Resolution 2025-070Resolution No. 2025-70
A RESOLUTION OF THE UNITED CITY OF YORKVILLE, ILLINOIS, AUTHORIZING A
CONTRACT WITH CHICAGO DRONE LIGHT SHOWS FOR A CITY -SPONSORED
FIREWORKS AND DRONE LIGHT SHOW DISPLAY FOR DULY 4, 2026
WHEREAS, the United City of Yorkville (the "City") is a duly organized and validly
existing non home -rule municipality created in accordance with the Constitution of the State of
Illinois of 1970 and the laws of the State; and
WHEREAS, the City's Municipal Code provides that the City may approve contracts for
supplies, materials and equipment that have not been competitively bid by a two-thirds affirmative
vote of the City Council; and
WHEREAS, the City plans to host a fireworks show for the enjoyment of residents on
July 4, 2026; and
WHEREAS, the City released a Fireworks RFP in 2021, to which only one business
responded, Mad Bomber Fireworks Productions ("Mad Bomber"); and
WHEREAS, the City has contracted with Mad Bomber for the supply of fireworks and
related set up and production for fireworks shows that the City has hosted for at least four years,
and the City and Bristol Kendall Fire Protection District maintain an outstanding relationship with
Mad Bomber; and
WHEREAS, the City wishes to conduct a drone light show in addition to a fireworks show
at the 2026 July 4ch celebration, and Mad Bomber has therefore recommended the City contract
with Chicago Drone Light Shows, a company affiliated with Mad Bomber that specializes in drone
shows; and
WHEREAS, July 4, 2026 is the 250th birthday of the United States of America, and
therefore, Mad Bomber recommended the City secure a contract for a July 4, 2026 fireworks show
earlier than usual; and
WHEREAS, the City, therefore, desires to enter into a new contract with Chicago Drone
Light Shows for a fireworks and drone show the City will be hosting during the 2026 calendar
year; and
Resolution No. 2025-70
Page 1
WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Council have determined that it is in the best interests of
the health, safety and welfare of the City and its residents to authorize and approve a contract
between the City and Chicago Drone Light Shows for the purchase of a fireworks and drone
display and related set up and production of said display.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Mayor and City Council of the United
City of Yorkville, Kendall County, Illinois:
Section 1. The foregoing recitals are hereby incorporated in this Resolution as the findings
of the Corporate Authorities.
Section 2. In consideration of the foregoing recitals, the Corporate Authorities hereby
waive the competitive bidding requirement, pursuant to the City's Municipal Code, and authorize
and direct the City Administrator to proceed with the execution of an agreement with Chicago
Drone Light Shows, in an amount not to exceed $110,000, for the production of a fireworks and
drone show to be hosted by the City during the City's July 4, 2026 celebration.
Section 3. This Resolution shall be in frill force and effect upon its passage and approval
as provided by law.
[Remainder of page intentionally blank. Roll call vote follows]
Resolution No. 2025-70
Page 2
Passed by the City Council of the United City of Yorkville, Kendall County, Illinois this
27kh day of May, A.D. 2025.
I Y CLERK
KEN KOCH
AYE
DAN TRANSIER
ABSENT
ARDEN .TOE PLOCHER
ABSENT
CRAIG SOLING
AYE
CHRIS FUNKHOUSER
AYE
MATT MAREK
AYE
RUSTY CORNEILS
AYE
RUSTY HYETT
AYE
�fdpayROVEby meas Mayor of the United City of Yorkville, Kendall County, Illinois
this of , A.D. 2025. tN\
MAYOR
Attest:
et?v:�ad
CLERK
Resolution No. 2025-70
Page 3
LETTER OF
INTRODUCTION
Yorkville,
Thank you for taking the time to consider us as a drone show provider for yc
We've worked with your city for decades now and can think of no better part
semiquincentennial celebration. Inside this packet, you'll find details on our team, intended
performance, drone technology and approach to safety.
t.
As you are aware, Chicago Drone Light Shows was borne out of one of the United States oldest and
most well -renowned fireworks display companies, Mad Bomber Fireworks. We perform almost 500
drone and fireworks shows each year and our team is filled with individuals passionate about flight,
drone technology and live event displays. Wlth an industry -best $10,000,000 in total general liability
insurance coverage and pilots with thousands of live displays to their resume, we are confident in our
ability to deliver an awe-inspiring, memorable and safe performance for your event.
I look forward to your review and response,
2" 9 am-111�
Zack James, Head of Operations
Chicago Drone Light Shows
Zack@dronelightshowschicago.com
(219)776-9545
SHOW OUTLINE
OPENING As the drones launch, the fireworks will begin as they
BARRAGE typically do. Slow-paced, specialty shells. The fireworks
1-2 MINUTES will 'rip' into an barrage effect as the first drone design
appears.
