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Uploaded: Wednesday, December 12, 2012, 2:24 PM
San Ramon City Council votes down fireworks for Independence Day 2013
Commission says it will continue to look at alternatives
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by Jessica Lipsky
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 | At its Tuesday meeting, San Ramon's City Council voted to confirm a recommendation not bring back fireworks in next year's July Fourth celebration without much fanfare. Council chambers were nearly empty for the final decision, after holding many meetings, public hearings and an online survey.
In October, the Parks and Community Services Commission voted to recommend that San Ramon's 2013 Independence Day celebration include a fun run, a concert and armed forces tribute, but no aerial fireworks display. The Council confirmed the recommendation in a 4-1 vote, with Vice Mayor Dave Hudson dissenting.
"To me, this is the most important event in San Ramon," he said.
But Council and commissioners agreed that an aerial display is cost prohibitive at $318,000 -- not necessarily a result of the fireworks themselves, but because of necessary additional safety personnel. Nearly all San Ramon Police employees are on hand during the event and are "becoming increasingly stretched thinner relative to these duties," according to city documents.
Approximately 30,000 people attended 2011's fireworks, compared with 2,000 in 2012, in what's become a regional rather than city event. Councilmember Phil O'Loane said the city couldn't cordon off Central Park to increased traffic or families who want to be center stage for the display.
Regarding the city's budget deficit and increased cost for aerial fireworks, O'Loane asked what residents would be willing to give up to balance the cost.
"If this then what not? Is this more important than soccer? I consider soccer more important even if I don't play it," he said.
A citizens group tasked with finding alternatives to the 2011 celebration also considered other locations for the fireworks display, as the future City Center would occupy the site where fireworks are currently set off. The Council agreed to work on a long range event plan for beyond 2013, Division Manager Esther Lucas said.
In a report to the Council, the citizens group had to identify a drop zone which could not be too close to homes. Member Dominique Yancey said using high school football stadiums would require permission from the school district and could damage the expensive turf. Yancy and the Parks Commission said they, too, would continue to look for alternatives.
City officials held community meetings on the future of fireworks as well as polls and online surveys using Open San Ramon. In an October 2012 survey of 287 residents living around elementary school zones, 202 were in favor of an event with on-site fireworks (an event like the 2011 celebration). Forty-two wanted an event with no fireworks.
Although Councilmember Scott Perkins said it was worthwhile to find an alternative launch site, he later agreed with the commission on budget and safety issues.
Roz Rogoff, a member of the citizens committee, was the only speaker during public comment and encouraged the Council to look for an alternative site. San Ramon should do something similar to the city of Cupertino and hold events in the park during the day and the fireworks later at night in a location not open to the public, she said. Roz Rogoff contributed to this article Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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Posted by Bud , a resident of the Danville neighborhood, on Dec 13, 2012 at 8:03 am Really, soccer is that important. To who, the crazed gas guzzling helicopter parents?
Really, such a stodgy unchanging un-American sport. Boring. The kids that play the gold levels grow up to hate it. So glad to see San Ramon is being taken over by a foreign sport instead of celebrating our traditional fourth of July
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Posted by Frank, a resident of the San Ramon neighborhood, on Dec 13, 2012 at 8:45 am Not surprising as a quick look around will show San Ramon going the way of Milpitas Fremont and Dublin---all NON-American cities. See the cheapo restaurants and stores springing up---ah diversity...
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Posted by Asian American, a resident of the Blackhawk neighborhood, on Dec 13, 2012 at 9:37 am Thank you. Resources would be well spent elsewhere enhancing the community. Being smart, diverse, progressive and inclusive is American!
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Posted by Dave, a resident of the Danville neighborhood, on Dec 13, 2012 at 9:48 am I heard the Danville city council passed an ordinance that will require residents of San Ramon to buy tickets for $5 each to attend the 4th of July Parade.
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Posted by San Ramon Observer, a resident of the San Ramon neighborhood, on Dec 13, 2012 at 10:29 am
San Ramon Observer is a member (registered user) of Danville Express While you Danvillains, to borrow a term from Tom Cushing, criticize members of our City Council, you folks were not exempt from contempt at the meeting either.
