By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
The Ellis County Commission voted Tuesday to allow the discharge of fireworks within the unincorporated areas of the county next month.
The commission voted 2-0 to relax a 2018 ban on the sale and use of fireworks in the unincorporated areas of the county. Commissioner Neal Younger was absent from the meeting.
The county’s move only affects the unincorporated areas of the county. Each community within Ellis County has its own fireworks restrictions.
Under the resolution approved by the commission Tuesday, the discharge of fireworks in the unincorporated areas of the county will be allowed from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 2-4.
County Commissioner Michael Berges said, before the vote, he did have concerns about a change in the weather and said if the conditions dry out, the commission still has two more meetings in June to reconsider lifting the ban.
However, County Administrator and Fire Chief Darin Myers said organizations are preparing for the holiday and a change in the county’s restrictions could have an impact on those organizations.
Myers added even if the county restricts fireworks, the cities can still allow them.
“It just makes the enforcement piece of it harder,” Myers said. “Because who is shooting where and for a sheriff's deputy be at the right place at the right time to see where it was discharged from makes it a little more difficult.”
Commissioner Nathan Leiker said he was in favor of allowing fireworks.
“It comes down to some self-responsibility, and people need to understand that they're responsible for their actions,” Leiker said. “There are laws around it (and) there are all sorts of different stipulations if they don't cause a problem or damage somebody else's property.”
Myers said there were 11 fireworks-related incidents in 2022, 11 more than in the previous five years.
Myers said most of those incidents were on the nights the cities hosted their fireworks displays. none of the incidents were major. There were no injuries reported.
In other business, the commission continued discussions on the 2024 budget. They will hear from all outside agencies that receive funding from the county next week.
The commission also received an update from High Plains Mental Health, the city of Hays on the R9 Ranch Water project, and the health department on COVID-19 and approved a resolution to remove a set of stairs in the county administration building.