agenda items.
Mike Penne Towinix Services in Laurel
Mike Penne stated that he is retiring after thirty-one years of owning the towing service in
Laurel. He has seen things that need to be reviewed or changed. First, at one time there were
four tow trucks on rotation in Laurel and only two had businesses licenses. He thinks that needs
to be watched more closely. Second, the tow trucks, as well as the towers that come into town
under AAA, the national contracts, GM Warranty and Ford Warranty, should have business
licenses. He never bought a business license for Billings because he did not want to go there.
Some of the tow trucks did not comply with State law concerning rotation and operating rules.
Mike spoke regarding a new insurance regulation called a W-5, which guarantees that towers are
complying with the State insurance regulations. When he sells his towing service, he hopes there
will be a driver in Laurel. If the driver lives in Billings, he cannot respond within a reasonable
amount of time. That would tie up the police officers and firemen longer after an accident while
they waited to clear the scene, which would cost the city more. The tow truck should be able to
respond within a reasonable amount of time. According to State law on the rotation, anybody
can go into a town to be on that rotation, whether they live there or not. Columbus or Red Lodge
trucks could come to Laurel or vice versa. Since there is no State law, Mike suggested that the
council should review the issue. Another concern is regarding an office and storage yard in the
Laurel area subject to the city's approval. There are few places in Laurel to actually store
wrecked vehicles, and the storage space might need to be located outside the city limits. Mike
spoke regarding vehicles stored in Laurel. When there were four tow trucks in rotation, three
trucks would haul vehicles to Billings. Laurel citizens had to go to Billings to get personal items
out of their vehicle, and that is not right. If the tow trucks want to work in Laurel, they should be
able to keep the wrecked vehicles in Laurel for a reasonable time. After totaled vehicles have
been cleaned out, they could be moved to Billings at the expense of the owner or insurance
company. Mike stated that access should be allowed Monday through Friday, 8:00 to 5:00, for
owners to clean out their vehicles. The towing company should be willing to help the EMS
services with training. Mike has hauled a lot of junk vehicles out for training of the fire
department and the ambulance crew. County Junk will no longer haul vehicles to Laurel or pick
them up after training. The cost will have to come out of the budget or the towing company will
have to volunteer to do it and write it off on their taxes, like Mike has done as a donation to the
organizations. Mike spoke regarding non-consensual towings, which are private property tows.
In Billings, they are towing off of private property and charging $300 cash The price and type
of payment can be regulated under Federal law. This has not hit Laurel hard yet, but it has hit
Billings really hard. Billings has opted to do nothing about it. Non-consensual in his business
refers to private property. Another big thing going on in Billings right now is one rotation per
business. He could set up his three tow trucks legally here in Laurel, and the police chief would
have no control over it. Mike thinks the city should regulate that so there are not numerous tow
trucks on rotation in Laurel. There is no reason to have more than one rotation spot per business.
Mike stated that three businesses in Billings are seriously thinking about moving out to Laurel.
He does not plan to move out of town, but he needs to get out of the business for health reasons.
Update—Medical Director
Jan Faught stated that the Billings Clinic doctor that was interested several months ago has been
extremely busy and will see what things look like this fall. Jan tried to set up a meeting with the
Laurel Clinic again, but was not able to get one scheduled yet. She stated that the State
Department of Public Health and Human Services is interviewing to hire a State Medical
Director. They are writing a job description and getting protocols and policies in place. Once a
State Director is hired, the Laurel Ambulance Service should be under that umbrella. The State
Medical Director will be over all the other medical directors. Right now, medical directors have
no one to contact for questions or concerns. Ambulance services like Laurel that are having
difficulty finding a medical director will be able to go to this director. Billings Fire just signed
on a physician, the COM Center is still looking, and Worden is looking again. Jan stated that the
State knows it is difficult.
Susan Huntoon, 501 Cottonwood, asked why Jan's search was not confined to an ER doctor and
why she contacted the clinic.
Jan said they would be a temporary measure and she would continue to look for an ER doctor in
the meantime.
Discussion—Fireworks
Doug opened the meeting for some constructive ideas on how to enforce the current fireworks
laws.
