Council approves holiday lights, equipment purchases, fireworks plan and several routine items

Bryce Canyon City Council on an omnibus series of motions approved a set of purchases and routine actions, including permanent holiday lighting for two municipal buildings, equipment for the wellness center, the town’s annual fireworks program and replacement mortar racks, planning commission recommendations, warrant approval and a motion to enter executive session on a personnel matter.

The council voted to proceed with installation of permanent holiday lighting on two buildings and an additional section of the west side of the park area, excluding the shuttle station, with a stated cap of about $30,000. The council also approved the wellness center equipment purchase — a kit of sports balls, accessories and vests described as totaling under $2,000 — and approved buying new racks and related components to support the July fireworks program (the council selected the vendor’s “program B” and authorized replacement racks and parts). Planning- and procedural items the council approved included a building addition considered by the planning commission and routine warrants.

Council members introduced the motions and recorded unanimous “aye” votes on the items that had formal roll-call-style prompts; specific tallies were not stated on the record. Several members asked for modest limits (for example, a “not to exceed” figure for the lighting installation) and staff said they would coordinate details with vendors and contractors.

Lighting: Council discussion about the permanent lighting project centered on scope and phasing. Staff presented a vendor proposal that listed three buildings and a total project cost of about $32,005.66; during discussion council members said they preferred finishing the two main buildings and the worst section of the west side, and asked staff to exclude the shuttle station from the first phase. The council adopted a motion to proceed with the two buildings and the west-side section, with a stated not-to-exceed figure.

Wellness center equipment: Staff described a package of basketballs, accessories and practice vests (balls priced in the meeting at about $106 each; practice vests $120 each). Council approved the purchase after a motion and second; staff said the purchase would remain under $2,000.

Fireworks and racks: The fireworks vendor told the council price pressure and supply-chain issues have pushed costs upward. Council members voted to proceed with the vendor’s recommended program (referred to as program B) and to buy replacement racks and components to improve safety and reliability. The council discussed the program’s cost (the vendor gave a figure near $6,250 to preserve the present number of shots) and authorized targeted rack replacements (the staff-quoted example total for some rack pieces was roughly $2,680). Council members said fireworks would continue to be fired by trained personnel and noted the town would restrict personal fireworks as allowed by fire restrictions.

Other approvals: The council approved a planning-commission-recommended addition to a private residence (the planning commission vote was unanimous among members present) and approved the monthly warrants. The council then voted to enter a short executive session to discuss an employee matter.

Meeting minutes and procedural motions (approval of the agenda and previous minutes) were approved earlier in the meeting by voice vote.

What the motions actually authorized: the council authorized staff to proceed with the lighting work (two buildings + west-side section, shuttle station excluded), to purchase the wellness-center equipment package and to proceed with the fireworks program and rack purchases as presented, subject to staff completing vendor paperwork and purchase orders.