Public speaks up about fireworks and healthy drinks at council open forum

Neighborhood fireworks displays and Longmont’s proposed sugary drink ordinance were among the main topics brought up by residents at a public forum before the city council Tuesday night.

Residents were able to talk about any issue for five minutes and council members were allowed to respond. During typical council meetings, the public can speak for only three minutes during the “public invited to be heard” segment, however, council members are not allowed to respond.

Several speakers blasted the fireworks that boomed over backyards and local streets before, during and after the Fourth of July. The rockets were shot into the sky, which is illegal, flew over homes and left many neighborhoods looking like war zones, they said.

“I really thought someone was bombing our neighborhood,” Patricia Meehan told the council. “This was really over the top ... this Fourth of July. I have never lived anywhere with this kind of fireworks.”

“Fine them, cite them, let them know this is not acceptable behavior,” Meehan said.

Residents suggested the city ban all fireworks, have a dedicated telephone complaint line just to field fireworks complaints and add bicycle patrols to help enforce fireworks laws.

Council members are slated to take up the fireworks issue during a regular session in hopes of starting a community conversation about their use. Councilmember Joan Peck told the audience that enforcing homegrown fireworks displays is difficult and would require a doubling of the police force.

“I don’t know if many people would want to raise taxes to this extent,” Peck said.

Parents, local students and health officials also asked the council to pass an ordinance that would require restaurants to list healthy beverages as default choices in menus offering children’s meals.

The ordinance is needed to help stem the rise of diabetes, obesity and other health problems caused by sugary drinks, the speakers said. They also emphasized the proposed ordinance does not limit what restaurants can serve, nor what families can order.

“We want our restaurants to be successful and we want our kids to be healthy,” said parent Rosa Stillwell, also an environmental health specialist with Boulder County. “This ordinance will allow us to do both.”