Monty Cherry, 405 Laurmac Lane, stated his concern regarding the possibility of a lawsuit by
not stopping illegal fireworks in the city and the city's liability for this. He questioned if the city
would be responsible if illegal fireworks kept going on after a citizen called in and the fireworks
were not stopped and confiscated. That is a concern because the taxpayers would have to pay for
that. He would like the Laurel Police Department to step up the enforcement. He believes that,
if the Police Department starts with additional enforcement for the 2011 fireworks, it would help
people know that their fireworks will be confiscated and a ticket will be issued for illegal
fireworks. Monty stated that all fireworks cannot be stopped,but it could start with the big ones.
He suggested that citizens should use the police department's non-emergency line to complain
about fireworks, not the 911 line. He asked the council to keep working on the concerns of
residents of Laurel. Monty asked if the police department could get any assistance from the
County Sherriff's Department on the 0 of July. He does not want to stop the fire department's
fireworks display and his concern is to go after the illegal fireworks. Monty asked for further
discussion of other ideas at another workshop.
Darrell McGillen, 511 West 110, stated that the problems have been identified, and one problem
is the excessive use of illegal fireworks. A definition for illegal fireworks is needed, because the
State of Montana says fireworks are legal and can be sold in Montana. The levels of fireworks
sold in Montana are dictated by the State Fire Marshal. Class C fireworks are small fireworks.
Laurel is seeing some of the big fireworks like the fire department sets off. Another problem is
that people shoot fireworks off until 3:00 in the morning, so respect of the neighborhood needs to
be addressed. Darrell does not want to stop families from going to the local fireworks stands,
which are licensed in the State of Montana. He spoke regarding confiscating fireworks and
stated that it is not illegal to have fireworks in the State of Montana. It is illegal to shoot them in
the City of Laurel. The concern is with the illegal fireworks that are sold in Wyoming, North
and South Dakota, and on the reservation. Those places have different laws regarding fireworks
than Montana. The main problems in Laurel are the size of the illegal fireworks and shooting off
fireworks after hours in disrespect to the neighborhood and community. He does not want to see
the Laurel Fire Department's program disbanded, and that would cause a fight if it were
suggested. The fireworks have been around too long. He knows that it creates problems for the
City of Laurel. The taxpayers pay for the overtime hours to accommodate the 41h of July event.
He stated that the fireworks event has won awards for being one of the top 50 events in the
northwest. Darrell stated that the wording of the fireworks ordinance needs to be correct and the
public needs to be educated about the consequences of shooting illegal fireworks. He suggested
that additional security people could be hired and that people who complain about fireworks
should be identified. He wants to stay on the committee for further discussion. Darrell does not
want his grandkids to lose the right to shoot sparklers and fountains off in his driveway, even
though he knows it is against the law.
Hazel Storck, 512 7`h Avenue, stated that there is a moratorium in Great Falls. Fireworks can be
shot on July 3'd, 4`h, and 56' and to stop at midnight. If caught shooting fireworks at any other
time, the fireworks are confiscated and the offender is served with a $500 fine. She thinks that
would work in Laurel with at least a $200 fine. She suggested that the firemen start the
fireworks program earlier so people could shoot their fireworks off before midnight.
Dave Herman, 416 Mountain View, stated that his council member asked for suggestions and
recommendations at the last meeting. He wrote his suggestions in a letter to the mayor. If he
could be assured that his statements would be entered into the committee record, he would
present the letter to the chair for distribution.
Doug thanked Dave and stated that copies would be distributed to the committee members and
included in the minutes.
Lisa Reimer, 1007 4ch Avenue, spoke regarding the lack of manpower for enforcement for the
fireworks and what citizens could do to help. Some big communities have the guardian angels
and other citizens that are trained to volunteer. As a school teacher, they bring in outside
volunteers when help is needed. She suggested doing peer monitoring of the community with
some training and given the power to work in teams. She stated that community members need
to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem
Susan Huntoon, 501 Cottonwood, mentioned that Jean Kerr had suggested that police officers
report on the ticket the number of times they went to a house before the offender was cited.
Darrell commented regarding having a supervised location for people to shoot off fireworks. He
brought that up twenty years ago, but it did not go forward because the city attorney said the city
would have to assume liability if it sponsored the event.
Gary Colley, Fire Marshal, stated that he proposed changes to the fireworks ordinance after
hearing the recent discussions. The proposed changes include: "Exception: Permissible
fireworks may be displayed on the following dates and times. July 3'd from six (6) p.m. until
twelve (12) midnight; July 4th from six (6) p.m until twelve (12) midnight; December 31st from
nine (9) p.m until January 1 one (1) a.m." The proposed penalty for illegal use of fireworks for
any person violating would be a minimum of$100 and a maximum of$500. Gary submitted the
document to the secretary.
