Council won't sponsor fireworks show

The Shafter City Council decided not to help pay for the Chamber of Commerce 3rd of July Fireworks Show.

City Manager Gabriel Gonzales said that the city had discussed the proposal and deemed it okay for the city to be a Patriot Sponsor for the annual event. Gonzales said that the show is attended by the public, allowing it to help fund the event.

At the first-ever meeting at Gossamer Grover's Community Park Tuesday night, Councilmember Gilbert Alvarado asked Gonzales if the chamber had trouble getting funding for the event, seeing that the city had never sponsored it in the past. Gonzales said that the chamber solicits donations, in addition to asking for assistance from the public.

Mayor Chad Givens said that he understood the concerns of the members of the council, but felt that this was a different situation. "The Chamber of Commerce is almost like our sister organization, and I would be for becoming a sponsor."

Mayor Pro-Tem Cathy Prout stated that it is the chamber's responsibility to get the funds for the event. "I have been involved in the chamber board for years, and they have always solicited funds from different sources, getting the money for the event. I think that we would be opening a door that would see a lot of organizations expecting the same consideration and assistance. I do not agree with sponsoring the event."

Givens said that it was a dead issue.

In the presentation portion of the meeting, Givens gave proclamations to the Shafter Police Department's Officers for National Police Week, May 10-16. He also presented a proclamation to the SPD's Public Telecommunicators, in observance of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. "The dispatchers are the first response that the public encounters when they contact the Police Department, being the first voice that they hear, which is so important in an emergency situation."

Givens also gave an award to Angie Nelson and Ana Vigil, as part of the celebration of 40 years that CAPK has been serving the community of Shafter. Nelson and her staff oversee the Shafter Youth Center, regular food distributions to the community, after-school programs, as well as WIC and other services for the entire community. Nelson said, "We are proud to be serving the city of Shafter and its youth, as well as the adults, giving all of the residents assistance when they are in need."

The council also recognized their municipal clerks as part of Municipal Clerks Week, May 5-11.