Rohnert Park voters to decide the fate of fireworks in city

The city of Rohnert Park will allow the use and sale of fireworks this summer before voters there head to the polls in September to decide the fate of fireworks in their city.

The City Council on Tuesday night unanimously approved a Sept. 14 special election and suspended the ordinance it passed April 27 banning the sale and use of fireworks within the city’s borders.

“The people want this to be settled. They want this election. Just put it on the ballot and let them vote,” Vice Mayor Jackie Elward said. “Sept. 14 makes sense. ... People want it settled. I think that would be the best way to go.”

Officials added that because of when the election will take place, safe and sane fireworks will be sold in Rohnert Park this summer and there will be fireworks on the Fourth of July.

Summertime fireworks have been a tradition in Rohnert Park for more than 50 years; however, devastating wildfires in the region in recent years have many people concerned about the potential for more loss should a spark from a firework ignite a blaze.

Convinced that they were responding to the will of residents, Mayor Gerard Giudice, Vice Mayor Elward and Councilmember Willy Linares voted in favor of the ban.

But Councilmembers Susan Hollingsworth Adams and Pam Stafford objected.

In voting to put the measure on the ballot, Hollingsworth Adams acknowledged that opinions about the fireworks have changed in recent years, but they still mean something to many Rohnert Park residents.

“Each spring for the past three years since I was seated on the council, a vote has been taken to determine whether state-approved fireworks would be allowed in Rohnert Park. In 2019, the vote was 4-1 in favor. In 2020, it was 3-2 in favor. In 2021, the vote was 3-2 against,” she said.

“It’s unsettling that our community nonprofit volunteers are being whipsawed around every year. Residents have enjoyed state-approved fireworks in Rohnert Park for over 50 years. It makes sense that voters should be allowed, even encouraged to choose for themselves at the ballot box.”

Based on comments made during the council session Tuesday night, many residents agree with the ban.

“Advocates for firework sales frequently reference they’re selling safe and sane fireworks only,” said Don Dievers during public comments prior to council’s discussion of the issue. “Yes, there are safer fireworks, but there is no such thing as safe — all can start fires.”

Jessica Kenneth, who also spoke during public comments, described herself as a fire survivor now living in Rohnert Park. She urged council members to keep the ban in place.

“We’re entering fire season during a drought, and we can’t risk any fires that could spread quickly. Please keep the safety of our city as your top priority,” she said.

Opponents of the ban, though, argued that it cuts off a reliable revenue stream for nonprofits and community service organizations that sell fireworks in order to maintain their operations.

Two weeks after the ordinance was approved, they presented the City Clerk with a petition demanding that the issue be placed on the ballot. They had gathered the signatures of nearly 4,000 registered Rohnert Park voters — well beyond the 2,552 needed to contest the ban’s approval.

Many residents, such as April Garcia, support the referendum.

“In November 2020, it only cost the city $14,508.56 to (elect Giudice, Elward and Linares) ... who voted to ban. If it’s good enough for the three of you, it’s good enough for the future of this Rohnert Park Fourth of July tradition,“ she told city leaders Tuesday night.

While council unanimously approved placing the measure on the ballot, members were divided about exactly when the vote should take place.

Depending on the date chosen, the estimated cost could range anywhere from $51,542 to $141,000.

In a 3-2 vote, with Hollingsworth Adams and Stafford dissenting, council settled on a Sept. 14 special election, which was considered the most expensive choice. Estimates from the county put the cost at somewhere between $90,000 and $141,000.

Stafford suggested Nov. 2, which would have cost an estimated $64,428 to $115,970, according to a city staff report.

However, the majority of council members said residents wanted the issue decided and it should be done as soon as possible.

Rohnert Park’s special election will be consolidated with the Sonoma County district attorney recall election, which also is set for Sept. 14. The county’s Board of Supervisors approved that date on Tuesday.