Capitola City Council unanimously voted last week to support the continuation of the Monte Foundation Fireworks Show held every fall on the Capitola Wharf and direct staff to coordinate with the nonprofit to obtain the required permit for the event, while also looking for alternatives to fireworks.
The Rudolph Monte Foundation has been putting on firework shows in Santa Cruz County since 1996 to raise money for local schools and projects. The organization celebrated its 30th anniversary in October and is scheduled to put on its next fireworks show on the Capitola Wharf on Oct. 12 this year.
The free event typically draws around 10,000 spectators and raises money through donations from local businesses, which have helped fund community projects such as improvements to McGregor Skate Park, the Jade Street Park tennis court and the children’s wing of the Capitola Library.
Holding the fireworks on the wharf means the event requires a permit from the California Coastal Commission, which regulates events held over coastal waters. The foundation’s previous five-year coastal development permit expired last year.
The Coastal Commission has shown a preference for issuing permits directly to public agencies rather than private organizations, city staff wrote in a report to council, prompting Thursday’s vote on whether the city should help the foundation obtain a new coastal development permit.
While the council voted to help the foundation get a coastal permit, it held off on allowing the event to happen until they could study the environmental impacts.
However, the fireworks show has become a controversial subject recently among some residents who have complained about loud noises and pollution caused by the pyrotechnic display.
Thursday’s vote prompted dozens of emailed responses from residents, many of whom cited environmental concerns and described the fireworks show as traumatizing to animals and humans.
At the Capitola City Council meeting, a man who identified himself as JP said that while he’s had a chance to enjoy the show in great locations he’s concerned about the amount of litter that’s left over.
He recalls going down Cliff Drive on the morning after the show and seeing a thick layer of litter laying all over the ground.
“This was early in the morning and the draft from the cars and breeze was blowing everything into the bay,” JP said. “I looked at that and it really turned me off of it, and I just had to say I can’t support the fireworks any longer,” he added.
He isn’t alone when it comes to being fed up with the amount of trash left behind. Skip Allan, a 50-year resident of Capitola and professional sailor, says he is also done with the event.
Allan, who described himself as an advocate for clean air and oceans, told the council he recalls seeing lots of trash the morning after the firework show.
“For as long as we’ve had fireworks here, I’ve gone out on Monday morning at sunrise to start cleaning up,” Allan said. “There was a lot of stuff on the beach, the wharf, and I could see it in the water too. Later I would go out on the water in my kayak and I would find pollution in the kelp, which really disturbed me,” he added.
Others urged the city council to continue to support the event, saying it was a longstanding tradition that helped build community pride.
“While I certainly empathize with those with pets or for whom fireworks can reignite trauma, shared connection and community experiences also have value,” wrote resident David McCormic, “value that should not [be] extinguished through an act of political calculus.”
Michael Monte, vice president of the Monte Foundation, disputed the complaints that his event has a negative effect on the environment.
“We’ve been doing this for 30 years and in the 30 year history of the show, we’ve never had any deleterious effects and it’s noted by all those that go looking at the scenery after the show,” Monte said.
City Manager Jamie Goldstein, said that no fireworks or show could result in no donations in the upcoming year.
Councilmembers Alexander Pedersen and Melinda Orbach both expressed an understanding for both sides of the argument, saying that they want to do what’s best for Capitola by finding a happy medium.
During the meeting both city councilmembers suggested alternatives to traditional fireworks, like drones, lasers, and reduced-sound fireworks.
Orbach said she was concerned about the city’s liability if future fireworks events cause damage.
“With the raging fires going on in Southern California, I also worry about fire risks,” she said. “And after spending millions of dollars repairing our wharf, I don’t want to see this event killed, I just want the staff to sit down with the Monte foundation and see what other options we can explore.”
The city plans on working with the foundation to apply for the permit, however they will also try to negotiate with the foundation to see if there could be an alternative.