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Council weighs shifting Fundays fireworks to community-run model amid volunteer and insurance concerns
Summary
Swisher council discussed ending its multi-year fireworks contract and instead sponsoring Fundays so the Fundays committee can manage fireworks permitting and operations; members cited volunteer shortfalls and recent location concerns but did not take final action.
Councilors discussed whether to terminate the city’s multi-year fireworks agreement with a private pyrotechnics provider and instead become a sponsor of the annual Fundays event, giving the Fundays committee a fixed sponsorship amount to administer the fireworks and related programming.
The chair said that shifting to a sponsorship model could reduce staff time spent coordinating the event and would leave event logistics and permitting to the Fundays committee, but councilors raised questions about insurance, volunteer capacity and whether the committee could reliably manage the fireworks display. Staff and council recounted a complaint that year’s display was close to power lines and agreed to consult the Fundays committee before making any contractual change. No formal termination or new sponsorship appropriation was approved at the meeting; council requested a follow-up discussion after Fundays representatives are consulted.
