Council approves $140,000 allocation and council subcommittee to explore July 4 fireworks options

The Cupertino City Council approved a one-time budget allocation of $140,000 to explore restoring a Fourth of July fireworks event in 2025 and formed a council subcommittee to develop implementation details.

Council member Ray Wong moved to allocate $140,000 and to form a subcommittee; Vice Mayor Katie Moore seconded the motion. Staff and council discussed practical constraints, including vendor availability, site suitability, staffing needs, liability and impacts on synthetic turf and newly installed solar panels. Recreation and Public Works staff told council that changing venues raises logistical hurdles — streets closures, additional staffing and coordination with sheriff and fire — and that some potential sites such as Hyde Middle School may be unusable while construction or solar-panel installation proceeds. Staff also said pyro vendors can propose mitigation steps (for example, covering solar panels) but that such measures and neighborhood fallout-zone impacts require agency coordination.

Public comment ranged from requests to keep funding for the event to objections rooted in public-safety and environmental concerns; one councilor expressly opposed fireworks because of recent fire risk and encouraged alternatives such as drone shows.

Council voted to approve the $140,000 allocation and to form a subcommittee comprising Council Member Ray Wong and Vice Mayor Katie Moore to gather information and return recommendations to the council. The motion carried with Council Member Mohan and Council Member Frohn voting no, per the recorded roll call.