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Gilroy council approves $295,682 purchase of portable vehicle barriers for events
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Summary
The City of Gilroy voted unanimously to buy two trailer kits of Meridian Rapid Defense Group's Archer portable vehicle incursion barriers and related equipment to secure public events and improve emergency access.
The Gilroy City Council unanimously approved the purchase of portable vehicle incursion barriers from Meridian Rapid Defense Group for $295,682.11, voting 7-0 Monday evening.
City staff said the two Archer trailer kits and two additional rapid gates will allow quick, one-person deployment of crash-rated barriers to secure streets during events while preserving emergency access. Victoria Valencia, the city's economic development manager, said the kits include eight Archer 1200 barriers per trailer, arrestor cables, ADA cable covers, a rapid gate and a customized trailer that fits on a single tow vehicle.
The purchase was recommended after a July 2024 staff demonstration of Meridian equipment. Valencia said the devices are ASTM P2-rated, can be deployed in under 10 minutes and stop a 15,000-pound vehicle when installed and linked. She told council the barriers do not require power or hydraulics and are reusable after impact: "This allows for easy movement of the barriers, with the use of a hauler, which is like a specialized dolly, to move those barriers in and out of place."
Council members discussed how the kits would be used downtown and noted they would still rely on other barrier types for larger footprints. Valencia said the typical priority access points include Monterey Road and Sixth Street and that the equipment would reduce public-works overtime at recurring events. She presented a staff estimate that one typical downtown closure that previously required four city vehicles and attendant overtime would drop in direct staffing cost from about $8,580 to roughly $3,384 when the trailer kits are used.
Captain Luke Powell of the police department joined the presentation to answer operational questions. Responding to a council question about anchoring, staff said the barriers are not permanently anchored to the ground; their stopping capability increases when barriers are linked together. Valencia and staff said training would follow delivery and that the lead time is about 45 days.
The final motion to approve the purchase was made by Councilmember Klein and seconded by Councilmember Fugazi. The roll call vote was 7-0 in favor.
