This year’s Fourth of July celebrations were the first that Flandreau Police Chief Zach Weber can remember where his department didn’t receive a noise or other complaint regarding fireworks.
“The first seven to eight years of my career, I worked every single holiday, and that’s all I did each Fourth of July—follow complaints,” Weber told City Council members during its most recent meeting Monday night.
“For the first time ever, we had zero fireworks complaints this Fourth of July.”
At least two neighbors to one of the biggest unofficial holiday fireworks displays within city limits each year, however, are raising concerns about the safety of the show, especially in their neighborhood.
Dale and Linda Christensen and Brenda and Jim Doyle asked city officials last week to review its fireworks policy and ensure that what is happening outside their front doors and around town matches city law. They worry that the grade of explosives being set off steps away from front doors and countless people watching could either cause someone physical harm or devastate property should something go wrong.
If you’ve never been to Flandreau on the Fourth of July, it is worth a trip. Families from across the region flock to the city for the incredible display that the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe and Royal River Casino and Hotel put on each year as the sun goes down, along with the craziness of all the other fireworks being lit. Large booms go off throughout the evening, and incredible displays are seen in nearly every direction.

It truly is unique, but some worry it is also an accident waiting to happen.
“One way to solve this is just to ban fireworks within the city,” Alderman Mike Fargen stated. “Number one, 70-80% of the fireworks are illegal. I’ve swept the streets here for 40 years... they’re all shot on the streets, most of them are, so they’re illegal. And you’re right, my windows are rattled. If you have a problem at 70-80% with anything else, you would stop it. We have a problem. Any child, any family, you’ll see them lighting them off on the street. It’s in the ordinance; they can’t be shot there. We had no complaints this year because it’s been going on for 40 years like this.”
Current city ordinances regarding fireworks read:
§ 130.36 SALE AND USE
(A) It shall be unlawful to keep for sale, display, or use any fireworks within the city except as hereinafter permitted. (Prior Code, § 7.4.2)
(B) The use and sale of the following described fireworks and firecrackers will be permitted as hereinafter set forth: sparklers, Vesuvius fountains, spray fountains, torches, color fire cones, star and comet type color aerial shells without explosive charge for the purpose of making a noise, roman candles, rockets, star mines, color wheels, Chinese-made soft shell firecrackers not exceeding one and five-eighths inches in length with a one-fourth inch outside diameter, and toy cap pistols and toy caps where the caps used therein do not contain more than 0.35 grains of explosive material in each one. (1) It shall be unlawful for any person to use any fireworks described in this subchapter within the city and the Flandreau City Park except on July 4 or on December 31. (2) No fireworks shall be fired on or from any public property including all city streets, boulevards, and alleys located within the city or Flandreau City Park.
Violators might face a $129 fine and the removal of any other illegal fireworks they have.
No one wants to curb the fun being had, everyone agreed, but neighbors and city officials plan to continue the conversation at a future meeting with more information on what is legal to shoot off, what isn’t, how to tell the difference, how to approach the topic with the community, and how best to ensure the safety of everyone in town each year on the Fourth of July, as well as structures.
Also heard at the most recent meeting of the Flandreau City Council:
The need to put out a request for proposal (RFP) for a new audit service for the city. The previous auditor dropped the city as a client, a situation it appears many municipalities are facing. Not a lot of firms want to take on cities because, according to Finance Director Lori Kneebone, the bookkeeping is complicated between projects and the government money handed out. She is confident the city will find a new service provider but warned city officials the cost will likely be significantly higher than the previous provider.