The Avalon City Council this week unanimously voted to hire Garden State Fireworks, Inc., to be the 2022 Fourth of July show vendor. Avalon has already hired a barge service.
Garden State’s bid of $38,000 was $3,000 higher than the competing bid from Pyro Spectaculars.
The council essentially voted to get a lot more bang for a little more buck.
Love Catalina Island will pay for the cost of the show, according to Hart’s staff report. The local business group agreed to pay whichever vendor the council selected.
“When you look at the two side by side, you get a whole lot more from Garden state, really,” said Community Services Director David Hart. He said Garden State would fire 7,000 more items into the air for $3,000 more.
“I think this is great,” said Councilmember Cinde MacGugan-Cassidy. She said this was not a request for proposal, so the council did not have to take the lowest bid.
“But it makes perfect sense to go with a show that’s going to be significantly better for vert little money on top of that,” Cassidy said.
“The total budget for Fourth of July events is $55,000,” according to Hart’s staff report to the March 1 meeting.
“The barge accounts for $30,000 and the USC marching band is estimated to cost $25,000, including transportation, lodging, and per diem,” Hart wrote.
“The cost for Fourth of July is spread out over two fiscal years as many of the expenses are not paid until after July 1,” Hart wrote.
The city contributes $30,000 for the barge and $25,000 for the USC Marching band, according to the report.
