The Iola City Council will decide at its June 9 meeting whether to allow extended fireworks sales, although prospects look iffy.
Currently, fireworks sales are allowed in Iola from outside the current eight-day window, from June 27 through July 5.
State lawmakers extended the sales dates from June 20 through July 7 from temporary facilities, or year-round sales from permanent structures.
Brent Aiello, owner of Aiello Fireworks, appealed once again for the larger window, noting that if locals buy their fireworks somewhere starting June 20, it might as well be Iola.
If they have to travel to other communities — Moran, Fort Scott, Pittsburg and Independence will allow earlier sales — then they’re also apt to pay for fuel or buy other items at those locations as well, Aiello argued.
Wells said he would favor seeing the city follow the state’s lead.
“If we follow state law, it keeps us out of more problems,” Wells said. “If the state says things are legal, I tend to say it’s legal.”
Both Grundy and Councilman Joel Wicoff both indicated opposition, however.
“This gentleman has done a good job of arguing his points, and he’s made some great points,” Grundy said. “But as much as I personally want to see businesses of Iola make tons of money, I don’t think it’s popular with the people I’ve spoken to. And I don’t think it’s popular in our Council.”
Wicoff agreed.
“Based on the people I’ve talked to — and it’s not everybody — but the ones who have filled my ear really don’t care for fireworks,” Wicoff said.
Councilwoman Joelle Shallah said she was befuddled in part by a state law that allows earlier fireworks sales, but still limits the shooting from the June 27-July 5 deadline.
“It’s like putting a kid in front of a candy store and saying, you can’t have any,’ she said.
Wells offered a motion to table the discussion, noting that extending the sales date would require an ordinance, which in turn requires a supermajority of the entire Council.
With members Kim Peterson and Josiah D’Albini absent, that meant at least five of the six attending Monday’s session would have needed to vote “aye” for the earlier deadline to pass.
Wells’ motion to table the discussion to June 9 passed 4-2, with Wicoff and Councilman Benedikt Middleton opposed.