Sharon Herman, 416 Mountain View, does not want see the fire department's fireworks
discontinued. She has lived in Laurel for fifty years and has enjoyed the fireworks every year.
This year was probably the worst 4th of July they have ever experienced. The Freedom Jam in
the park across the street went from 1:00 until 9:00 that night. They had a family reunion at their
house, but the noise was so loud the walls in their garage vibrated, and they could not even visit.
The fireworks started around 10:00 p.m and then their neighbors shot fireworks off very late.
She recalled a prior 4th of July when the neighbors set off fireworks that went for half a block,
were lit at both ends so they would go quicker, and went off for 25 minutes straight. They
informed their neighbors of their intention to get illegal fireworks stopped prior to this meeting.
She would like to know what the City of Billings does because they claim they do not have as
many calls as they used to. She would like the fine increased so people will pay attention. She
asked if the overtime hours could be used to hire additional manpower so there would not be
overtime. She mentioned that Darrell McGillen said something about how the event started in
Laurel and she questioned if the problem was not just transferred from Red Lodge to Laurel. She
again stated that she does not want to see the firemen's fireworks discontinued. Sharon
commended the police department and stated that they do a wonderful job, but more help might
be needed on those few days.
Chief Musson stated that the City of Laurel can be liable for things. He spoke about the lengthy
discussion at the last council workshop regarding how to enforce things. The typical lawsuits in
law enforcement are due to lack of enforcement, such as when a drunk driver drives away after
the cop made contact. Regarding adding two additional cars, the city has to have the vehicles in
order to add them He suggested that the city buy more cars and hire more cops. He has been in
the city for 28 years and the police department has not grown much in 28 years. It is an age old
problem, as there is not enough funding, so the department does the best it can with the
manpower given. He stated that people want more but do not want to pay more taxes. Since
1998, taxes cannot be raised without voter approval, and when they try to raise taxes by voter
approval, it gets turned down. Voters do not approve mill levies for emergency services mills for
fire and police. Chief Musson stated that the fire chief does not want the firefighters out dealing
with the people with whom the cops have to deal. He spoke regarding citizen's arrest, explained
the process of a citizen's arrest, and stated that he does not advocate citizen's arrest because it is
not safe. Regarding talking to neighbors, sometimes that works and sometimes it does not. Chief
Musson stated that there are two administrative lines and two 911 lines in the dispatch center.
No matter which number is called in dispatch, it will flood the calls, and even two dispatchers
cannot keep up on the 0 of July. Chief Musson explained that four deputies from the Sheriff s
Office patrolled in the park this year. One issue with Sheriffs officers is that they do not enforce
city ordinances. The local police department enforces local ordinances. Since fireworks are
illegal in city ordinance, it would be difficult to bring in private security that does not have arrest
powers. Regarding Darrell McGillen's comments about the different classes of fireworks, he
talked to Ken Bray at the ATF recently. Ken said there are no regulations about the diameter of
the fireworks. The simplistic explanation is that the packaging is the difference in the illegal
fireworks brought into Montana. Ken says that 95 percent or better of the fireworks that have
colored wrapping on them are sold legally in Montana. There are three classes of fireworks.
Class C fireworks can be sold across the counter in Montana. Fireworks with brown paper
wrapping are Class B fireworks and are illegal. Class A is dynamite. Chief Musson stated that
the council and the Emergency Services Committee have previously had numerous discussions
regarding fireworks. He is an advocate of legalizing fireworks, as suggested by the fire marshal,
because the police officers are put between a rock and a hard spot and look bad when they cannot
enforce the current ordinance. If the ordinance is not changed, he only wants to go after the Class
B fireworks. He stated that the police department does not enjoy the aftermath of dealing with
unhappy citizens and drunken people on the 4"'of July. The police are busy with DUI crashes in
the city limits while citizens call in fireworks complaints and then wonder why the cops do not
respond. The fire chief does not want to send his firemen out to write fireworks tickets because
they are not equipped to deal with drunks. Chief Musson stated that what the city fathers do
should be dictated by what the citizens want, as Sgt. Guy talked about at the last council
workshop.
Sharon Herman suggested requiring a $25 permit and a $100 bond for people to set off
fireworks. The police went to her neighbor's house five times, which is four times more than
necessary in her opinion. She questioned why the police would make five trips to one place if
there is not enough manpower. If the fine is stiff enough and the fireworks were confiscated, the
police would not be called back.
