Airway Heights City Council hearing on July 4th fireworks brings citizens out in force
By RYAN LANCASTER
Staff Reporter
The June 6 Airway Heights City Council meeting was a marathon of public testimony, with hearings held on fireworks restrictions, utility rate hikes, e-cigarettes and a new developer agreement.
More than 20 people signed up to speak on whether or not the city should restrict or ban fireworks within the city limits on the Fourth of July, a perennial issue city officials say they'd like to finally resolve.
“We'd like to get some ideas on how we could come up with the absolute best policies for fireworks displays so we don't do this every year,” Mayor Patrick Rushing said. He and longtime councilman Matthew Pederson both noted that they've heard talk of banning the displays for more than a decade.
The city is one of just three in Spokane County that still allow “safe and sane” fireworks – along with Medical Lake and Deer Park – and the only one that does not restrict their use within city limits.
Most of those who spoke last Monday were against a complete ban, although the consensus seemed to indicate a willingness to adopt rules that restrict the time and locations fireworks can be used. Trash, late-night noise and fire hazards were the major complaints, while proponents spoke in favor of keeping a family tradition alive in the spirit of patriotism, community pride and children.
“We should keep this freedom, we should keep our fireworks,” said 23-year resident Fred Woods. “We should keep celebrating our America. It's Independence Day, let's keep it going.”
In past years the event has brought out-of-towners into the city with a resulting increase in public drinking, fighting and even a stabbing last year, residents said, although most agreed that any negatives are outweighed by the positives.
Rushing said the city will consider the input before a second public hearing on fireworks is held June 20. “We've seen a lot of ideas for restrictions,” he said. “Now we just need to work out how to fit those restrictions in to make it a safe event for our neighbors.”
A public hearing was also held on a proposed increase to the city's water/sewer rates, the issue's third hearing since November. The current recommendation is to raise general facilities charges for new water hookups from $4,016 to $4,185 and sewer charges from $5,906 to $8,387 in order to start paying down loans that funded the new wastewater treatment facility. City Manager Albert Tripp said the city would like to phase in the collection of the new fees at $500 a year, beginning in 2012.
The proposal has seen big resistance from area developers who say the increases would affect their ability to sell homes in the city. On Monday, Scott Krajack with Viking Homes said permit fees in Airway Heights are already between $14,000 and $16,000 for a single family home, while other cities offer the same permits between $7,500 and $11,000. A fee increase will make further building in Airway Heights impossible, Krajack said.
“I can tell you that we have three more phases in our project but if this fee gets enacted we will not be developing that,” he said. “I would encourage you all to think twice about (an increase); it's going to change the picture of development in Airway Heights fairly drastically.”
Representatives of Hayden Homes, AHO Construction and others have also expressed opposition to the new fees. Tripp said a final proposal will be brought before council sometime next month.
A public hearing was held regarding an ordinance that will limit distribution, transfer, sale or marketing of electronic cigarettes, related devices and supplies to minors within the city. Resident Mary Henson encouraged council to pass the new law.
“We need to keep these out of the hands of kids, I think it's just another step toward smoking for these kids,” she said. Council approved the ordinance's second reading.
A developer agreement with Diamond Rock Construction was also brought up for a public hearing, with owner Dennis Crapo as the sole speaker. The company is developing a 242-unit apartment complex and a 56-duplex project in the city and would like to construct a 2-acre park as part of an impact mitigation agreement. Council voted to allow city staff to begin executing the agreement.
In other council business:
• Council approved an extension of an interlocal agreement for building plan review with the city of Spokane Valley.
• Council approved the recommendation of the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee to provide $5,800 to the city's Parks and Recreation Department for the 2011 Airway Heights Festival, which takes place August 27.
• Council passed a resolution authorized the city to enter into a local agency agreement with Sunset Elementary to start work on Safe Routes to School, a project funded by a grant from the Washington State Department of Transportation.
• Council heard the first reading of an ordinance amending the capital facilities portion of the city's comprehensive plan to reflect needed updates found during an annual review process.
Ryan Lancaster can be reached at [email protected].
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