While I was away, Mayor William Stortz issued this press release:
Bristol, CT, July 6, 2007 - In a prepared release, Mayor William T. Stortz announced that he is requesting that the City Council, through its Ordinance Committee, review City regulations regarding the sale and use of fireworks, and consider the possibility of restricting the sale of fireworks within City limits.
Stortz said, “I have received numerous calls and comments regarding the use of fire works, starting many weeks prior to the traditional use of fireworks to celebrate the 4th of July.
These calls, and those to the Police Department, require the use of our resources as we respond and/or follow up. When the complaints are received, and acted on, our officers are precluded from other functions, from ongoing patrols, traffic stops, and other more serous issues. While we do prioritize, when multiple calls are received, every call does deserve a response, in a timely fashion. A large number of calls does make that difficult.”
Stortz continued, “At the same time, resources are required to assure that all laws are being met regarding sales. We have seen where the laws have been violated. Each of these incidents, either by complaint or activity, initiated by local authorities, again requires resources.”
Said Stortz, “Sales within the City are not anything where the City benefits economically. No taxes are levied, and the permit fee for standalone booths is minimal.
Restriction or prohibition of sales will reduce the availability locally, thereby hopefully reducing the numerous complaints.
Other communities have taken action in this regard.
The Council/committee, will have adequate time to review the issue prior to the next fireworks season, and develop meaningful legislation, if deemed appropriate.”
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Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
4 comments:
What does Stortz want to do next - take away Memorial Day by no flag flying? Great real Mayor!
Slowly taking away our freedom and over taxing us is wrong.
I fought for my Freedom and want to keep it.
Upset Veteran.
Your freedom to what? Use illegal fireworks?
I can't stand Stortz one bit, and I hate to say it, but I actually agree with him here. Making the small stuff legal has really opened up the door for people getting the illegal stuff and it is getting worse and worse every year since.
It's more than legality. It's safety more than anything else. People buy fireworks and don't realize how dangerous they are. Many people end up getting hurt, killed and so do bystanders. In heavily populated areas you have a higher chance of houses catching on fires.
Sell them at Town Hall then.
Problem solved.
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