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Select Board urges community fundraising after fireworks cost surge; town faces deposit deadline
Summary
After the town’s longtime pyrotechnics contractor set a new price of roughly $35,000 for a July 4 display, the board encouraged community donations routed through the Waterville Valley Foundation; the vendor requires a deposit and prefers a firm commitment by the end of April, with cancellation penalties increasing as July 4 approaches.
Waterville Valley’s Select Board on April 1 advised residents and local organizations to accelerate fundraising after learning the town’s longstanding fireworks contractor now lists a new customer price of about $35,000 for a Fourth of July display.
Assistant/administrator (speaker 3) told the board he and staff spoke to the pyrotechnics vendor and learned that new customers are quoted about $35,000 for a July 4 show and that the contractor would accept checks from other entities besides the town. The town currently holds a $3,000 pledge; the vendor requires a 10% deposit now (about $2,000) and said the earlier the town can provide a firmer commitment, the better.
"Their new rates for new customers right now are $35,000 for a 4th of July display this year," the assistant/administrator said. He told the board the contractor asked for a firmer commitment by the end of April to secure pricing and scheduling and warned that cancellation penalties rise as the event date approaches.
Cindy Picos, who is organizing community contributions for events, said groups are collecting checks via the Waterville Valley Foundation with notes indicating the intended use. "We're working on the fireworks," she told the board, and volunteers asked whether foundation routing would be acceptable. Board members agreed that the foundation could aggregate donor checks and forward funds to pay the vendor.
Board members set an internal target of May 20 to assess fundraising progress and said June 1 would be the practical cut‑off to avoid much higher cancellation penalties. The board also discussed whether donated funds could cover town costs for special detail, cleanup and other operational expenses; staff said town counsel will be asked to confirm the legal mechanics for accepting and expending donated funds toward both vendor and town overtime/cleanup costs.
If fundraising falls short, the board said it will cancel the contract and accept the cancellation penalty rather than shift contingency funds without a clear plan. The Select Board encouraged community groups and businesses to coordinate with the Waterville Valley Foundation and town staff to ensure timely collections and communications.
