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Taos agrees to pursue July 4 fireworks show; chief outlines safety, budget and backup plans
Summary
Council gave staff direction to secure a professional fireworks display for July 4, with staff and the fire chief describing a roughly $20,000–$25,000 production, a likely launch site behind the middle school and contingency plans for weather and insurance.
The council on Monday directed staff to proceed with planning and purchasing a professional fireworks display for the July 4 celebration organized by Taylor's House, with the town fire chief describing safety and contingency measures.
Chief Abeyta told the workshop he had spoken with a vendor, Fireworks Productions of Arizona, and that the show would be largely the same as the previous year's. "We budgeted $20,000 last year for the show. It would be more or less the exact same show," he said. Staff later estimated current costs near $25,000 to allow for supply and price fluctuations. The chief said the vendor has product on its way and that the town must secure insurance naming the school, the town and the police department.
The tentative launch site is the old baseball field behind Taos Middle School. Abeyta said that site allows secure perimeters, locked gates and safer firing conditions than downtown: "It's a nice place for us because we could lock the gates ... it's all secure for us, and it's safe area." He said last year the display was three- to six-inch shells and that the town plans to maintain professional staffing and standby fire coverage during the event.
Councilors raised safety and operational questions. Councilor Martej asked how the town monitors weather and when it would cancel; Abeyta said the town typically makes a clearer decision about two weeks before the event and uses spot-weather forecasts and local resources to assess wind and fire risks. "We're basically looking at the next two weeks" for a reliable decision window, he said, adding that the contractor's insurance typically allows for rescheduling in the event of cancellation.
Councilors also asked about alternatives. Drone shows were discussed but described as far more expensive ("hundreds of thousands of dollars") and subject to the same wind constraints. Councilors asked staff to be clear in public messaging that the July 4 show is "weather permitting." The council also discussed coordinating concert end times and crowd egress so the fire department is not fully committed to both an event and a public-safety response.
Manager Martinez and Abeyta said staff will pursue the purchase and insurance, coordinate with school officials for site access, and finalize logistics. The workshop produced consensus direction for staff to secure the show and prepare contingency and public-notification plans; no formal vote was taken.
