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ALPENA – The Alpena Municipal Council voted 3-2 on Monday to schedule the city's 2027 Independence Day fireworks display for July 3, rather than on July 4, prioritizing lower overtime costs for city staff, logistical ease, and a more family-oriented experience.
Council members Bridget Hollinshead, Mayor Cindy Johnson and Karol Walchak supported the motion, while Kevin Currier and Danny Mitchell voted against it.
The approved agreement authorizes a $25,000 contract with Small Town Saturday Night Fireworks, the same vendor that has produced Alpena's shows for the past two years, and grants City Manager Rachel Smolinski authority to sign the documents. The deal covers only the 2027 event.
Fire Chief Andy Marceau presented council a pair of recommendations, one for July 3 and the other for July 4. Council decided to go with the fireworks show the day before the holiday. City staff had contacted the company and confirmed it could perform on either date. After reviewing the proposal's length, quality, safety measures, weather contingency plans and the crew's ability to launch from pontoons on Thunder Bay, Marceau endorsed the firm.
"Based on the proposal and the company's successful history with the city, I recommend selecting Small Town Saturday Night Fireworks to conduct the 2027 display," Marceau wrote. "Duane and his crew were professional, dependable, and excellent to work with."
Johnson asked Marceau whether city staff preferred July 3 or July 4 after previous shifts to the third. "They prefer the third," Marceau replied.
Smolinski echoed the operational advantages. "It's more cost effective for us due to the fact there is a lot of overtime on the fourth. Logistically, it's easier as well," she said.
Police Chief Eric Hamp and Marceau both described the overtime burden on July 4 as extensive. Hamp noted that some officers worked from 8 a.m. until midnight on the holiday in prior years. Resources, staffing levels and overtime expenses ranked as the top factors driving the choice, council members and department heads agreed.
The Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce raises the $25,000 needed to pay the fireworks contractor. The city itself contributes no direct funds for the display but supplies personnel from the police department, fire department and department of Public Works. Because those employees already face heavy holiday demands on the Fourth, shifting the show to the third reduces overtime strain on the municipal budget.
Council members also cited family considerations. Duane Mocherman, owner of Small Town Saturday Night Fireworks, told officials that the third tends to create a calmer atmosphere. "In my experience the third typically winds up being more of a family-oriented environment. Because most families have off on the fourth, and the fireworks are shot off in the evening, it works out better for families to be out the night of the third," he said.
Johnson reinforced the point during discussion.
"First, the impact it has on the city's budget, holding the fireworks on the Fourth, if you listened to last night's meeting, five out of seven communities prefer July 3rd. This year, the third falls on a Saturday. If we hold it on Sunday, many people have to work on Monday; it makes more sense from that aspect," she said.
A Chamber of Commerce survey conducted earlier this summer collected community input on both the preferred date and likelihood of attendance. Of the 329 respondents answering the date question, a majority favored Sunday, July 4, while roughly one-third preferred Saturday, July 3, and about 10 percent expressed no preference.
Marceau's memorandum noted that the city could not delay a decision any longer. Fireworks companies book far in advance, and Small Town Saturday Night Fireworks needed to lock in its 2027 schedule. Waiting risked losing the preferred vendor or the available dates.
Johnson said the city could explore alternatives to traditional pyrotechnics in future years, such as drone shows.
"I think it would be worth a conversation to look at more eco-friendly fireworks over pyrotechnics that pollute the water, land, wildlife, and people. Not to mention the noise that hurts people with certain medical conditions like PTSD and animals who are terrorized by the noise," Johnson said.
Johnson also suggested distributing another survey to gather fresher public data, observing that residents remain divided on the timing question.