Tea City Council bans fireworks

The Tea City Council met June 21 and discussed the dry conditions the area is facing.

Mayor John Lawler said he had been in contact with Lincoln County emergency manager Harold Timmerman about the likelihood of the county implementing a burn ban at their June 22 meeting. (The county did implement a burn ban.) He noted rain chances were not significant the rest of the week.

The council talked about if they banned them in town, people would drive to the country and would shoot off fireworks there, which would also cause fire issues.

Fire chief Jeff Stahlecker noted a lot of people don’t understand how much the fire department has gone out on fireworks related calls in past years.

The council voted to ban fireworks within the city this year with the exception that the mayor can cancel the ban if Tea receives a significant rain to lessen the hazard.

With no guidance from the state expected until later this year on medical cannabis, the city approved a resolution requiring a medical cannabis establishment to get a license to operate within the jurisdiction of the city of Tea and temporarily banning the sale of marijuana to customers.

The council approved the plat for lots 3A, 3B and 3C, block 1 in the Gateway Park Addition. The plat creates a shared access easement between lots 3A and 3C for Advanced Auto Spa and Scooters Coffee.

The council approved the revised site plan for Advanced Auto Spa, a car wash, and Scooters Coffee. Lawler noted the addition of the coffee shop to the plan likely came as a shock to Zooks Coffee Bar owner Linda Kokenge, who was approved for a building permit and building plan at the June 7 meeting and was in attendance at the June 21 meeting.

They approved the pay app from D & G Concrete in the amount of $1,971,884.46 for work on the Gateway Boulevard phase 2 improvement project.

Planning and zoning administrator Kevin Nissen updated the council on the future bike path along First Street and James Avenue.

Jesse Fonkert with the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance spoke to the council about his organization’s plans and what the possible cost would be for the city to participate with them. The membership cost is $3 per person and based on the most recent census numbers. It will adjust for inflation every year and then update again at 10 years with the new census.

The next meeting will be July 6.

*** The Tea City Council will hold a special meeting Monday, June 28 at 6 p.m. at City Hall for public comment and to reevaluate the weather conditions.