Chief Musson stated that there were only fifty fireworks calls this year.
Sharon stated that they do not call in anymore because it does not do any good.
Chief Musson stated that the low call volume is because people tolerate the fireworks. He
explained that law enforcement always prioritizes calls, and fireworks are low priority when it
comes to call logs.
Doris Hill, 612 7t' Avenue, stated that she would rather have the officers take care of domestic
abuse or other cases than worry about the fireworks. One positive thing is that everyone thinks
the amount of the fine should be increased, which Jean Kerr said at the last meeting. She
suggested that the police should patrol for fireworks more on the perimeter of the city and that
fireworks should be allowed on July 3'd, 4'h, and 5'.
Alice Schreiner, 706 2"d Avenue, has lived a block from the park since 1964 and loves the
fireworks. Her family comes from all over to watch the fireworks. The fireworks only last one
day and people should get over it.
Norm Stamper stated that people spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on fireworks and do not
care if an officer gives them a $25 fine. One easy step would be to increase the amount of the
fine. He remembers discussing the fireworks issue and the ordinance last year. He thinks the
ordinance could be changed to allow fireworks on certain days at certain times and it might be
easier to enforce.
Doug stated that Dave Herman's comments would be entered into the record, the other
suggestions would be reviewed, and a recommendation would be put together.
Brent Peters stated that a lot of issues were discussed tonight. Gary approached him with the
proposed ordinance change right after the 4 h of July, and he agrees with it. He thinks that 99
percent of the people in the community want to do the right thing. If the ordinance is set to
safety standards, people will comply and do the right thing. In his years on the fire department,
he cannot remember any structure fires that were caused by fireworks. On the 0 of July, other
than setting up the largest fireworks show in the Northwest, the firemen respond to fire calls
outside the city limits all day long. There were only four calls this year, but there have been as
many as twenty-four calls on the 4`h of July because people go outside the city limits to shoot off
fireworks and cause grass fires. If the city legalized fireworks and controlled when fireworks
could be shot off, it would be safer in the city limits for fire hazards than outside the city limits in
tall grass. He stated that the menaces have to be dealt with individually. As far as Rick's
comment regarding the firemen, Brent stated that he does not want to put one of his firemen in
harm's way without protection like the police department has, such as a can of pepper spray and
a taser.
Doug again stated that the suggestions would be reviewed and some recommendations should be
presented to the committee at the next meeting on September 27`h. The public is welcome to
attend the meeting and provide additional input. Doug stated that the workable ideas include
raising the fine, allowing fireworks on July 3Td and 4t', identifying the habitual offenders, and
when and where to send the police out to address illegal fireworks.
Respectfully submitted,
Neva Hall
Secretary
August 23, 2010
Mr. Ken Olson,
Mayor, Laurel, MT
At the City Council Workshop on August 1 Oth, our police chief
made six recommendations for curbing the illegal use of fireworks
within our city. According to an article in the August 18th
Outlook, they were made "tongue in cheek". I maintain that
"tongue in cheek" is a purely subjective opinion held by the author
of that article. The police chief, a city official, made those
recommendations while in uniform at a public forum and they are
now a matter of record.
At that same workshop, one of my councilmen asked me to come
up with some recommendations as well. I do have some
recommendations, they and some associated comments follow.
Recommendation number 1. Does a peace-seeking resident of our
city really need the Firemen's fireworks display? It attracts untold
numbers of persons to our city, many of whom bring their
problems with them. Many are just looking for an excuse to get
liquored-up and party while the citizens of Laurel present them
with the perfect venue for their drinking, and associated rowdiness,
and as a bonus, a literally free fireworks display. Mr. McGillen
was absolutely right when he said at that same workshop "We [the
firemen] are the ones that got us into this mess". So I had to ask
myself, "Are there any winners in this mess"? My answer to that
query is "Yes". The winners are the bars, casinos, beer merchants,
street vendors, and other self-serving entities. Then I ask myself
who is paying the price for these few folks putting dollars into their
pockets under the guise of allowing us to displaying our
patriotism... you guessed it; it is the peace-seeking resident(s) of
our city. And who are the buffers between the revelers and the
peace-seeking resident(s); you guessed it, our city police. And, yes,
again you are right, only a few of these peace-seeking residents
came to the meeting to offer comment. I believe that the rest
continue to suffer in silence, knowing that if they complained —
tried to fight city hall —that,just as in the last 40 years, the city
would turn a deaf ear to the complaints, and just as in the last 40
years, the illegal activities went away in a few days, no one got
run-over, injured, burned-up, burned-down, or killed. Once again
the few money seekers were able to dupe the city by having their
will forced upon the peace-seeking resident(s), and once again city
hall won.
