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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 6.1 SB343 (2) Fireworks Ordinance 650-60 58 343 Senate Bill 343 mandates supplemental materials that have been received by the City Clerk's office that relate to an agenda item after the agenda packets have been distributed to the City Council be available to the public. The attached document was received in the City Clerk's office after distribution of the February 7, 2012 City Council meeting agenda packet. 2-7-12 February 7, 2012 Dublin City Council City Clerk Dear Council, As parent leaders in the school community we appreciate your thoughtful review of the fireworks process in Dublin and we endorse the direction that City Staff has provided on the matter. We hope that the Council will strongly consider supporting the new proposal. This new process seems both as fair and equitable - with a nod to the importance of our schools in our community and the difficulty of raising funds, but also ensuring that community groups are provided art equal chance to raise funds for their important work. Our schools need the support of the City. Designating a certain number of fireworks booths for school groups is an important demonstration of that support. No longer are the funds being raised by school groups and booster organizations being used to pay for luxuries. We are raising money for "needs," not "wants", We pay for arts and music programs, librarian salaries, intervention programs, books and supplies, athletic teams, stipends to provide positions such as a science specialist and an athletic trainer. All that being said, the reality is that our public school district in Dublin is growing, the demand for outside funding is increasing and it's only pragmatic to expect that the number of entrants in the fireworks lottery from the schools will continue to grow. Many schools are submitting multiple bids to increase their chances of getting drawn to sponsor a booth, understanding that failing to secure a fireworks spot can be a significant loss of potential funding. We understand and support equity and we absolutely want to see fair access provided to all the community groups in Dublin who do such important work. But we are living in a different world of school funding and we would like to make sure our schools are taken care of. We believe this plan can do that. Sincerely, Michelle McDonald, DHS PFSO President Christine Bennett, DHS PFSO Vice-President