DRONES We'll start the drone portion of the show without
ONLY pyrotechnics, so we can up the 'wow -factor' as the
5-6 MINUTES show progresses. This would be a great time for
Yorkville -specific designs.
DRONES +
PYRO
7-8 MINUTES
FIREWORKS
FINALE
5-6 MINUTES
At this point, the show starts getting very exciting.
Each drone effect and transition will be punctuated
with well-timed shells and cakes. Certain effects wi
be even more closely integrated. See the 'Specialty
Effects" page below for more details of what could be
included here.
As the drones land, we'll start to lay on the fireworks
thick and heavy. This will be 5-6 minutes of fast -
paced, exciting firing building up into the grand finale.
SPECIALTY EFFECTS
We plan to make your 2026 4th of July the proverbial 'feather in our cap,' i.e. go above and beyond
with every detail. Specifically, we'll be adding more product than years before, synchronizing the
timing and content of the drone designs and fireworks together and pacing both to music. It will 20
minutes of show that no one has ever seen before. While our design process has obviously just
begun, below are some current ideas we have to give you an idea of what your show could look like.
BATTLE SHIPS FIRING
A WW2 -era battle ship firing its cannons with groundbombs going off when the cannons fire.
As the cannon 'round' moves through the air and impacts the target, crackle and salute effects
mimic the explosion.
BOMBING RUN
The bomb -bay doors open up on a B-25 bomber and drone 'bombs' fall out, towards the
ground. Ground bombs mimic explosions as the'bombs' impact the ground. If pyro-drones are
used, we'll have'flak' shoot up at the plane and an engine fire start.
SCREAMING EAGLE
A 3-dimensional eagle flaps its wings as it flys towards the crowd. Whistles are used to
simulate schreeching. If pyro-drones are used, the eagle could have sparks or comets coming
off of its wings.
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WATERFALL
Golden willow stacks rain down over a blank parcel of paper. As the stacks fall, the drones light
up from top to bottom, revealing the opening lines to the declaration of independence.
SHELL COUNT
2" CAKES 12 (378 SHOTS)
2-1/2" CAKES 16 (576 SHOTS)
3" SHELLS 155 SHELLS
4" SHELLS 152 SHELLS
5" SHELLS 139 SHELLS
SPECIALTY
50 SHELLS
SHOTS
FINALE 312 SHELLS
PRICING
Retai l
$115,000
YorkviUelEarly-
Signer Discount*
($20,000}
Yorkville Price
$951000
Add Pyrodrones
+$15;000
*Discount expires 7/1/2025
30% deposit required at time of signing; 30% due 2/1/26;
remainder due immediately prior to show
ABOUT OUR
COMPANY
35 YEARS
IN BUSINESS
500 SHOWS
PER YEAR
THOUSANDS
OF REPEAT
CLIENTS
WHO WE ARE
While drone shows are a new industry; our company was borne
out of Mad Bomber Fireworks, a commercial pyrotechnics
company with over 35 years experience putting on live event
aerial displays. We perform hundreds of display events
annually across the midwest.
OUR TEAM
Your main point of contact will be Zack James. Zack is
our chief pilot and designer and flys over 50 drone
shows per year. Zack holds a finance degree from
Indiana University and a law degree from the University
of Michigan.
OUR COMMITTMENT TO YOU
Over the past 35 years, we have built Mad Bomber as one of
the nation's premier firework display providers through our
committment to long term partnerships with our clients.
We now bring that same committment to our drone shows.
While many of our peers are focused on high -exposure,
clients and only take `retail' shows when convenient; our
business is based off of lasting relationships with
municipalities, cities and parks districts. Day in and day out,
we create happy clients and long term partners with
organizations like yours. There is a reason why we have
many clients who have been with us for 30 years+ and,
once someone starts working with us, they tend to stay.
BEFORE YOUR SHOW
DESIGN
MUSIC
DESIGN
PROCESS
We create a soundtrack for every show we design, even if it isn't going to be played at
your event. We've found that a soundtrack helps with pacing and flow as well as offers
a good chance for you and us to align on the show concept at the highest level.
The soundtrack we create is subject to your approval. We do not supply the sound
system to play the soundtrack but bring the equipment neccesary to plug into your
sound system and remotely trigger the music from our control station.
1. Concurrently with creating a soundtrack, you and us will work together to create a
show outline. This typically consists of choosing 1-4 themes for the show. These
themes are embodied within the soundtrack.
2. For each theme, we will work together to brainstorm a handful of design ideas.
We usually like to come up with twice as many ideas as we will end up using, as,
often we learn that some designs are not feasible later in the process.
3.After brainstorming design ideas, we will begin transforming ideas into actual,
flyable designs. As designs are completed, we will send them along for review if
you'd like_
4.As a final check, we send you a full video render of your show. At this point,
design changes are limited to errors and small changes.
