Cathedral City outlines permanent bollards, new checklists and tighter event logistics ahead of fall season

Ryan Hunt, the presenter for the item, told the Cathedral City Council at its July 9 study session that staff have been updating safety procedures and preparing infrastructure changes ahead of the fall event season. “We do about a 30 day planning process with the pre event logistics meetings,” Hunt said, describing a “very detailed” two- to three-hour coordination call with third-party event organizers and multiple departments.

The review focused on preventing vehicle-borne threats, shoring up temporary-structure inspections and improving coordination with private security and mutual-aid partners. Hunt said staff plan to install permanent event bollards at strategic locations downtown and to harden weaknesses in the amphitheater parking structure. “Our goal is to get everything up by October 1,” he said, identifying that date as the target for the fall 2025 event season.

Why this matters: Cathedral City hosts multiple large public events each year. City staff and council members stressed that pre-event logistics, equipment inventory and on-the-ground verification can reduce vulnerabilities and improve emergency access for fire and ambulance services.

Officials described both hardware and procedural changes. On infrastructure, Hunt listed equipment commonly used at events — water-filled Jersey barriers, Type II barricades, temporary chain-link fencing and strategic vehicle positioning — and said the city will begin buying additional equipment and install permanent bollard locations that can be populated during events. He said the city budget includes an allocation for bollards and “hardening of the parking structure” to address gaps where people can climb fences or vehicles might gain access.

Hunt said the city has purchased additional K-rails and will pursue a portable bollard trailer so crews can insert and remove manual bollards efficiently. “We're proposing that within this budget we're going to figure out how to get a bollard trailer that's going to have be able to load bollards in and bollards out for whichever events occur,” he said. He described the proposed bollards as manual, removable units rather than costly retractable hydraulic bollards used at federal sites.

Council Member Land raised concerns about whether temporary barriers that require filling are properly filled before events and urged greater day-of verification. “They would be laid out and they would seem like they would be in good positions, but no one put water in them,” Land said of water-filled barriers. Hunt said staff added barrier-fill and related checks to the final-walkthrough checklist that building, public safety and public works staff will use before events.

On operations, staff said they will: expand logistics meetings to include private security firms, provide dedicated radio frequencies for on-site communications during large events, define mutual-aid staging areas, and ensure fire/EMS access routes are kept clear. The city plans to bring Building Official Jeremy Frey into logistics calls to improve review of temporary structures. Hunt said the police, public works, facilities, fire department, communications and events staff all take part in the pre-event coordination.

Council members also discussed emergency egress at the amphitheater. Hunt identified the Cathedral Canyon gate as the city’s planned emergency exit and said it is “typically our go to where we would have people exit there.” Council members pressed staff to ensure that tables or other event infrastructure do not block that exit during events and to remove obstructions once gates have closed for ingress.

On private security performance, staff acknowledged variance in training and clarity of assignments and said they will include private security in logistics calls so contractors understand staging, reporting and who to contact for police support. Hunt cited an example of successful radio coordination during a recent concert and said designated frequencies had been “a huge asset.”

The presentation referenced training staff attended at the Special Event Safety Alliance and proposed creating a universal safety checklist for use across City-run events and with partner organizations such as the Desert Recreation District. Hunt said staff hoped to have a checklist in place for the fall 2025 event season.

Ending: Staff described the presentation as informational and for council discussion; no ordinance change or formal vote was taken. Hunt said staff will proceed to finalize placement plans with police and public works and begin procurement and logistics work ahead of the October target date. Council members emphasized continued oversight, day-of verification and staff accountability for enforcing the final walkthroughs and safety checklist.