Reso. No. _____
RESOLUTION NO. ______
RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA TO
REQUEST GOVERNOR NEWSOM DEVELOP A TASK FORCE TO EXPLORE AN
INTERSTATE COMPACT BETWEEN CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA TO STOP THE ILLICIT
IMPORTATION OF ILLEGAL FIREWORKS FROM NEVADA INTO CALIFORINA WHEREAS, for many days leading up to the 4 th of July and other holidays, Richmond residents are being treated to a cacophony of deafening noises, booms, bangs and amateur illegal aerial fireworks displays; and
WHEREAS, those fireworks traumatize people and pets, cause injuries and create fire hazards ; and
WHEREAS, local fire and law enforcement agencies are kept busy responding nightly to residents’ complaints about these illegal aerial displays and celebratory explosives; and WHEREAS, these amateur fireworks are illegal in California and in most Nevada jurisdictions with a few exceptions; and
WHEREAS, little or nothing is done to stop the interdiction of these illegal, dangerous items into California’s local jurisdictions, which have become the first and only line of defense against illegal fireworks; and
WHEREAS, for the better part of the last two decades, there has been no border integrity or inspections for illegal fireworks, resulting in many individual criminal entrepreneurs as w ell as large commercial operations smuggling these dangerous, illegal fireworks into the state without fear of being caught or suffering any criminal consequences; and WHEREAS, there are six fireworks stores in Southern Nevada in the city of Pahrump and seven stores immediately northeast of Reno selling the full range of federally-approved fireworks that are illegal in California; and
WHEREAS, estimates suggest that these thirte en stores account for at least 65 to 75 percent of the illegal fireworks used in California; and
WHEREAS, by focusing on the out-of-state sources of these illegal fireworks, state officials can work to disrupt the supply chain of illegal fireworks and prev ent them from ever reaching California communities in the first place; and
WHEREAS, the California State Fire Marshal’s advisory body General Fireworks Advisory Committee” (GFAC) unanimously adopted a resolution to recommend that State Fire Marshal seek Governor Gavin Newsom’s authorization to initiate discussions to explore an Interstate Compact or an Interstate Agreement between California and Nevada.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED , that the City of Richmond will join other jurisdictions to ask California Governor Gavin Newsom to establish a joint task force comprised of fire and law enforcement agencies from California and Nevada to collaboratively address the issue of illegal fireworks, as well as to negotiate an interstate compact with Nevada to better control the flow of illegal fireworks into California via a shared database of recorded sales.
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***THE CLERK’S OFFICE WILL COMPLETE THE INFORMATION BELOW****
I certify that the foregoing resolution was passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Richmond at a regular meeting thereof held on Mmmm dd, yyyy, by the following vote:
AYES: AYES:
Reso. No. _____
NOES:
ABSTENTIONS:
ABSENT:
CLERK OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND
(SEAL)
Approved:
Mayor
Approved as to form:
City Attorney
State of California }
County of Contra Costa : ss.
City of Richmond }
I certify that the foregoing is a true copy of Resolution No. _____, finally passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Richmond at a regular meeting held on Mmmm dd, yyyy.
_______________________________________
Pamela Christian, Clerk of the City of Richmond