5.After you've approved the final show video, the show goes through a four -step
verification process by both another member of our team as well as a 3rd party.
CUSTOM Your show will contain some amount of custom designs you and us have agreed to.
Custom designs differ from standard designs in that they are only usable for your
DESIGNS show. These are typically designs such as: event logos, sponsor thank-you's, and
special messages.
BEFORE YOUR SHOW
SAFETY
We file all required permissions with the FAA and other local authorities for your show
LEGAL and follow all applicable laws and regulations. This includes: a LAANC, FSdO
APPROVALS notification and NOTAM. Whenever possible, we send multiple Part 107 certified pilots
to each show but you will always have at least one as required by law.
We carry an industry -leading $1 amm in total general liability coverage; including a
INSURANCE drone -specific policy. We will list your organization as an additional insured on our
policies.
MULTI -STEP
FLIGHT
AUDIT
In addition to using the industry leading design software, which in itself contains
checks and redundancies to enhance safety. All of our show files go through a four -
step verification process before going out to fly.
1.The show designer completes a safety checklist that covers common errors,
issues and concerns
2.Another show designer on our team reviews the show file and completes their own
safety checklist.
3.A third party reviews both the flight area and the show file for errors and legal
compliance.
4.The Pilot -in -Command reviews the show file for both the flight area and show file,
paying special attention to obstacles, unsafe manuevers and crowd management
logistics.
THE DAY OF YOUR SHOW
OPERATIONS
BEFORE
THE SHOW
DURING
THE SHOW
The day of the show, we have a detailed 50+ page flight manual with loads of
checklists and troubleshooting workflows. Our manual and checklists are so detailed
the FAA has asked for a copy to use as a training tool for their own staff. Our base
station software also has flight checklists built-in that restrict the drones from flying if
not completed.
As a final check before showtime, we'll briefly hover the drones in place and visually
check each one's flight characteristics. We bring approximately 10% more drones than
needed so we can easily swap out any drones that show signs of issue.
The Pilot -in -Command (PIC) monitors the base station for:
• strength of communication signal,
• gps location accuracy, and
• low batteries.
Assistants monitor:
• the sky for malfunctioning drones,
• the sky for inbound aircraft, and
• the safety zone for out of place spectators.
In the event of an error, we can:
• halt all drones in their current location and flash a warning signal (for inbound
aircraft);
• cause all drones to land where they currently are, and
• cause all drones to return to the launchpad.
AFTER After the drones have come back to the launchpad, we perform a visual count to make
sure each drone is accounted for. After we have confirmed that all drones safely
THE SHOW returned, the safety zone is opened back up. This usually takes 10 minutes or less to
complete. Cleanup generally takes 1-2 hours.
THE DAY OF YOUR SHOW
SAFETY
We monitor the weather in the days before the show and plan around it accordingly.
Winds tends to die down around dusk, so moving the time of the show slightly often
WEATHER
helps. If winds are questionable, we can also shorten the length of the show slightly to
DELAYS'
ensure the batteries make it through the show. Verge X1 drones are slightly
larger/heavier than other light show drones on the market; making them less
CANCELLA
susceptible to windy conditions. We want our shows to fly just as much as you do but
may need to cancel or postpone a flight if winds exceed 35mph, temperatures are
TIQNS
below 10 degrees or there is heavy rain. If a show is cancelled due to weather we will
fly your show on a different mutually acceptable date, subject to the rescheduling fee
set out in our contract.
For every foot of altitude, a safety diamter of a foot is needed DURING the show.
SAFETY Usually this means we need 350ft of clearance in every direction. Whenever possible
AREA we use natural barriers (fences, creeks, etc) to create this safety area. We also bring
barrier tape and will be patrolling during the show but may ask for your assistance in
SECURITY certain circumstances. Before the show we invite spectators to come up to the edge
of our setup area to see the drones.
REFERENCES
Willowbrook, IL Christmas Tree Lighting
Dustin Kleefisch
835 Midway Dr
Willowbrook, IL 60527
630.920.2429
d kleefisch Cdwi I lowbrook.i I.us
Elmhurst University Homecoming
Marc Molina
190 Prospect Ave
Elmhurst, IL 60126
901.494.0037
marc.molina[c@elmhurst.edu
Blueberry Festival
Duane Culp
233 E Jefferson
P.O Box 639
Plymouth, IN 46563
574.936,5020
- 7
h.
THANK YOU
FOR YOUR REVIEW
Thank your for taking the time to review this proposal. We look forward to the
possibility of working together and are standing by if you have any questions,
concerns, comments or input.
CONTACT US :
Cal! � Address
(219)776-9545 3999 E Hupp Rd; Bldg R-3-1
Laporte, IN 46350
u Mai! ® Website
M._
tack@dronelightshowschicago.con-i www.dronelightshowschicago.corn
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