CACHE — Cache’s fee for fireworks permits will remain in place.
The Cache City Council debated whether to abolish the fee June 12 but did not take action, leaving the fee intact.
Cache currently charges $15 for each fireworks permit, and the proceeds from permit sales are divided evenly between the Cache Fire Department and the Cache Police Department.
City officials proposed eliminating the fee because several people had complained about having to pay to shoot off fireworks, said Mayor Scott Brown. He added that citing people for using fireworks without a permit is difficult.
“Two, we do not have enough police officers to go around giving people tickets,” he said.
But Councilman Steve Red Elk said requiring a permit might reduce the number of people who set off their fireworks in the middle of the street, making it difficult for police and firefighters to respond to emergency calls.
“At least if we kind of regulate it a little bit, we’ve been able to not have to almost run over people trying to get to emergency calls and stuff like that,” he said.
Code Enforcement Officer Paul Couture said he understood that handling the permits is difficult for city staff, but he thought the city should keep the permits as a way of regulating fireworks-related activity.
“If you want to lower the cost of the permits, fine,” he said.
City Clerk/Treasurer Rhoda Thomas said the fee is not a problem, but selling the permits is stressful for her staff.
“They’re running crazy up there trying to do the water bills and they’re trying to get everything else done as daily business,” she said. “And then you’ve got somebody that’s up there upset because they didn’t get their permit at 5 o’clock or 5:30 when we close the doors.”
The city’s legal advisor, Art South, reminded the council that it could not eliminate the fee without reworking the ordinance that mandates fireworks permits. The meeting agenda did not include a proposed amendment to that ordinance.
“From a procedural point of view, there’s not really anything you can do,” he said. “You can discuss it, but you can’t get rid of it without amending the ordinance.”