In Mr. McGillen's explanation of how we got into this "mess", he
said that some of our city's prior residents [mostly firemen] of 50
years ago felt that too much money was leaving Laurel and going
to Red Lodge and that a fireworks display might be a good way to
keep those folks, and their money, in town. Well, how has
keeping that money in town worked out for us where is the pay-
off? The traffic problem is no longer between Red Lodge and
Laurel, the majority of it is in Laurel. The idiot drivers, aggressive
drivers, and drunks are still there, they are just using different
roads. The innocent motoring public is still at risk from these
irresponsible drivers. All that the firemen, the mayors, and our city
councils did was to relocate the problem.
Recommendation number 2. Rid ourselves of the July P street
dance. Here a self-serving entity, under the guise of promoting
Laurel and allowing us to display our patriotism, organized a city-
permitted street dance. Same question, who is attracted to such an
event? Is it the peace-seeking resident(s) of our city, or just a
handful of revelers looking for an excuse to get drunk, to get
rowdy, and to engage in a public display of their machoism, at no
less than a city sanctioned party? Again, who are the winners?
Did the city put any money into its treasury, or did these self-
serving entities use this event and our city's resources to put the
money into their pockets. For every winner, there is a looser, and,
in this case, who might that looser be? I have yet to hear one
peace-seeking resident talking about how much they enjoyed the
dance or how much they enjoyed the show of patriotism that was
displayed at the event. No, once again the few got their egos
stroked at the expense of the peace-seeking resident(s). Oh yes,
who was once again the buffer between the party-goers and the
peace-seeking resident(s), you guessed it, our police department.
If these two types of events are "permitted" by the city to allow its
residents and guests a venue in which they can display their
patriotism and spend their money so a select few can put these
dollars into their pockets, then I think it is time to for us to
examine why we have a city and the role of self-serving entities in
our city. Was our city founded by citizens looking for a safe and
peaceful place to live, grow, and prosper, or was it founded so self-
serving entities could milk the city of its resources and its citizens
of their money, so they could prosper? I submit to you that it was
intended to be a balance of the two, a symbiotic relationship,
where all can live in safety and peace to grow and prosper
together. However, somewhere along the way, some crafty self-
serving entities found that through associations, money, and
influence they could have their will by manipulating city
government and tipping the scales away from the peace-seeking
resident(s). When this happened, a monumental "mess" was
created, this "mess" was of their own making, and now, it is a
mess of the city's continuation. That is exactly where I see us
today.
Recommendation number 3. . After posting a notice in the
Outlook that the use of fireworks, without a permit, within our city
limits is illegal, fair warning was given. I can see no reason,
excuse, or justification for repeat warnings. Since many of the
violators are juveniles and they acquired their fireworks from an
adult, then that adult should be located and cited for contributing to
the delinquency of a minor.
Recommendation number 4. The whole USA has courts that use
sentencing guidelines. I can see no reason or excuse for not doing
the same thing in our court. Since the violators used their
resources, time, and enthusiasm to violate the law, I see no reason
why the court can not include some "public service" in its
sentencing, so the violator can again use some of their resources,
time, and enthusiasm to help clean-up the mess that they just made.
Recommendation number 5. The confiscation of the fireworks
from violators. The law allows for taking into evidence the
instruments or fruits of a crime that are within the immediate area
of control of that offender at the time of the offender's arrest. A
Notice-To-Appear is a form of an arrest and the offender is
therefore subject to a search and the instruments of that crime, their
remaining fireworks, can be seized. Then comes the problem of
violators that have a stash of additional fireworks out of the area of
their immediate control. If there was ever a time for allowing
prosecutorial discretion, this would be one of those times. The
violator, after being advised of his "rights" and of the fine likely
associated with his offense, could be offered a chance to admit in
writing (a prepared form) that they are in violation of the
ordinance, and in lieu of a portion of the expected fine, they agree
to a voluntary search of their vehicle(s) and adjacent premises and
do willingly authorize confiscation of the remainder of their
fireworks. One snag here is for the juvenile violator that may have
a fireworks stash elsewhere. In most cases, a juvenile can not
waive their "rights" without parental consent or legal council.
Check with the city attorney on this matter.
Recommendation number 6. Making use of the police reserve.
