Letter to the Board of Supervisors
May 7, 2021
Dear Supervisors ~
We write today to remind you of your 2016 directives regarding fireworks (passed unanimously) and ask that they be implemented once more well before this 4th of July when it is quite possible that people will be celebrating their freedom from COVID regulations by making destructive mayhem throughout Santa Cruz County.
On May 10, 2016, in response to our Freedom From Fireworks campaign efforts, your Board, having heard substantial community concerns adopted the following recommendations calling for specific actions to:
1. Direct the Planning Department to write a letter to all vacation rental permit holders that clearly articulates that fireworks are illegal in Santa Cruz County and citation of a vacation rental occupant for violations related to firework use is grounds for permit revocation proceedings.
2. Direct the Planning Department to return with language that would require vacation rental owners to notify occupants that fireworks are illegal in Santa Cruz County.
3. Direct the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to return with a proposal to implement permanent triple fines for fireworks and other key county violations on July 4th and other holiday periods.
4. Direct the Chair to write a letter to State Parks for improved and increased enforcement on state beaches and parks during July 4th and other peak times.
5. Request the Sheriff’s Department work with local schools to reiterate to the children in our community that fireworks are illegal.
6. Increase visibility of fireworks enforcement through the use of expanded digital signage near appropriate neighborhoods.
7. Direct the Chair of the Board to write letters to the Mayors of Watsonville and Salinas explaining that the sale of fireworks in their respective jurisdictions is contributing to illegal activity in the County of Santa Cruz.
8. Direct the CAO to work with the Public Information Officer to develop a media outreach and education campaign and return to the Board for approval.
9. Request the Sheriff’s office to return to the Board with a report on the effectiveness of these increased measures no later than September. [Note: In his report to this Board in September 2016, Sheriff Hart said: "While we cannot say that these efforts reduced the use of illegal fireworks on the 4th of July holiday, we believe they represent a starting point for greater future compliance, were worthwhile and should be continued in 2017."]
With all of that terrific planning, only one citation was issued by County law officers in response to 240 fireworks calls from the public! That was disheartening.
However, our complaints were heard once more and in 2017, there were 28 fireworks citations issued. Fast forward to 2020, when - granted - things were different due to COVID - only 11 fireworks citations were issued. However, compare our County's 11 citations to those issued in 2020 by the City of Watsonville (27 citations) and City of Gilroy (90 citations).
Our Request
Fire hazard is on everyone's mind in 2021. To that we add the health impacts to people, animals (domestic and wild) of breathing the polluted air, filled with chemical toxins from fireworks. These toxins contaminate all waterways leading to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Add to fire hazard and environmental health the intense barrage of harmful noise of fireworks that affects people, especially veterans with PTSD, pets, and nesting birds.
Therefore, we ask that these nine directives be re-issued (re-affirmed) for 2021, with additional directives (below) to be considered in a Consent Agenda item on your May 25th meeting. The following would be included:
Our very best regards,
Jean Brocklebank
Michael Lewis
on behalf of 205 others from all five Districts
http://freedomfromfireworks.weebly.com/supporters.html
Dear Supervisors ~
We write today to remind you of your 2016 directives regarding fireworks (passed unanimously) and ask that they be implemented once more well before this 4th of July when it is quite possible that people will be celebrating their freedom from COVID regulations by making destructive mayhem throughout Santa Cruz County.
On May 10, 2016, in response to our Freedom From Fireworks campaign efforts, your Board, having heard substantial community concerns adopted the following recommendations calling for specific actions to:
1. Direct the Planning Department to write a letter to all vacation rental permit holders that clearly articulates that fireworks are illegal in Santa Cruz County and citation of a vacation rental occupant for violations related to firework use is grounds for permit revocation proceedings.
2. Direct the Planning Department to return with language that would require vacation rental owners to notify occupants that fireworks are illegal in Santa Cruz County.
3. Direct the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to return with a proposal to implement permanent triple fines for fireworks and other key county violations on July 4th and other holiday periods.
4. Direct the Chair to write a letter to State Parks for improved and increased enforcement on state beaches and parks during July 4th and other peak times.
5. Request the Sheriff’s Department work with local schools to reiterate to the children in our community that fireworks are illegal.
6. Increase visibility of fireworks enforcement through the use of expanded digital signage near appropriate neighborhoods.
7. Direct the Chair of the Board to write letters to the Mayors of Watsonville and Salinas explaining that the sale of fireworks in their respective jurisdictions is contributing to illegal activity in the County of Santa Cruz.
8. Direct the CAO to work with the Public Information Officer to develop a media outreach and education campaign and return to the Board for approval.
9. Request the Sheriff’s office to return to the Board with a report on the effectiveness of these increased measures no later than September. [Note: In his report to this Board in September 2016, Sheriff Hart said: "While we cannot say that these efforts reduced the use of illegal fireworks on the 4th of July holiday, we believe they represent a starting point for greater future compliance, were worthwhile and should be continued in 2017."]
With all of that terrific planning, only one citation was issued by County law officers in response to 240 fireworks calls from the public! That was disheartening.
However, our complaints were heard once more and in 2017, there were 28 fireworks citations issued. Fast forward to 2020, when - granted - things were different due to COVID - only 11 fireworks citations were issued. However, compare our County's 11 citations to those issued in 2020 by the City of Watsonville (27 citations) and City of Gilroy (90 citations).
Our Request
Fire hazard is on everyone's mind in 2021. To that we add the health impacts to people, animals (domestic and wild) of breathing the polluted air, filled with chemical toxins from fireworks. These toxins contaminate all waterways leading to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Add to fire hazard and environmental health the intense barrage of harmful noise of fireworks that affects people, especially veterans with PTSD, pets, and nesting birds.
Therefore, we ask that these nine directives be re-issued (re-affirmed) for 2021, with additional directives (below) to be considered in a Consent Agenda item on your May 25th meeting. The following would be included:
- Repeat directives 1 - 9 from May 10, 2016.
- Add B&B properties to vacation rental properties.
- A press release once a week starting in June.
- Request CalTrans to use its digital signs on Hwy. 17 for one week ahead of July 4th.
- Re-instigate the apparently now defunct annual Fireworks Task Force meetings of all jurisdictions of law enforcement officials, eight countywide Fire Districts and State Parks representatives that used to occur in each February.
Our very best regards,
Jean Brocklebank
Michael Lewis
on behalf of 205 others from all five Districts
http://freedomfromfireworks.weebly.com/supporters.html