Board of Aldermen 5-26-2020 Page 18
| believe this was something with a long history, it goes back to primarily the use of fireworks at Holman
Stadium and the neighbors in that area objecting to it.
And back then the Board of Aldermen then set a policy that fireworks displays would not be allowed except
those done by the City. Right now, no one can get a permit to do a fireworks show other than the City of
Nashua. This Ordinance would allow anyone to apply for a permit from the Fire Marshall. The Fire Marshall
the Ordinance says, can issue permits as long as there are proper safety procedures put into effect, that
whoever is doing it, indemnifies the City for any damage and have proper amounts of insurance to cover it.
Other than that, the Fire Marshall has no discretion as to who he, he can’t deny any permit in a non-
discriminatory way. So nothing limits him from, and nothing enables him to limit how many fireworks shows
there are put on in the City. You know, | hate to use an exaggeration to make the point, but the only
standards he has is — Is it Safe? Did the applicant sign an indemnity agreement? And did the applicant get
proper insurance?
If those conditions are satisfied, | believe and | defer to Attorney Bolton on this, but if those conditions are
satisfied, | don’t think the Fire Marshall could deny anybody a permit and he can’t deny, there is no limit on
who can get these permits, how often they can get them. So we have completely different look or way we
regulate fireworks. Fireworks could be done every night at Holman Stadium. They could be done every
night anyplace where it can be done safely. So | hate to rain on Bishop Guertin’s parade but this Ordinance
doesn’t say that the display that Bishop Guertin wants to do, as limited as that is, this Ordinance doesn’t say
that it is limited in any way. It would permit the Bishop Guertin show and it would also permit a whole bunch
of other displays, fireworks displays being used. So | think, you know, this is one of the problems that we
run into when things are presented to us at the last minute and an Ordinance is drafted very quickly,
presented to us without a proper discussion and vetting by a Committee. | just think is bad Legislation. |
think it sets a bad precedent for the City. As much as | would like to allow Guertin to do what they want to
do for their graduation, | cannot support this Ordinance.
Alderman Klee
Thank you, Madam President. | have to somewhat agree with Alderman Jette. | do feel uncomfortable that
we are setting this up that it could be a display that would not be able to be denied. The truth is that | get
many constituents that contact me, even from this weekend, fireworks were going off throughout the City.
They don’t want to call the Police to ask them to come chase them down, because they know, especially
nowadays there’s so much going on and you don’t want to put anybody in harm’s way. But year after year,
we have personal homes setting off fireworks. Not if it is suddenly if an organization is going to be able to do
this, | have no problem with Bishop Guertin, | have no problem with this one-time thing, if it were able that
we did an Ordinance that allowed this one-time, | would not have that issue. But to give a carte blanche,
and to say that anytime, for any reason, as long as it meets the criteria that Alderman Jette outlined, | do
have an issue with it. | want Bishop Guertin to be able to do this, | just don’t want to give that much power.
I’m sorry. | do have that issue. Thank you.
President Wilshire
OK, Alderman Lu, did you have your hand up?
Alderman Lopez
| had mine up as well.
President Wilshire
| see you Tom.
