Pasco postpones Grand Ol’ 4th fireworks event

PASCO, Wash.-- The Pasco City Council voted Tuesday night in a special meeting to postpone the city's annual Fourth of July fireworks display.

During the meeting, Pasco Fire Chief Bob Gear said he likely wouldn't be able to approve a permit for the display.

"We recently had an application to approve a fireworks display for a graduate by a private individual," Gear told council members at the meeting. "The city attorney advised me that I was not able to approve that permit based on three conditions. A couple of the conditions were the timing of the permit, but the third condition was that it violated the Governor's Stay Home order."

Right now Franklin County is in Phase One of the that stay home order, which prohibits any gatherings of anyone outside of your household.

City officials are optimistic that the county will be in Phase Two by the Fourth of July, but that would only allow gatherings of five people or fewer.

City staff expressed concern about the burden on law enforcement to enforce the social distancing requirements, and to keep spectators from congregating on and around the Gesa Stadium grounds where the event is usually held.

Councilwoman Zhara Roach encouraged city staff to dream up a plan to allow Pasco residents to safely celebrate Independence Day, possibly with neighborhood parades in each council district, similar to those that local schools have done.

"We come up with a modified celebration, that is a car parade, or motorcycle parade. But at this moment we postpone fireworks to another patriotic holiday," Roach suggested.

The final vote was 4 to 3, with council members David Milne, Pete Serrano, and Mayor Saul Martinez voting against the motion to postpone the annual event.

No rescheduled date has been set for the fireworks display.