Luisa Loi reports from the Coupeville Town Council meeting of Tue., Jan. 28, 2025 for the Whidbey News-Times. Read the whole story.
Starting next year, the days Coupeville residents are allowed to discharge fireworks might drop from one to zero.
During a meeting on Jan. 28, Mayor Molly Hughes and the Coupeville Town Council discussed the possibility of changing the code to ban fireworks completely due to concerns regarding code violations and enforcement challenges.
According to the town’s municipal code, fireworks can only be discharged from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Independence Day, unless the town council approves a permit for public display. This rule is in place to reduce the risk of fire damage to Coupeville and its “irreplaceable” wooden structures as the town experiences dry summers and lacks the necessary water supply and storage facilities to adequately respond to all possible fire events, Ordinance 468 states.
Those caught breaking the rules might be fined a maximum of $1,000 or even face up to 90 days in jail, the code states.
While being historically opposed to firework bans, Hughes has recently found the code to be particularly difficult to enforce and expressed concern over the dry summers that have been hitting the town.
While Independence Day and its loud firework displays are a one-day American tradition, she said, she has seen an uptick in residents not following the rules, with fireworks being discharged on public property or outside the allowed date and time window.
She recalled driving on New Year’s Eve when she saw a red light in the sky. Thinking it came from a boat in distress, she pulled over, only to realize it came from a family discharging fireworks from the boat launch. The father, Hughes said, had looked up the fireworks rules but mistakenly read the Island County code, which does allow for fireworks to be discharged on Dec. 31 but does not apply to Coupeville.
Furthermore, she added, lighting fireworks on public property is prohibited in Coupeville and the county.
Councilmembers Jenny Bright and Rick Walti also described hearing loud explosions two weeks before the meeting, prompting Walti to call 911.
But once discharged, it’s difficult to locate where a firework came from, further complicating enforcement efforts, Bright, Walti and Hughes agreed.
The code also states the mayor can prohibit the discharge of fireworks up to seven days before Independence Day if the town is experiencing extreme weather such as high heat, low humidity or high winds. Because many may have already bought their fireworks and made plans with family and friends by then, this rule might not be practical, Hughes said.
All five council members were in favor of changing the code to ban fireworks, though Councilmember Michael Moore said the ordinance might not address the issue of enforcement. By communicating with residents ahead of time, Councilmember Pat Powell believes it would be easier to get everyone on the same page and identify any transgressors.
“If you say ‘no fireworks,’ there is no room for misinterpretation,” she said, to which Moore agreed.
Hughes said if the code change is adopted before July 4, 2025, it wouldn’t go into effect until 2026. While no action was taken at the meeting, the council will continue to discuss the code change at a later date.
