SR-031996-6E
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CIty CouncIl Meeting 3/19/96 Santa MODIca, CalIfornIa
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TO Mayor and CIty CouncIl MAR 1 9 1996
FROM CIty Staff
SUBJECT RecommendatIon To Approve CommunIty Onented 4th of July FestivItIes
INTRODUCTION
ThIS report recommends that CouncIl approve a daytime communIty Fourth of July celebratIon to take
place in Pahsades Park and asSIst Santa Momca College with their June 29, 1996 fireworks celebratIon.
BACKGROUND
In 1994, the CIty Council approved a commumty alternatIve to the tradItIonal fireworks dIsplays of years
past TIus successful event combmed Fourth of July festivItIes WIth the official reopenmg of Pahsades
Park and Included small mUSIcal groups, gIant puppets and assorted performers spread throughout the Park
from the PIer to Anzona Avenue The celebratIOn afforded reSIdents an OppOrtunIty to partiCIpate m
famIly onented, outdoor actIvItIes 10 celebratIOn ofIndependence Day AdditIonally, the event introduced
the Improved and enhanced Pahsades Park ThIS event was repeated m 1995 and has the potentIal of
becommg a communIty tradItIOn
Budgetary constramts as well as public safety and operatIonal concerns, have made a tradItIonal Fourth
of July FIreworks celebratIOn at the beach ImpraCtical 10 recent years "Dawn's Early LIght" was InItIally
planned as a replacement for evemng fireworks of July 4th to alleVIate severe traffic and publIc safety
problems DespIte the early hour (4 45AM), "Dawn's Early LIght" ultImately attracted crowds estImated
at 250.000 and neceSSItated full deployment ofpohce officers because of the event"s scope Pollee costs
for "DaVt'n's Early LIght" In 1991 Included overtIme deployment for the beach, PIer, and Promenade. Full
deployment was reqmred and event costs reached $78,273 Net beach parkmg revenue of $11,520 offset
some CIty expenses
Last year, for the first tIme, the CIty co-sponsored a fireworks dIsplay WIth Santa Monica College on
Saturday, July 1 Pnor to 1995, the College had reduced the dIsplay due to budget constramts but WIth
the Clty"S contnbutlOn of $5,000. fundmg was restored to Its prevIous levels As a result, the event was
a tremendous success The Fourth of July fireworks dIsplay and famIly pICnIC contmue to be highMAR 19 1996
popular WIth CIty reSIdents The College estllllates that apprOXImately 25.000 people attended the show
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. at the school's stadium However, Santa Momca Pohce records mdIcate no mCIdents relatmg to the event
and the Campus Police confirm that no secunty problems occured on campus dunng or followmg the
fireworks show
DISCUSSION
Staff proposes an afternoon commumty celebratIon sImIlar to the last two years' events m Palisades Park
It provIdes Santa MOllIca reSIdents With a chance to observe the Fourth of July hohday In a mann('ir whIch
would not attract the large crowd which has created concerns m past years
A Santa MOllica-based cultural events producer would plan the event for 1996 to appeal to all Santa
Momca reSIdents, mcluding fmmhes and semor cItIzens Performmg artIsts could lOclude clasSical and
folk mUSICIans, dancers. Jugglers, barbershop quartets and other performers traditionally associated With
Fourth of July celebrations This observance would take advantage of the geography of Palisades Park,
encouraglOg VISitors to stroll from the CalIfornia Inchne south by locatmg small groups of musiCians and
other performers along the Park's path The Fourth of July would be celebrated WlthlO the commumty
not as a productIOn spectacle, but rather as an Intimate l;. en_ m the Park,
In addItion. the CIty would serve as a co-sponsor of the fireworks dIsplay at Santa Monica College
planned thIS year for Saturday, June 29 RespondlOg to a request by the College to lOcrease the City'S
contrIbutIon thIS year. It IS recommended that the City Increase Its contrIbutIon from $5,000 III the prior
year to $10,000 to support an expanded fireworks display The College would also sustam Its cash and
m-kmd contnbutlon lOcludmg $5.000 for the fireworks dIsplay and $10.000 for other event costs The
comblOatlOn of the College and City celebrations would proVide CIty reSidents WIth a festIve commumty
onented Fourth of July
BUDGET AND FINANCIAL IMPACT
Costs assOCIated With co-sponsonng the Santa MOnIca College fireworks on Saturday, June 29 and
productIOn of a communIty celebratIOn on Thursday, July 4 m Pahsades Park would Include: college
fireworks, $10,000, commumty event productIon and talent, $15.000, banner deSign, production and
mstallatlOn $2,050. announcement postcard deSIgn, production and maIlmg $1,300, park mamtenance and
clean up, $1,000. staff overtune and contmgency, $650, for a total of $30,000
ThIS event would represent a major savlOgs over prevIOUS fireworks spectaculars whtle provldlOg the
CItIzens of Santa MOllIca WIth smaller scale but hIgh quahty events If Santa Monica produced "Dawn's
Early LIght" agam m 1996, minImal cost estImates are as follows PoIrce Costs, $50,000, Beach
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" Mamtenance, $15,500, Fireworks, $15,000, concert, $15,000, FIre Personnel $350, for a total of $95,850
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Funds are avaIlable for the proposed celebratiOn ill nondepartmental account 01-700-274-00000-7785-
00000 upon CouncIl authonzatlOn.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that Council endorse the proposed co-sponsorshIp of Santa MOllica College's June 29,
1996 fireworks celebratIon and productIon of an afternoon commumty event m PalIsades Park on July 4,
1996 and authorize staff to proceed With event planmng and preparation
Prepared by Barbara Stinchfield
Actmg Director, Community and Cultural Services
Maria LUIsa de Herrera
Cultural Arts AdmIOlstrator
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