Lovington fireworks ban rescinded
Virginia Cunningham/News-Sun
LOVINGTON — At Monday’s City of Lovington commission meeting, commissioners voted four to one to rescind the fireworks ban put in place just three weeks ago. That proclamation banned certain types of fireworks from being sold within city limits.
The commissioners asked Lovington Fire Chief Skip Moorhead what his recommendation was for keeping the fireworks ban in place.
“We received some rain, and now for the last week we haven’t received any,” Moorhead said. “The next 10 days forecast shows high temperatures with no possibility for rain.”
Lovington Mayor Howard “Robbie” Roberts, Dist. 3, again asked Moorhead what he recommended, and Moorhead said the city is still in a D2 drought status — which is severe drought.
Moorhead said there was an increased risk for wild fires at increased magnitudes, and he can only present facts to the commission — it is up to the commission to decide.
“Let’s roll the dice and rescind it,” Commissioner Scott Gandy, Dist. 4, said. “The grass is green — greener than I’ve ever seen it. Let’s rescind it and pray for rain in gentle daily doses.”
The fireworks ban put into effect by commissioners during the last regularly scheduled commission meeting on May 23, when all the commissioners voted to enact the ban.
Commissioner Lizabeth White, Dist. 5, was the only vote to keep the fireworks ban in place at Monday night’s commission meeting.
Lovington resident, and fireworks retailer, Betty Price anxiously awaited the commissioners’ decision, and told commissioners she must order fireworks by June 15. She said she is glad to know she will be compliant with the city laws.
Commissioners also questioned Moorhead about emergency sirens for the city.
Commissioner Scott Boldt, Dist. 2, asked why tornado sirens failed to go off during recent storms that not only effected Lovington, but most of Lea County, and Gaines County and Yoakum Counties in Texas — leaving lots of damage and downed power lines.
“No one ever told us there was a tornado in it,” Moorhead told Boldt. “All my employees were out in the storm on calls, and we have to manually set off the alarms right now.”
Testing of the emergency sirens had failed remote triggers, Moorhead had reported in at least two previous meetings, and he had informed the commission sirens were only able to manually triggered.
Moorhead said Verizon came in and put new lines, but the remote access is still not working. Moorhead said he had spoke with CNM Electric business owner Chuck Johnson and Johnson said he would look into the problem.
Roberts asked Moorhead what the protocol was for the sirens to be triggered.
Moorhead said he isn’t sure. He said the National Weather Service is supposed to alert the city, but Moorhead said no one alerted them to trigger the sirens during the recent storms.
Gandy asked how the National Weather Service alerts the town of Lovington, because he has concerns that calling multiple numbers and or dispatch would lead to delays in the sirens being triggered.
Commissioners asked Moorhead to look into how the alert process should work.
In the meantime — while the sirens must be triggered manually — commissioners asked if the police department could help, by being in certain areas during storms in case the need to sound the alarm comes.
Moorhead said the areas are fenced and locked, and he will get with the police department to look at having keys made for them.
Further conversation on the topic of the sirens also led to Moorhead pointing out most of the sirens are on the west side of the city.
Boldt said someone needs to “get with the grant writer” to see if she can work on a grant to help with updates and installation of more sirens in the city.
