By CHERI BRUBAKER/YachatsNews.com

WALDPORT – Fireworks of any kind are out inside the city of Waldport.

Concerned about a worsening drought – although lessened slightly by inches of rain this week – the City Council last week unanimously issued an immediate ban on the sale or use of fireworks for the rest of the year.

The traditional fireworks display over the Alsea Bay, now sponsored by the city, will still take place July 3.

Not only are fireworks – especially illegal ones brought in from Washington state and Indian reservations – a growing nuisance, the city is worried it will not have enough water to fight a major brush or wildfire should one break out this summer and fall.

“The holiday we are celebrating doesn’t have to have fireworks,” said Waldport City Councilor Rick Booth, also the head of volunteers for Central Oregon Coast Fire & Rescue.

Booth voted for the ban, saying COCF&R firefighters had already responded to a couple wildland fires, which were fortunately quickly extinguished.

“I understand (fireworks) are good stuff,” Booth said, “But if one gets away …”

The ban – which carries a fine of up to $1,000 for getting a citation — applies to all personal fireworks legal for sale in Oregon.

Although the emergency ban carries a hefty fine, in the past the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – which has two deputies in Waldport – has struggled to enforce Oregon fireworks regulations around the busy holiday as thousands of visitors head to the coast.

The City Council wants residents to help convince Lincoln County commissioners to do the same in the unincorporated Bayshore area to the north.

Citing the excessive amount of personal fireworks and complaints in that neighborhood, Mayor Greg Holland said he would ask commissioners to issue a similar ban in unincorporated areas. He repeated that request in a later Facebook post, and gave out contact information – email addresses and phone numbers – for the three commissioners.

Oregon law already is supposed to prohibit fireworks that fly, explode, or move across the ground more than six feet, or go up in the air more than 12 inches. These includes items like bottle rockets, Roman candles, firecrackers, M80s and mortar rounds.

Only fireworks sold in Oregon at licensed firework stands are legal, but the Waldport council said it would not issue a permit this year for the stand that usually sets up in the parking lot of Ray’s Market.

State law prohibits also the use of any fireworks, legal or illegal, on Oregon beaches.

Looming water shortage

The issue is being pushed by a looming water shortage in Waldport, prompting the council to declare a water emergency as well.

City Manager Dann Cutter said the city has started pulling from its secondary water source — Eckman Creek — two months earlier than usual.

The city gets its water mainly from the North and South forks of Weist Creek, with Eckman Creek as an additional, secondary source when needed. It started pulling from Eckman last week to augment low flow from the Weist system and keep its water tanks full, Cutter said.

The city has 1,400 water customers use an average of 189,000 gallons a day, Cutter said, and two water storage tanks with a capacity of 1.8 million gallons.

Cutter told the council that water levels are far below normal and that experts expect the worst water conditions in 30 years this summer.

With fire danger high, it is imperative to maintain sufficient supply in the water tank to support firefighting at all times, Cutter said.

“This is going to be the topic of the summer,” Cutter said of impending water shortages. He indicated that other municipalities are likely to consider restricting water use and addressing fire risks.

Because the Waldport council is not meeting in July, Cutter asked for authority to issue water restrictions in the event it becomes necessary. That could include including limitations on watering lawns and landscaping – and change how it charges for water use.

The council voted, again unanimously, to leave a pricing policy called “summer sewer averaging” to Cutter’s discretion and give him with authority to implement water restrictions as needed. Summer sewer averaging is the practice of billing customers for the average sewer usage over the previous six months. The premise is that any additional water use is seasonal, like washing the car or watering the lawn, and not being sent through the sewer system.

Councilor Susan Woodruff urged caution, asking Cutter to only implement restrictions if absolutely necessary. Whenever water rates go up, use goes down, she noted.

“We’re raising rates considerably this year,” Woodruff said. Water rates increase $5 for those in the city limits and $15 for others, plus an average of $4 per month in increased use charges.

Woodruff pointed out the growing season is in full swing, and that many residents take comfort in their gardens.

In other business, the Waldport council:

• Met in executive session to consider Cutter’s performance during his first year as city manager. It returned to open session, praised his work as excellent, and voted to give him a 2.8 percent raise.