Fireworks will light up the sky on Independence Day, but whether they’re set off from Downtown Naperville or somewhere else, is still up in the air.
Frontier Park or Downtown
City staff worked with organizers of Naperville Salute and came up with Frontier Park as the location. Its wider space allows for fireworks to be shot higher be seen from further away.
But several public speakers and council members said the traditional downtown location is preferred.
“It’s always been downtown,” said Councilman Paul Hinterlong. “I don’t see why we should change it for one year. I think it will at the end of the day confuse more people. They’ll show up downtown and it won’t be here. And likewise next year, if they were out there then people will expect them out there again and it will be back downtown. I don’t see a reason to change that.”
Options for Future Fireworks Displays
Councilman Benny White and Mayor Steve Chirico said they liked the idea of moving the fireworks around town each year.
“Why is it just one location?” asked Chirico. “We’re a much bigger city than what we were. Maybe they could do – and I don’t know if they have the bandwidth to do this this year, but something to think about is multiple locations so that people can see it more conveniently, depending on where they live.”
Chirico also said, however, he understood the argument for a consistent location in this turbulent time.
Since there won’t be another council meeting prior to the fourth, council gave City Manager Doug Krieger the authority to finalize plans with Naperville Responds for Veterans, organizers of the Naperville Salute, and make the best plan for Independence Day.
Short-Term Rental Properties
Council also discussed short-term rental properties. After recent incidents, including multiple parties at a house at 843 Santa Maria Drive, city staff brought back some options for council. Those included establishing fines for complaints, and placing limits on parking, noise, minimum length of stay, occupancy, and more.
“A number of other cities have done it,” said Councilman Patrick Kelly. “We certainly wouldn’t be breaking new ground to have an ordinance like this. If you look at the write up, there is well over a dozen, or a couple of dozen municipalities in the area who have done this.”
The group voted unanimously to create an ordinance that would set occupancy and parking limits for short-term rentals, as well as create a fine schedule for future violations.
Naperville News 17’s Casey Krajewski reports.