Councilmember Phil O'Loane mentioned the grumbling at the parade in Danville when it doesn't cost you anything. He said, "If Danville wants to kick in $175,000 ..." By the way soccer is VERY popular in San Ramon.
So go ahead and charge San Ramon residents $5 to attend YOUR parade. If you want YOUR fireworks display put your money where your mouth is or shut up.
Roz
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Posted by Tom Cushing, a resident of the Alamo neighborhood, on Dec 13, 2012 at 11:52 am Aw, Roz, you're gonna get me ville-ified for that terribly innocent transposition of the 'i' and the 'a.'
I have a few observations of my own, first, that I always enjoyed the San Ramon fireworks/celebration much more than the parade. I just don't see the point in watching pols, prom queens and self-promoters wheel-on-by in the noontime sun. Now, the precision lawn-mower brigade I loved; the pot-bellied shotgunners not-so-much.
I also think that whoever was tasked with developing the fireworks cost estimate was also ordered to "kitchen-sink" the number. We go to most of the A's fireworks games, and I have a hard time believing that the likes of the CCTimes or Kelly Moore Paints are shelling-out anything like $100K+ to sponsor/stage those events.
Finally, a fond memory ('cuz why not?). My family, and many others, used to watch the 'works from the hillside lawn of the Crow Canyon CC golf course. Perhaps to discourage us patriots, they would run the sprinklers intermittently throughout the evening. One year, when my younger daughter was just old enough to find it hilarious, she and I patrolled the grounds with five gallon buckets to place over each sprinkler and sit-on while it went off.
We were soaked, and popular. Hard choices, these days.
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Posted by JRM, a member of the Vista Grande Elementary School community, on Dec 13, 2012 at 5:20 pm A few quick observations to enlighten San Ramon political gadfly and perennially unsucessful candidate ROZ ROGOFF:
1) In my 28 years living in Danville I have never seen a "Prom Queen" in the annual 4th of July Parade..where did that come from? You have been candid about your obesity and struggles to find a suitable bicycle to support your girth in the past, why do you have to be so caustic regarding "Prom Queens" ? Even if a girl is selected "Prom Queen" so what? Live and let live.
2) In our house the term " Shut Up" is viewed as a serious pejorative and is not tolerated.
3) At last year's parade I asked a Sheriff directing traffic if he was getting paid that day and he said "nope, we are volunteering our time today as a patriotic act.
4) It's too bad San Ramon's explosive growth has had a predictable byproduct that the attendance has grown...HELLO ?
5) I agree with Dave Hudson in that this was San Ramon's one of many key events. Our national anthem has the line "as the rocket's red glare, the bomb's bursting in air" is a key part of the celebration of the day.
6) Too bad the San Ramon Police won't give up a day to serve the country given their incredibly lucrative salary and pension packages for ONE DAY. The Cop's pay was the reason for cancelling the event held for many many years.
Just my opinion, but it is what is is so let's stop the regional tribalism...one big earthquake and we will all need each other.
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Posted by Tom Cushing, a resident of the Alamo neighborhood, on Dec 13, 2012 at 7:44 pm C'mon JRM, certainly SOMEbody in one of those parades must've been a prom queen. As to everything after that first sentence, you're on your own. You seem to have manufactured a tumultuous uproar out of a little alliteration. I guess you like the parade -- and that's a wonderful thing.
Now, maybe if there's a precision fat-guys-on-bikes brigade in a future rendition, I'll change my mind -- hell, I might even join-up. 'Til then, you can have my ample spot on Hartz Ave.
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Posted by San Ramon Observer, a resident of the San Ramon neighborhood, on Dec 14, 2012 at 1:10 pm
San Ramon Observer is a member (registered user) of Danville Express Tom,
I read and reread my comment and nowhere do I mention "prom queens." So I suppose JRM was really replying to you, but threw in comments about my weight and bicycle; so at least JRM is reading my blogs. My latest one is on teeth straightening. If JRM needs some low price orthodontics, he/she should read my blog this week.
Of course folks in Danville don't need anything low priced, especially rentals to poor folks like me. I couldn't afford to live in Danville, which is fortunate since I don't want to. After reading some of the nasty message folks in Danville post regularly on the Express, I'm very happy to be living in San Ramon. I actually appreciate their snobby criticisms of our Council because it proves my point.
Roz
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