By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Conditions are wet enough to permit consumer fireworks for the 2015 Fourth of July holiday, agreed Hays city commissioners during their Thursday night work session

“We’ve had adequate rain and the (city’s) Smoky Hill water wells are in good shape,” said commissioner Henry Schwaller.

The sale and use of fireworks is permitted by city ordinance in Hays on July 2, 3 and 4 between the hours of 10 a.m. and 11 p.m.

The ordinance also requires the city commission to make a determination whether to suspend the sale and use of fireworks–if weather conditions are dry and there is a fire threat–at the second regular meeting in May.

The burn ban enacted in March for rural areas of Ellis County was lifted May 4 because of the recent rains.

Vice-mayor Shaun Musil still suggested reducing the number of days allowed to discharge fireworks

“I brought this up last year and it went nowhere…there’s no doubt a lot of people don’t like fireworks.  We found that out loud and clear last year,” he said.

“They don’t like the noise and they don’t like the mess.”

Roy Herman, co-owner of Taz Fireworks which works with non-profit groups and their fundraisers, spoke in favor of keeping the three days, as did Commissioner Lance Jones.

“I’m a fireworks shooter myself,” Jones said.  “I think part of the good reason for having more than one day is if it rains or there’s bad weather, you have other days to go off and shoot them.”

Jones suggested a “hefty fine–a $1,000 fine,” doubling the current fine of $500, if someone shoots fireworks during banned hours or does not pick up their debris.

“It’s truly a difficult ordinance to enforce,” Police Chief Don Scheibler told commissioners.

“As you drive by you see the fireworks go off two blocks away.  By the time you get there, nobody’s there.  Or , there’s a 4-generation family sitting in the front yard…do we haul grandma off to jail?”

Most people do abide by the rules.

In 2014, HPD responded to 49 calls about fireworks complaints, according to Scheibler.

“Twenty of those were between 11 p.m. and midnight July 4th.  So after going to the big fireworks display (at the Wild West Fest), people go home with their family and they’ve got to finish shooting off their fireworks,” he said.

“There’s not much of a problem between the 27th and the 5th,” Scheibler added.

State law allows the sale of fireworks from June 27 until July 5.

Western Kansas Human Resource Management Association will hold its June meeting on Wednesday, June 10, at Thirsty’s Banquet Room, 2704 Vine. Registration is between 11:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. with a short business meeting starting at 11:30 a.m.

The program for the June meeting will be “2015 Affordable Care Act (ACA) Updates” presented by Alejandra Juarez of Kansas Blue Cross Blue Shield.

If you are interested in attending the June meeting as a guest at no charge, RSVP to [email protected] no later than Friday, June 5, by noon.

WKHRMA is an affiliate chapter of Society for Human Resource Management, a local professional organization for persons engaged in personnel or human resource management. For more information on WKHRMA, visit www.wkhrma.org.

The widespread rain will be moving out of the area early this morning but will leave behind an overcast sky. Additional precipitation is expected across Kansas during the holiday weekend, but there will be breaks with periods of sun and clouds.

Today Showers, mainly before 11am. High near 59. Southeast wind 6 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Tonight A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2am. Cloudy, with a low around 52. Southeast wind 11 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Saturday A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 64. South southeast wind 10 to 18 mph.

Saturday Night A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 5am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. Breezy, with a southeast wind 14 to 21 mph.

Sunday A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. South wind 11 to 13 mph.

Sunday Night A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56.

Memorial Day A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 8am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 78.