Council Cancels Fourth of July Fireworks Show; New Event Planned

For the first time in 25 years, San Ramon will not have a fireworks show on the Fourth of July.

With more and more people coming to the fireworks show, the City Council determined the size of the event had outgrown the city's resources to host it, city manager Greg Rogers said.

The council instructed staff to come up with an alternative Fourth of July event, which could feature concerts. A final decision on what the event will look like could come as soon as Feb. 28, the council's next meeting.

The popularily of San Ramon's Star Spangled Spectacular has increased over the years, as neighboring cities have cancelled their own fireworks shows. San Ramon's fireworks show was the last in the Tri-Valley.

There were concerns that Central Park, where the event took place, was no longer large enough to handle the increased crowd. The increased attendance meant parking would be more difficult and having enough policie officers to keep the event safe would be a challenge, Rogers said.

Also at the meeting...

City Attorney Sheryl Schaffner announced she was leaving her position to take a a job with the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. Her last day will be March 16.