Plantation council approves two‑year fireworks contract and asks staff to study drone alternatives

Plantation’s City Council on Feb. 11 approved a two‑year term agreement for the city’s Independence Day fireworks display but several council members urged staff to return with publicly posted cost comparisons for drone‑show alternatives before the second contracted year.

Councilmember Reinstein raised concerns about the effects of fireworks on veterans with PTSD, children with autism and pets, and said residents deserve more information before authorizing a multi‑year contract. “I’m a little concerned with voting on it right now without the information that I just received on the drones,” Reinstein said, asking for the drone comparison to be published for public review.

Procurement Director Tom Charles Smith told the council there is a timing constraint to secure a contractor slot and that the contract contains a termination‑for‑convenience clause. “If we miss a window, then it gets absorbed by some other agency or some other private agency,” Smith said, and confirmed the contract allows the city to opt out with at least 30 days’ written notice.

Councilmember Fadgen opposed removing fireworks altogether and said the drone show used for the city’s 70th anniversary had not produced the same audience excitement; Fadgen and others supported approving the current contract to avoid losing a show date. “The thought of not having fireworks on the Fourth of July is just undesirable to me,” Fadgen said.

The council voted to approve the two‑year fireworks agreement on a roll call vote. Council members also asked staff to return with a public, itemized comparison of drone‑show costs and with options for a combined drone‑and‑fireworks presentation for future consideration.

What happens next: the contract was approved; staff will preserve the option to cancel the second year under the termination clause and will return with publicly available cost comparisons and alternatives before the next decision point.