Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the July 4 Parade Route topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee leans toward shorter July 4 parade route due to staffing and barricade limits; no final change yet
Summary
Public-safety staff told trustees expanding the parade across Capitol Drive would require additional squads and equipment the department lacks; committee discussed keeping the route to Atwater and compressing schedule to reduce staffing impacts. No formal change was adopted; the matter will proceed to full board discussion.
Shorewood trustees and public-safety staff debated the July 4 parade route and operational feasibility, with public-safety representatives urging caution about extending the route across Capitol Drive because of staffing and barricade constraints.
Public-safety staff said crossing Capitol would require multiple police squads to block north-south traffic plus crews to clear barricades and reestablish closures at the fireworks staging area. "We have 1 squad in the front of the freight, 2 squads in the back of the freight, so that's a total of 6 squads, and we don't have enough squads to do that," a public-safety speaker said, explaining limited personnel and the overtime burden of reassigning crews for parade and fireworks operations.
Staff reported that past routes that ended at Atwater produced strong neighborhood participation, particularly on Elmsdale, and that attendance south of Capitol had been minimal in some recent years. Trustees who favored returning to the pre-2020 route that reached River Park described the southern terminus as a community highlight, but acknowledged the operational trade-offs in personnel, barricade staging and timing.
Committee members suggested several possible mitigations: renting additional barricades, compressing the parade schedule to allow quicker turnover, and moving the start time earlier in the day to reduce conflicts with fireworks staging. Staff emphasized physical constraints — driveway and alley access, train crossings and the time needed to transfer barricades and equipment from one route to another — as reasons the village may not be able to sustain a longer route with current staffing levels.
No formal vote was taken to change the route; staff will carry the discussion forward to the full board for consideration and to explore whether equipment rental or schedule changes could make the longer route feasible in future years.
Ending
The committee did not adopt a route change. Staff and trustees will continue evaluating equipment rental, schedule adjustments and staffing plans ahead of final board action.
