ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

Liberal has been fortunate to receive some rain in recent days, but monitoring of weather conditions will continue to ensure safety of people wishing to celebrate the upcoming 4th of July holiday with fireworks.

Tuesday, the Liberal City Commission began its new business by discussing Resolution No. 2458 concerning prohibiting the use of fireworks.

“I honestly didn’t know what type of conversation we’d be having regarding this this time around,” Fire Chief Kelly Kirk said. “When we were talking at the May 26 meeting, the area was in pretty dire straits in terms of drought conditions and a lack of rain. But since then, we have, fortunately gotten some rain here to help. As promised, we have kept an eye on those conditions and the rainfall we’ve received, and we’re keeping track of the next 10-day forecast. The drought map has vastly improved – at the May 26 meeting, there were effects being seen throughout all of Southwest Kansas, and as of June 2, only about one-third of Seward County is still under ‘Extreme Drought’ while the rest has seen improvement. We could always use more rain, but things are greening up around town, and we’re keeping an eye on things by driving around town and looking at yards and other public areas. Two weeks ago, I would have told you any firework that landed in grass would immediately set off an incident, but now, with the rain we’ve gotten, there’s not as much risk. We’ve put a lot of hard work into planning for this, and I thank everyone who helped put this resolution together along with the other public eduation materials that have been shared. I am comfortable, at this point, going ahead and moving forward with allowing fireworks to be shot off in the city limits. I feel like if there need to be any other discussions, however, everyone would be open to that.”

“From the way I read the ordinance, that decision is really left up to the discretion of the chief, and we as the commission will support whatever decision you make,” Mayor Jeff Parsons said.

“And I know we have to take into consideration not only the people who want to shoot off the fireworks but also the people who want to sell the fireworks,” commissioner Nathan McCaffrey added. “And if things happen to take a turn for the worse in the next couple weeks, we can always take additional action, correct?”

“We did reach out to vendors we’ve worked with in the past and let them know of the possibility of a ban being put in place,” City Manager Scarlette Diseker said. “We didn’t want them to be left out in the cold, so to speak.”

Kirk said he and his staff will continue monitoring the conditions of the area.

“As the fire chief, I will always have some apprehension about allowing fireworks,” Kirk said. “But there is a city ordinance that allows it, so that’s what we abide by. However, if there is a point in the future when conditions are not ideal for them, I would not, in good conscience, be able to allow them to be shot off. I’m not sure what the county’s official stance is, but I have talked to multiple people and talked to their fire department about how we could work together should such a situation arise. There’s always a chance a fire will happen, whether it’s a structure fire or a simple nuisance fire. And as always, we’ll be ready to respond to any calls we end up getting.”

In the meeting’s other new business, the commission also approved Ordinance No. 4563 concerning amending Cha.17, Art. 12, Section 17-1201 concerning the Traffic Safety Board as well as the purchase of two Grasshopper mowers from Grasshopper Mowers in an amount not to exceed $27,000. The commission also approved Southern Pioneer Electric to bring 3-phase power to Well 27 for an amount not to exceed $56,000 and the appointments of  Jose Rodriguez and Jahir Escalante to the Liberal Memorial Library Board.