Council approves sale of fireworks in town

An increase of $25,000 will be added to the town's roads budget in order to make repairs to many of the streets falling apart around town.

The main street council members are concerned with the future of is 14th Street, which has slowly unraveled and is currently lined with potholes filled with gravel.

However, the roads may be filled with asphalt when 1st and 2nd streets are repaired and asphalt trucks are on scene.

The roads budget is now $100,000.

The town council also approved a firework ordinance, which makes it legal to sell fireworks in town if properly permitted.

It will also give the council the ability to set aside times for fireworks to be shot off in town.

However, one community member voiced a concern.

"Why are you having fireworks when it's a fire season?" Anita Smith said.

Mayor Mike Mortimore explained that until the town council gives the go ahead, fireworks are not permitted to be used.

"It allows us, if it's a wet season, to set aside a time and place to designate for fireworks," Mortimore said.

Additionally, the state and county can issue a fireworks ban that would stop the town's ability to allow firework use.

"It's still illegal to fire fireworks in town," Mortimore said.

The ordinance passed unanimously and will take effect June 1. Yet, if the town council wants to allow people to use fireworks in the upcoming 4th of July holiday, they still need to designate a time and place to use it.

Derrick Burrows, who led the charge in asking for the ordinance change, said that he is in the process of getting a space set up to use.

The council also discussed the possibility of allowing backyard chickens in town.

A petition circulated in the last two weeks since the issue was first discussed, and it gained more than 100 signatures.

Yet, council members were underwhelmed by the support out there for backyard chickens.

Additionally, few were willing to back the change unless they saw a draft of what the rule would be.

"Just unlimited chickens, I'd say no to," Mark Nelson said.

He explained that he would want stringent rules on how they're kept.

"I've had quite a few calls from people saying they don't want them in town," John Dorman Sr. added.

Tony Larson agreed with Dorman's remark, saying he had heard more dissent than support.

Community member Jerry Smith added that he had kept chickens in his life, and the change seemed like a bad idea.

"I can't think of any reason to have them in town," Smith said.

Other council members said they're not opposed to the idea if the community really wanted them.

"It's what the public wants, not what I think," Nelson said.

And Nelson said it best as the petition had too few names to get the council members behind it.