During their regular meeting last week, the Fort Scott City Commission agreed to place a review of the city's fireworks ordinance on its next agenda after a debate among commissioners that weighed the effects of prolonged fireworks on combat veterans against sales tax revenue and holiday tradition.
Commissioner Tracy Dancer, a combat veteran, asked the commission to revisit the ordinance and reduce the number of days residents are permitted to discharge fireworks before Independence Day. Dancer said the unpredictable noise triggers his post-traumatic stress disorder, an issue he said did not arise until last year, when the discharge window expanded.
"Being able to go out and see the fireworks light up the sky, you're anticipating the explosion, " Dancer said. "When you're sitting in your living room watching TV or eating dinner and you hear the explosion, that's completely different."
Dancer also discussed some of his own combat experience.
“For me, my hairiest encounter was [when] the vehicle directly in front of me was just eviscerated, removed from the planet and yeah, I didn't see it coming, just heard it, saw it. It was over in a flash, but I carry that memory with me every day, and it takes a toll," Dancer said.
Commissioner Tim Van Hoecke, who is also a veteran, opposed changing the rules before this year's holiday. Van Hoecke said last year's ordinance change adjusted the sales dates to match state law and capture tax revenue and added July 5 as a rain date for the city display, rather than extending the number of discharge days.
“I'm also a vet. I've also been in some nasty places. I've also had the hell scared out of me. And I know I visit with a lot of the folks up at the VFW.” Van Hoecke said.
Van Hoecke said he did not want to change the rules as the country prepares for the 250th anniversary of its founding. He also said allowing earlier sales lets residents discharge fireworks sooner, which he said causes neighborhood noise to taper off before July 4.
"The 250th anniversary that a country that you served and I served, Bob served, I just don't want to do that," Van Hoecke said.
Dancer said it was a cynical approach to sell fireworks early while expecting residents to wait to set them off. The two also differed over whether the celebration should extend beyond the holiday to accommodate varying work schedules.
"The celebration of the 250th anniversary of our country is on July 4th; it's not the week before," Dancer said.
Mayor Kathryn Salsbury said she supported reviewing the ordinance, adding that the issue extends beyond veterans to people on the autism spectrum and survivors of domestic violence. She said a core function of local government is to protect vulnerable residents even when doing so upsets the majority.
“At some point government comes in and that's what we're supposed to do is protect people who need protecting,” Salbursy said. "And if that's little old ladies that are scared or combat veterans or dogs, then at some point we have to make the stronger majority upset sometimes to protect people who need protecting.”
Because the item was added for discussion rather than as a proposed amendment, the commission took no vote. Dancer asked City Manager Brad Matkin to place the matter on the next agenda, where Salsbury said she would present research on the topic.
