Wean service clubs of fireworks revenue

Short term action: (by end April 2008): announce impending regulations to reduce volume of legal fireworks summer sales in Grass Valley, and encourage organizations holding sales of fireworks to find alternate sources of revenue, including sales of non-igniting products. Reduce volume of legal fireworks summer sales in Grass Valley by reducing the number of permits available for sales booths in July to 75% of 2007 levels. Announce that GV will allow public lighting of *all* fireworks (during the same hours, and in the same locations as permitted in 2007), on July 4 only. This means that owners of non "safe and sane" fireworks will be allowed to light them off in GV, and not be harassed by enforcement personnel. Continue to allow professionally managed displays of fireworks on July 4, such as at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. Pass ordinance allowing fireworks sales December 26-31 in Grass Valley, permitting the same number of sales booths as in July of 2007. (Would require state law change enabling December sales to result in actual sales). Lobby CA state legislature to amend state law to allow municipalities to individually permit fireworks sales and displays December 26-31, when vegetation is sufficiently moist, so as to make chance of wildfire minimal.

Medium term action (by end April 2009): reduce volume of legal fireworks summer sales in Grass Valley by reducing the number of permits available for sales booths in July to 50% of 2007 levels. Continue to allow public lighting of *all* fireworks (during the same hours, and in the same locations as permitted in 2007), on July 4 only. Continue to allow professionally managed displays of fireworks on July 4, such as at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. Lobby CA state legislature to amend state law to allow municipalities to individually permit fireworks sales and displays December 26-31, when vegetation is sufficiently moist, so as to make chance of wildfire minimal.

Medium term action (by end April 2010): reduce volume of legal fireworks summer sales in Grass Valley by reducing the number of permits available for sales booths in July to 25% of 2007 levels. Continue to allow public lighting of *all* fireworks (during the same hours, and in the same locations as permitted in 2007), on July 4 only. Continue to allow professionally managed displays of fireworks on July 4, such as at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. Lobby CA state legislature to amend state law to allow municipalities to individually permit fireworks sales and displays December 26-31, when vegetation is sufficiently moist, so as to make chance of wildfire minimal.

Long term solution (by end April 2011): disallow legal fireworks sales in Grass Valley during summer entirely. Allow legal fireworks sales in December only in Grass Valley. Allow public lighting of *all* fireworks (during the same hours, and in the same locations as permitted in 2007), on July 4 and Dec 31 only. Continue to allow professionally managed displays of fireworks on July 4, such as at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. A change in existing state law could allow for the option for local governments to permit fireworks sales during a brief period: celebration of the New Year: December 26-31. Such changes were proposed in 2005: AB 923 and AB 1295. They imposed small increases in government costs. They allowed for, but did not mandate local government to change local law. They apparently died in committee, probably due to fiscal matters that were included unnecessarily.