Houston looks at fireworks changes

HOUSTON — The city council is trying to make changes to the sale of fireworks without it blowing up in their faces.

At the June 11 meeting, the council members will consider two issues related to fireworks.

First, they will vote on ordinance changing the city’s firework code.

Second, they will look at whether to put on the October ballot a 2 percent sales tax increase on fireworks.

Before its May meeting on Thursday night, the council held a public hearing on an ordinance updating the city’s fireworks code.

If passed, the city would grant permits to sell fireworks on the basis of roughly one per 3,000 residents with a minimum of four at any one time. With the town’s population at just over 2,000 and four established firework vendors, this would essentially stop any new operations from moving in.

The other major change would require vendors to build more permanent structures that comply with the International Building Code as adopted by the state. The vendors would have 3 1/2 years to have their compliant structure built. By complying with the code, the structures would be safer and more fire resistant, said Deputy Mayor Lance Wilson.

Robert Hall, owner of Gorilla Fireworks, is supportive of the ordinance and said the changes are warranted with the city’s growth. As Houston matures, he said, so should the firework vendors.

“The new building will be a very expensive process, but limiting the permits will give us the stability to find the financing,” Hall said.

Besides cleaning up some of the language, other minor changes in the ordinance would increase the cost to apply for a permit and make it unlawful to discharge fireworks under the influence of alcohol or in an a way to intentionally damage a person or property.

“There hasn’t been a whole lot of comment about this,” said Mayor Roger Purcell. “I expected a whole lot more at the meeting.”

A vote on the ordinance should be on the council’s agenda for the June 11 meeting, both Purcell and Wilson said.

The council will also vote on putting a 2 percent sales tax increase on fireworks onto the October ballot for a popular vote. If passed, the additional tax would go to the public safety and the fire and police departments, Purcell said.

“The major vendors don’t have an issue with it,” Purcell said. “They (the vendors) don’t pay the taxes, and most of the taxes are from outside of the city. […] It’s an appropriate place to look for revenue and not pass it onto the property owners.”

Hall said he is not excited about the prospect of increased taxes, but he will not oppose it either.

“I’m on the (Houston) fire department. I know what they need,” Hall said. “Houston doesn’t like taxes. They’re not going to tax us just for the fun of it. They’re going to vote for it because they need it.”

“There’s a public hearing on the 11th,” Wilson said, “and it should go up to vote that same night.”

Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.