Reserve officers, when called to duty, have the same authority as a
regular officer. They could be deployed as a separate fireworks
patrol and assigned patrol zones. They can also be a ready back-up
should the need arise. Along these same lines, it is my contention
that an offender who has been arrested and is to be booked into the
YCDF does not have to be taken there immediately. The arrestee
can be restrained in a holding area until a second arrestee can be
taken in the same vehicle, a transport officer becomes available, or
the time allowed in that holding area is due to expire.
Recommendation number 7. Establish a written policy regarding
this matter. With a written policy in place, everyone involved has
no doubt as to how a violator is to be processed. This eliminates
the officer's on-scene decision making and/or options. The
officers would no longer have to explain their actions to the
violator or to their supervisor(s), unless, of course, they conduct
themselves outside that policy. Making this policy publicly known
also puts the potential violator on notice. Now you have everyone
on the same page.
I also have suggestions regarding the system that the city uses to
authorize these "permitted activities". These suggestions are
directly related to this matter, but are not what my councilman
asked of me. They can be yours for the asking.
All of the problems created by, and associated with, numbers 1
and 2, above, are of the city's own making and continuation.
That being the case, I can see no justification in the city's claim
that using city resources to deal with the problems (1) that it
created, (2) that it has allowed to escalate, (3) and that it has the
means to bring to an end, can be used as an excuse for failing in
its duty to protect the city's residents and guests from an onslaught
of other violations.
At this writing, I do not believe that the council has the fortitude to
deal with my above numbered 1 and 2 recommendations.
However, remember what Mr. McGillen said about this being a
"mess"? If a mess is going to get cleaned-up, someone has to start
somewhere and something has to be done.
David Herman
416 Mountain View Lane
Illegal Fire works
Laurel City Council works shop
My
conseren can the city of Laurel be responsible for lawsuit
if they don ' t stop the illegal fire work
because of it city ordinance .
I would like to see if
Laurel police dept . step up enforcement of the city
ordinance with the addition of one or two patrol
vehicles with a total of two officers per patrol car .
I believe that if the police dept . started
with 2011 fouth of july fire works with it addition
enforcement this way people will know that there fire
works will be take away and a ticket issued for
illega fire works . I know we can ' t stop all of fire works
but can start with big illegal ones .
we all so need to have
joint communications with people in asking those who call to
complain about fire works with in city limit to
use its non-emergency number so that it dose not tie up the
911 emergecy number .
That ' s is the different than doing nothing , so I ' am asking
council to keep working the concern with
residents of Laurel thank you .
That ' s is the
different than doing nothing , so I ' am asking council to keep
working the concern with residents of Laurel
thank you . Is there be chance that the are Local County Chief
Dept . could be call to help with fire works in the
City Limit as option .
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LAUREL FIRE DEPARTMENT
215 west Is'street
Brent Peters—Fire Chief Lamrel,Montana 59044
Gary Colley—Fire Marshal (406)629-4911
July 15, 2010
TO: Brent Peters,Fire Chief
Rick Musson, Police Chief
FROM: Gary Colley, Fire Marshal
RE: Changes to Fireworks Ordinance
Guys lets try and get something done. Look through this and we can make changes if you want
before we present it to the council. I picked the dates and times which are subject to change. j
Chapter 8.16
Fireworks
Sections:
8.16.10 Prohibited except in certain areas
8.16.20 Time period allowed to sell
8.16.010 Prohibited except in certain areas
The discharge, firing or use of firecrackers, rockets,torpedoes,roman candles, or other
fireworks or substances designed or intended for pyrotechnic display or demonstration
within the city is prohibited; provided, that the mayor may at any time permit a public
display or fireworks under such conditions as he/she may prescribe.
lotion:
A Permissable fireworks maybe displayed on the following dates and times.
Jul P from six(6)pm until twelve(12)midnight.
July 4`h from six(6)pm until twelve(12) midnight.
December 31 from nine(9)pm until January 1 one(1)am
8.16.010 Time period allowed to sell
It is unlawful for any person to offer for sale, expose for sale, or sell at retail or
wholesale, within the corporate limits of the city, any fireworks of any nature whatsoever.
8 16 030 Penalty for illegal use for fireworks
AU person violating a provision of this chapter for which another penalty has not been
specifically provided shall, upon conviction thereof be punished by fine of not less than
one hundred dollars($100 00)nor more than five hundred dollars($500.00.
"Serving Laurel Since 1909"