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Blowing Rock approves $118,000 purchase of Meridian vehicle barriers and budget amendment
Summary
Council approved purchase of Meridian Archer 1200 barriers and a related budget amendment to fund the purchase, with chief saying an eight-barrier starter package and gate kit would improve public-safety traffic control at large events.
The Blowing Rock Town Council voted to purchase Meridian Archer vehicle barriers and an entry gate kit and approved a budget amendment to fund the purchase at Tuesday's meeting. Chief Nathan Kirk presented the proposal and said the package price quoted to the town was $118,000.
Chief Kirk described the equipment — an eight-barrier initial package, a hydraulic trailer and an Archer Rapid Gate Kit — and said the barriers are rated in tests to stop a 15,000-pound flatbed pickup at speeds up to 50 miles per hour. "The quote he gave me was a 118,000," Kirk said when asked about the price. He said the barriers can be deployed quickly, are useful at parades and festivals and can be used by public-works crews for road closures or emergency access.
Kirk said the town has borrowed similar barriers in the past from neighboring jurisdictions and that an eight-unit starter kit should support the town's events while allowing sharing with Boone for its events. Council members asked technical questions about placement on asphalt and sidewalks, the product's rated performance and whether eight units would be sufficient; Kirk and other staff answered that eight is a reasonable starter quantity for local needs and that the units perform best on smooth asphalt.
Kirk discussed funding timing with council: the town recently received an unexpected $100,000 distribution from the ABC board, which the chief said the ABC board had verbally indicated could be used for law-enforcement items. The chief proposed using those funds to help pay for the barrier purchase; council voted to move forward and approved a budget amendment to cover the purchase.
Council also discussed logistics: the vendor's lead time is about 12 weeks, allowing time to order equipment before the town's next large event (the July 4 parade). Council votes to purchase the barriers and to approve the budget amendment were recorded as passing unanimously.
The purchase includes follow-up steps for staff to coordinate delivery, storage and training; chief said his department has already had hands-on training with similar devices at recent parades.
