Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council agrees short‑term cost‑share for Third Street Farmers Market barricades while long‑term solutions are explored
Summary
After new security standards required rated vehicle barriers for street events, council agreed to short‑term shared‑cost support for the Third Street Farmers Market and asked staff to return with a broader event‑security plan including bollards and capital options.
Naples City Council on Nov. 5 discussed new security requirements for street events after staff concluded that vendor vehicles previously used as ad‑hoc blockers do not provide consistent, rated protection.
Lieutenant O’Reilly briefed council on the risks of relying on vendor vehicles that sometimes failed to appear or leave early and described acceptable alternatives: rated vehicle‑stopping barricades, city utility trucks, school buses or relocating the market to a parking lot. Staff reported a market‑rental estimate of roughly $3,800 per week for rated barriers; temporary city truck support carries a smaller per‑event cost that staff has been absorbing as a stopgap.
Councilmembers agreed on shared short‑term support to help the market meet the new requirements this season, and directed city staff to negotiate a reasonable cost‑share and, within the city manager’s authority, to secure rental barricades for immediate weekends as available. Council also asked staff to schedule a workshop (target Dec. 8) to evaluate long‑term capital solutions — including retractable bollards, shared city inventory of barriers, and a cost‑allocation policy for event organizers — so a citywide, sustainable event security policy can be developed.
Staff stressed that safety is the priority and that longer‑term approaches (capital bollards, permanent infrastructure) will require budget planning and shared cost models. Temporary arrangements — such as using utility trucks or rented rated barriers — are not intended as permanent solutions.
Council asked staff to return with options and cost estimates for both short‑term rentals and long‑term capital investments, plus an analysis of whether changes are needed to the city’s special‑events fee policy.
