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Snellville considers $180,000 modular vehicle barriers for events; logistics and staffing discussed
Summary
Council previewed a purchase of modular vehicle barriers to protect city events and public spaces; staff described a roughly $180,000 price, a three‑ to four‑month lead time and additional public‑works staffing needs for setup and teardown. Council asked to place the item on a future agenda for formal action.
Snellville City staff presented modular vehicle barriers for discussion at the May 12 work session, describing the product as a temporary, transported system that could stop vehicles from breaching event perimeters. Staff estimated the cost at about $180,000 and said a 10‑lane system would arrive with a trailer and require public‑works staffing to deploy and retrieve.
Public safety and parks staff said similar systems have been purchased or trialed by neighboring jurisdictions and that the system is intended to prevent or slow a vehicle from entering a crowd. One staff presenter said, "there's no chance the car is making it through these things," describing the barriers as effective to stop most passenger vehicles and many larger vehicles. Staff noted that larger commercial vehicles and trucks present different risks and that the system is not a complete safeguard against every possible scenario.
Logistics discussed included a three‑ to four‑month delivery lead time, the need for a flatbed or CDL driver to haul the trailer, and the likelihood of overtime or extra public‑works labor to set up and break down the system for large events; the trailer and handling equipment were included in the quoted price. Councilmembers also noted the possibility of using off‑duty police for event staffing.
Council members agreed the matter should go through the normal formal agenda process and signaled support for advancing the purchase for formal consideration; no binding commitment or vote was made at the work session.
