TC Boom Boom Club has safety plan

May 16—TRAVERSE CITY — The boom and flash of Fourth of July fireworks are one summer tradition that could return to Traverse City in 2021.

First, city commissioners must approve TC Boom Boom Club's permit application. They previously asked for more information on how to conduct the event safely during what's widely hoped to be the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.

A two-page safety plan from the nonprofit dedicated to raising funds and organizing the show that coincides with the National Cherry Festival spells out how both organizations would work to educate people about social distancing, when to wear a mask and more through various media types and signs posted in three popular bay front parks. The signs and messaging would also thank attendees who are vaccinated.

TC Boom Boom Club President Tim Hinkley said the organization wants people to have fun on what's supposed to be an upbeat day.

"It may somewhat sound altruistic but I just think you have to keep on reiterating that, let's be safe out there," he said. "Years before, even when there wasn't a pandemic, it was still about being safe and responsible for one another, and we want you to have a good time, but we also want people to respect others."

Two official stances on facemasks changed after the fireworks organization drafted the plan in consultation with the Grand Traverse County Health Department and Traverse City Fire Chief Jim Tuller.

The Center for Disease Control and Infection on Thursday announced guidance that fully vaccinated people can go maskless in most settings. And on Saturday, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' more lax facemask order took effect.

Michigan now requires those in charge of an "establishment" — an umbrella term covering businesses, offices both private and government, schools, organized events and more — to make a good faith effort to ensure everyone wears a mask unless they fall under one of several exceptions, including being fully vaccinated. That applies to indoor settings, while for large outdoor gatherings, MDHHS still urges wearing masks in crowded settings, particularly for the unvaccinated.

Those changes will require the TC Boom Boom Club to make changes to the safety plan, Hinkley said.

As originally drafted, the plan would base future decisions on the state's MI Vacc to Normal Challenge, which links lessening of capacity and crowd size limits to vaccination rates statewide. The state would rescind its gatherings and facemask order completely once the statewide rate hits 70 percent — that's 5,667,842 residents. As of Saturday, the state sat at 55.7 percent.

The club is proposing basing any future decisions about fireworks on Grand Traverse County's vaccination rate, with 70 percent as the goal, Hinkley said.

Grand Traverse vaccinations are among the best in the state, at 61 percent as of Saturday, according to state data. Leelanau County's was even better, at 68.6 percent, and Benzie wasn't far behind at 58.34.

Neighboring counties lag behind, with Antrim at 53.2 percent, Kalkaska at 43.3, Missaukee at 43.95 and Wexford at 46.98 as of the same date.

Hinkley acknowledged that based on past experience it's likely people from around the region, not just Grand Traverse County, will attend the fireworks. But the county's vaccination rate should serve as a good starting point, he said.

This year's scaled-back National Cherry Festival is likely to have some impact, but he said that's hard to predict.

"I think we'll still have a lot of people locally who come on multiple occasions and we are going to have people travelling up here who want to have a good time," he said.

Trevor Tkach, a TC Boom Boom Club board member, said he views the fireworks as an opportunity to offer a well-organized event versus "rogue" fireworks shows. He believes those would be less safe, and pointed to packed beaches seen last summer as a reason to ask why July 4 should be treated differently.

"We've really got an opportunity to communicate — not just the Fourth of July, but all summer long — what does the best behavior look like and what do best practices look like," he said.

TC Boom Boom Club's plan seemed reasonable enough, city Commissioner Roger Putman said. But it's only a piece of paper, and any organization needs to make a concerted effort to make it happen.

The onus can't be entirely on the organizer, either, Putman said.

"The people that participate in the event and enjoy it have some responsibility as well to consider the safety element of larger gatherings and social interaction, especially when the pandemic is, of course, still pretty much out there," he said.

Putman agreed that politicization and polarization of public health questions is likely to be a factor in how well people follow along — or don't.

He's planning to oppose the fireworks permit, but for a different reason: concerns over how fireworks displays affect veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Tkach said it's a valid concern, and one of the reasons why the show is so heavily promoted. That gives anyone who may want to avoid the show time to take precautions and avoid exposure.

Commissioner Christie Minervini said she agrees with the safety plan and supports the permit application, especially in light of new CDC and MDHHS guidance.

But she's been caught between those who say they're fully vaccinated and ready to get back to normal, and those who say vaccines should be a choice and she shouldn't be telling them what they can do. Her advice to anyone planning on seeing the fireworks (should they be approved) is to get vaccinated within the next week.

"There will be a crowd and there will be unmasked people, and that's how you get COVID if you're unvaccinated," she said.

Tkach agreed the latest orders put a considerable onus on individuals.

"It's completely linked to our liberties now, we have to make choices, we need to follow guidelines that are keeping ourselves safe and keeping our neighbors safe," he said.

It's one item on a packed agenda including:

* Two public hearings, one on the July 2021-through-June 2022 city budget and an application for as much as $27.49 million for several wastewater-related projects;

* Considering making a request for proposals to redevelop city parking Lot O at State and Cass streets;

* Accepting $3,966,900 from the Michigan Department of Transportation for bridge work on East Eighth, Cass and Park streets; and

* Deciding whether to appeal a 13th Circuit Court ruling stopping construction of FishPass, the fish passage channel and weir proposed to replace the Union Street Dam.