Council approves Taste of Brighton regatta and fireworks on Mill Pond, with water tests and legal safeguards

Brighton City Council on May 2025 approved an amendment to the Taste of Brighton civic-event permit to allow a daytime boat regatta and a nighttime fireworks show on the Mill Pond, but the council attached specific conditions before the event can proceed.

The council voted to approve the amendment with conditions that require: water-quality testing close to the event date (staff recommended testing the week of July 6, with discretion given to staff to schedule testing as close to the event as possible depending on lab turnaround), city-attorney review and approval of the participant waiver, proof of insurance and indemnification of the city by the event sponsor (Friends of the Taste of Brighton), and any other safety conditions identified by the fire marshal. Council member Gibson made the motion; Council member Pettengill seconded. The motion carried unanimously.

Why it matters: The Mill Pond has been largely a passive recreation area; the proposal to stage boats and fireworks drew detailed discussion about public-health risks, safety staffing and precedent for future events on the pond. Council balanced community enthusiasm and public-safety caution by approving the amendment while imposing explicit conditions that staff must verify before the event proceeds.

What council and staff required

- Water testing: Staff and the Brighton Area Fire Authority (BAFA) asked the applicant to obtain bacterial testing (including E. coli and total coliforms) from an independent lab. Council required testing as close to the event as practicable so results reflect conditions the day of the event; the motion references testing in the week of July 6 (with staff discretion to shift based on lab turnaround and weather).

- Safety and on-site response: The event application requires a dedicated dive team on-site during the regatta, a rescue and medical presence (ambulance on standby), life jackets for participants and signage prohibiting swimming. BAFA conducted a dive survey of the Mill Pond and reported no visible hazards in the planned regatta area and a depth of about six feet at the planned site.

- Legal protections and documentation: The council required that the participant waiver and release be reviewed and approved by the city attorney and that the event organizers provide proof of insurance and an indemnification agreement naming the city as additional insured.

- DNR clearance: Because fireworks would occur over the Mill Pond (a water body), the applicant still must obtain any required Department of Natural Resources approvals before the fireworks can be launched.

Applicant and public remarks

Patty Thomas, assistant to the DPS director, presented the amendments and the civic-event committee's recommendation, noting BAFA had done a dive inspection and the fire marshal had provided a written approval conditioned on required precautions. "The BAFTA dive team did... to see if there were any visible hazards. They did not find any visible hazards," Thomas said (presentation excerpt).

Ken Larscheid of RunningLab and the Believe in Brighton board described the applicant's precautions and supported the requirement for water testing. "Due diligence on water quality and water safety is always a a good thing," Larscheid said.

Council concerns and response

Council members acknowledged the recreational appeal and community draw of a Mill Pond event but raised concerns about public-health risks after rainfall, precedent-setting for future use of the pond and liability exposure. Director Gosh (DPS) noted that storm events can temporarily elevate bacteria levels and agreed testing should be timed after dry days to better reflect safe conditions; he also said staff could add an additional test closer to the event if lab turnaround allowed.

Council member Gibson, who moved the amendment, said a negative early test would allow planning to proceed and that final approval should be conditional on tests, waivers and insurance. Council member Albert asked that council require annual council review for future events at the Mill Pond if the program becomes recurring.

Implementation and next steps

The event organizer will arrange independent water-quality sampling and provide results to staff. The fireworks vendor and the event sponsor must secure DNR approvals for fireworks over a waterbody, supply proof of insurance and execute an indemnification acceptable to the city attorney. Staff will confirm final conditions have been met before issuing a final permit for the fireworks and regatta.

Provenance: Council discussion and the vote on the amendment appear in the meeting transcript during the civic-event item (see provenance below).