REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on Proposed Changes to the City's 4th of July Special Event Activities and an Amendment to Silicon Valley Power's Sponsorship List of Annual Events and Activities to Include Sponsorship of the 4th of July Fireworks Show in the Amount of $50,000
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Promote Community Engagement and Transparency
Enhance Community Sports, Recreational and Arts Assets
BACKGROUND
Historically, the City has sponsored an All-City Picnic and Fireworks Show at Central Park on the 4th of July. Due to budget constraints, funding for special events in the amount of $358,116 was cut from the Parks and Recreation Operating Budget in fiscal year (FY) 2021/2022. This resulted in the elimination of the fireworks portion of the 4th of July activities. While all special events were paused during the pandemic, the Department reinstated the All-City picnic in 2022. Since that time, the Department has been asked to explore the feasibility of restoring the fireworks component of the All-City Picnic for 2024.
In doing so, the following challenges were identified: 1) significant safety concerns resulting from changes in the site conditions at Central Park; 2) public safety issues that have occurred in recent years at large scale community events across the country, highlighting the need for enhanced security; and 3) limited time to complete the required procurement process to secure a fireworks vendor prior to July 2024.
In light of these challenges, staff initiated a process to evaluate other possible site locations and partnerships. The plaza at Mission College was identified as a suitable location for the All-City Picnic given their infrastructure, parking, on-site security and available staff resources. Mission College has committed to making their facilities and staffing available for the event which will include free parking, access to appropriate facilities for event staging as well as "day-of" campus security and facilities staffing t...
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