REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approve Budget Modification No. 19 in the Amount of $500,000 for the 2025 Fourth of July Celebration Event
Report
BACKGROUND
The City of Sunnyvale is planning a Fourth of July Celebration Event for 2025 as in years past. In 2024, a new type of event included a drone show at Baylands Park drawing an unexpected crowd size of approximately 8,000-10,000 people.
Council requested staff research the feasibility and analyze the cost to host a Fourth of July celebration event for Sunnyvale residents. The purpose of this report is for Council to review associated costs, determine feasibility and interest, and allocate required funding to host a Fourth of July celebration event in Sunnyvale in 2025. This year’s Fourth of July celebration event will not feature a drone show due to higher cost, lack of location for an event of that scope, limited staffing resources and inability to secure mutual aid from neighboring cities on the Fourth of July due to competing events, but will focus on a family style celebration throughout the downtown area.
DISCUSSION
July is Park and Recreation Month, and this year’s theme is “Build Together, Play Together.” This theme celebrates the many ways park and recreation professionals across the country foster a sense of belonging in their communities by providing welcoming and inclusive programs, essential services for all ages and abilities, and safe, accessible spaces to build meaningful connections. The proposed celebration event would take place in the Sunnyvale downtown area as a free, family-friendly event designed to bring the community together to celebrate each other, the City of Sunnyvale, and our nation’s independence. The event will run from the late morning to the late afternoon. An alternate site would be the Civic Center, where many City events are held. The celebration will include:
• Carnival games
• Crafts and activities for children
• A celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Department of Public Safety
• Entertainment stage
In addition to the cost of the entertainment, there will be internal service costs, specifically staff overtime and contract staff costs, for the following supporting departments: Library and Recreation Services Department, Department of Public Safety, and Department of Public Works (Streets and Parks), as well as rental equipment for stages, booths, etc.
The estimated cost for a 2025 Fourth of July family fun celebration event is $500,000. This amount includes staffing, safety services, traffic control, marketing, carnival games and activities, craft supplies, music and sound projection, and rentals for transporting supplies and equipment.
FISCAL IMPACT
Budget Modification No. 19 has been prepared to appropriate $500,000 from the General Fund Service Level Set Aside to a new project - Fourth of July Celebration Event. Staff will include the ongoing component for consideration with the FY 2025/26 Recommended Budget along with proposed resources for increased service levels around special event programming.
Budget Modification No. 19
FY 2024/25
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Current |
Increase/(Decrease) |
Revised |
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General Fund |
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Expenditures |
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New Project - Fourth of July Celebration Event |
$0 |
$500,000 |
$500,000 |
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General Fund |
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General Fund - Service Level Set Aside |
$3,231,677 |
($500,000) |
$2,731,677 |
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council meeting agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board at City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Public Library and in the Department of Public Safety Lobby. In addition, the agenda and this report are available at the City Hall reception desk located on the first floor of City Hall at 456 W. Olive Avenue (during normal business hours), and on the City's website.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve Budget Modification No. 19 in the Amount of $500,000 for the 2025 Fourth of July Celebration Event.
Staff
Prepared by: Laura Jammal, Management Analyst, Library and Recreation Services
Reviewed by: Jesus Raygoza, Superintendent of Recreation Services
Reviewed by: Michelle Perera, Director, Library and Recreation Services
Reviewed by: Matt Paulin, Director, Finance
Reviewed by: Phan Ngo, Chief, Public Safety
Reviewed by: Trudi Ryan, Director, Community Development
Reviewed by: Chip Taylor, Director, Public Works
Reviewed by: Sarah Johnson-Rios, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Tim Kirby, City Manager