Council bans fireworks, agrees to hire park rangers.

NORWALK — Norwalk City Council members voted Tuesday to ban the use of consumer-grade fireworks and to provide for park rangers' compensation. Council members voted to approve the rate of $13 per hour to compensate park rangers for the summer. "I think the idea of park rangers is a fabulous idea," council member Steve Schumm said. Schumm said the city has already received nine employment applications for park ranger. "I didn't like the pay," Schumm continued. "We're not paying them enough." "I would say it's a great start." Council member Samantha Wilhelm countered. "A jumping-off place." "I agree with you," Schumm said, "and I'm going to vote for it." "I agree with Samantha," council member Deb Lucal said. "I believe this is a good starting pay." Wilhelm and Lucal indicated that they would also like to see more pay for the rangers, but were confident that raises could be implemented in the future. Council also adopted an ordinance to ban the use of consumer-grade fireworks within the city limits. The ordinance addresses options offered earlier this year by the Ohio Legislature, which allowed the city to follow the state in eliminating its previous long-standing fireworks ban, or to enact its own legislation to prohibit them. Norwalk Fire Chief Ron Luttrell, in attendance at the meeting, said he has supported the measure from the beginning, though its intent is more focused on insulating the city legally, than actively preventing fireworks' use. "I think its going to be difficult for the enforcement of it," the fire chief said. "It's really about liability. From a fire safety and a health safety issue it's what we need. "There've been some pretty serious injuries with these things," he continued. "They can cause a lot of damage." Nadine Thompson, program assistant for the Great Lakes Community Action Partnership Program, spoke briefly to those at the meeting, detailing projects the city intends to undertake, using l Community Development Block Grant money. Thompson said the city intends to use allocations of $140,000 for parks and recreational facilities and $10,000 for general administration and fair housing. The city also proposes using a $500,000 critical infrastructure grant for a water line project, Thompson said.