New Year’s fireworks may return to the city of Naples, just not on New Year’s Eve. 

Naples City Council is mulling holding fireworks on New Year’s Day or a weekend instead of New Year’s Eve, when police officers are needed to focus on drunken drivers and other illegal activities, and an added event would strain the 95-officer police force.  

“New Year’s Eve fireworks has become something that [residents] are particularly passionate about and it stands at the very top of the list — or near the top of the list — of things that are important to them as an event,” Councilman Ray Christman said at an April 15 workshop discussion on special events. “So this is the dilemma and the reality that we’re facing. 

“And they say, ‘Look, this is why I live here, this is what I pay taxes for, this is what is important to me and cities and communities across Florida and the nation find a way to put it on, so why can’t we?’”  

The decision to cancel this past year’s New Year’s Eve fireworks occurred in September, when two fireworks contracts were up for approval; July 4th fireworks remained. The New Year’s fireworks cost $141,000 because they require a barge, increased police staffing and overtime salaries, plus other costs to ensure safety. 

Police Chief Ciro Dominguez had pointed out police resources are strained during the holidays due to heavy traffic, drunken drinking and large gatherings, and money could be better spent paying 10-12 more officers to patrol key areas and respond to noise complaints. He wanted to focus on fireworks being set off on beaches — a hazard to people and wildlife — in addition to traffic congestion, parties and drunken driving. 

The decision to cancel wasn’t communicated to Collier County until December, when it hit social media, giving the county little time to set up an event. But officials discussed a possible fireworks show at Paradise Coast Sports Complex next year. 

The annual event, which takes 20 minutes and begins at 7:30 p.m., brought about 20,000 people to city beaches to watch fireworks being launched near Naples Pier. The decision to cancel prompted hundreds of emails and angry social media posts and a recent push to reconsider.  

Aqualane Shores Association President Jerry Belle emailed city officials this month to say the association had conducted a survey and of 62 respondents, 50% love New Year’s Eve fireworks, 15% hate them and 35% would support them, but only if safety, crowds and traffic can be effectively managed — or if they weren’t on New Year’s Eve. 

Last month, the city’s Presidents’ Council, which represents dozens of homeowners associations citywide, emailed to suggest a smaller family event, possibly on New Year’s Day. 

At last week’s workshop, the chief called New Year’s Eve an “extended cultural holiday,” with fireworks, a lull and “then the real shenanigans start … If you want to keep a safer town, dealing with the things that happen during New Year’s Eve, I would rather have my staff on New Year’s Eve working DUIs and traffic and those kind of things.” 

This year, he said, extra patrols walked along Fifth Avenue South and drove along streets, prompting about 60 traffic stops and numerous arrests, including for guns, and there were disturbances, including a plane crash at Naples Airport in the early hours of New Year’s Day. 

Fire Chief Phillip Pennington said crowded streets make it harder to get to people quickly and fire truck access is “very difficult” and less safe. 

“On a regular day, where there’s a delay because of the amount of traffic on the road, now exponentially, that’s worse on New Year’s Eve, which is typically a busy night for fire-rescues across the nation,” Pennington added. 

But Presidents Council member Mary Young, who is president of the Old Naples Association, urged Council to consider a smaller event so residents get what they want — and possibly the Presidents Council could sponsor it or chip in money. 

“Not just move it a day but also shrink it in size and definitely work on a different way to communicate the invite,” Young said of not publicizing it. 

 Council members were divided, agreeing safety is the top concern, but opted to continue the discussion. City Manager Gary Young said city officials can talk with the Presidents Council, then bring those recommendations to City Council. 

This story was published in The Naples Press on April 25.