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At my request and following interest from several residents, Newark City administrative staff considered the option of allowing viewing of the Newark July 4^th fireworks from the reservoir. The staff involved in this evaluation all have direct involvement in the reservoir and/or the Liberty Day/Fireworks event on an ongoing basis and were deemed to be in the best position to assist in this evaluation. The following information is shared to better explain the decision to not allow fireworks viewing to occur at the reservoir site.

Newark's ten years of experience in offering July 4th fireworks was helpful to this evaluation effort. What is certainly a wonderful day for our community from the standpoint of a quality program, close to home with good attendance is without a doubt an extremely large undertaking to our organization. Our departments are already strained to fill the existing staffing requirements for this one-day celebration.

In evaluating this request they approached the subject by first acknowledging that the reservoir is certainly an attractive location to view our fireworks. In addition, they considered the staffing requirements such an option would require. It seems the staffing requirements were expected to be considerable. Additionally, it is thought that once word was out that the site was open for viewing it would become overwhelmed.

First and foremost, fireworks draw huge crowds, long before the start of the show, often with food and drink, and often in excess of the areas capacity. All evaluating this request were in agreement that opening the reservoir site to viewing of the July 4th fireworks would bring with it the following requirements/concerns:
. Additional clean-up associated with food and drink - often alcohol
. Requirement to light the area to allow for safe departures
. Requirement to provide police and traffic control to the area
. Inappropriate limitations to emergency or other access to Old Paper Mill Rd.
. Complaints from Nonantum Mills - parking/property trespass/etc.
. Difficulty in staffing areas of need and additional cost to day's event

While these requirements, with the exception of one access road, are currently being experienced at the University site, adding them at the reservoir was thought to be inconsistent with the strict set of rules we want the community to embrace at this water facility. In addition, Chief Townley of Aetna Fire Department expressed extreme concern related to the possibility of increasing demand on what is naturally a busy evening. He suggested that his years of observing the level of alcohol consumption on this holiday and mixing that fact with the reservoir site would be a mistake.

It was therefore recommended that the Newark Reservoir not be opened for viewing of the July 4th fireworks. Newark will station one officer at the site from late afternoon through the end of the program to ensure that crowds do not gather. Likewise, the parking lot will be blocked to prevent access on this day. This decision is believed to be in the best interest of the City, the reservoir and our citizens.

I am still interested in finding a way to do this. But, given the concerns from the Police, Aetna and other City Departments, I don't see City Council directing the City to do this at this time.