City agrees to purchase vehicle barriers

It’s been talked about that thing called a “consent agenda” before. It’s the part of a city council meeting when multiple issues are addressed with a single up or down vote with no discussion of the individual items on the list.

This week, the city council approved more than $530,000 for equipment purchases with a single vote. (It was actually more than $1 million, but that’s not counting the $424,000 for paving in the Del Prado area because that is actually paid for by the Regional Transportation Commission.)

Note that due to a section of state law, the city can bypass the competitive bidding process if they are using a supplier that already has contracts with some other government entity either inside or outside of Nevada. None of this spending was subject to the competitive bidding process.

The three items on the consent agenda were for the purchase of a new dump truck at more than $250,000, vehicle barriers for large public events in Boulder City at $185,000 and the reallocation of funds already set aside for equipment at Boulder Creek Golf Club.

The reallocation is about still tangled supply chains. According to a staff report, some of the items previously approved for purchase are not arriving for as long as two years after the order was placed. Meanwhile, the report says, other equipment needs have become more pressing. These include equipment used for sharpening the blades of lawnmowers, sprayers for applying pesticides, fungicides and fertilizer plus carts for staff to use to haul said equipment around the course.

In an emailed statement, Parks and Recreation Director Julie Calloway said, “The purchase of golf course equipment ensures our commitment to continue to invest in the maintenance and upkeep of our golf courses. Having a well-maintained golf course attracts more community players, more tournaments, and more NCAA championships!”

The barriers are something the city had use of on a “try before you buy” basis for events last year. Made by Meridian Rapid Defense Group, the very heavy steel structures ensure that something like what happened in Nice, France in 2016 can not happen in Boulder City. In that terrorist attack, a 19-ton cargo truck was driven through crowds of people celebrating a national holiday resulting in 86 deaths and 434 injuries.

“Meridian vehicle barriers are mobile, modular, and crash-tested systems designed to provide protection against vehicle-based threats, such as those involving accidental or deliberate ramming by vehicles,” said BCPD Chief Tim Shea in a statement. “We can rapidly and temporarily deploy the barriers to create pedestrian-only areas while reducing the risk of accidental vehicle intrusions and/or deliberate vehicle attacks. They help create safe places by keeping unauthorized vehicles at bay. The are mobile and modular, while easy to transport, install and dismantle. They are non-invasive and do not require any sort of construction preparation, which makes them suitable for temporary set-ups on various terrains. They also function as a visible deterrent and help provide security necessary in today’s environment. They are easily towed en mass on their purpose-built trailer behind most any of our vehicles set up for towing.”