COEUR d’ALENE— Coeur d’Alene City Council voted to amend city code on Tuesday evening, among other items, making it easier to catch and cite individuals who launch airborne fireworks. 

Unanimously passed, Council Bill 26-1011 amends city code to now provide new language that includes “owners or occupants of properties within the City who knowingly allow illegal fireworks to be deployed from private property” to be in violation of the updated city code.

Previously, law enforcement would have to catch individuals in the act of lighting airborne fireworks, making the city code difficult to enforce.

“We’ll drive through every neighborhood here, and [fireworks] are going off,” said Coeur d’Alene Police Capt. Dave Hagar. “By the time they get there, they can’t do anything.”

City Councilmember Christie Wood felt the amendment was necessary to give police a better ability to aid the public.

“As much as you want to make a difference to the people calling at 3 in the morning when the show’s still going, it is really difficult to,” she said. 

Councilmember Kenny Gabriel echoed Wood’s statements. 

“Please, give them some tools to do what they want to do and this is just a great step forward,” he said. 

Several community members voiced their support for the amendment during the meeting. 

“All I can say is that it’s about time,” said Robert Montanye. “I worry about the thoughtlessness and illegal use of aerial fireworks and am frustrated when busy law enforcement personnel have their hands tied.” 

Community member Brad Gilbert felt the approval of the amendment would help protect the wildlands and forests. 

“I feel like it will help us protect the investment you have made in our forests and our wildland-urban interface. I feel like the constraints that are in the existing ordinance on law enforcement has led to a proliferation of these fireworks displays,” said Gilbert. 

Christine Zaranpowa spoke against the amendment and felt that the council's actions were constricting the public’s rights. 

“People live in Idaho for the freedom it has to offer and it doesn’t seem you guys are really listening to them,” she said. 

Zaranpowa felt there were other options for the council to consider. 

“Instead, let's plant fire-resistant trees and shrubs and make sure we have measures in place to respond to fire emergencies quickly and are prepared to resolve them before they spread. Why not hire more firemen, [or] train citizens to help,” she said.

While approved, the language of the amendment is not in its true final stage.  

Councilmembers recognized that the amendment language would require an update. Concerns included airborne fireworks as items of property and law enforcement's ability to seize them, owner versus tenant penalties and the need for a change in verbiage in the amendment. 

Wood felt that while the amendment needed to be changed, Tuesday was the City Council’s only shot at getting the amendment passed before the Fourth of July. 

“It’s a little half-baked, but it’s better than nothing,” Wood said.

Hagar felt that “education and prevention” would be valuable tools in keeping individuals voluntarily compliant with the new amendment.

“We want to prevent it first,” he said.