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Council approves up to $15,000 for July 4 parade safety measures on trial basis
Summary
After hearing staff logistics and cost estimates for barricades and staffing, the council amended a $30,000 chamber request and approved up to $15,000 to fund additional safety infrastructure and personnel for the July 4 parade as a trial; staff warned of logistical challenges and businesses' parking impacts.
The Enumclaw City Council approved a trial appropriation of up to $15,000 to help fund safety measures for the July 4 parade.
Councilmember Martineau described a multi-stakeholder meeting on parade safety noting expected higher attendance for July 4 and America's 250th events. Staff outlined logistics and budgetary estimates: barricade rental was quoted around $16,000 but reduced under government pricing, and a commonly cited figure for barricade rental was about $8,000 per parade, with additional costs for staffing and deployment logistics. Staff stressed staging, deployment timing and potential parking impacts for downtown businesses.
The Chamber initially requested $30,000 to cover two parades; after discussion about feasibility and downtown impacts, councilmember Marano moved to amend the request to fund up to $15,000 for the July 4 parade on a trial basis, with administration, police and the Chamber to determine specific measures. The amendment passed and the final motion passed on a recorded 5-1 voice tally in favor.
Staff cautioned that rented barricade deployment requires several crew days, could close portions of the street during setup and take-down, and that purchasing permanent plastic barriers may be more deployable though quotes were not available. Council asked staff to plan logistics with businesses and report back after the trial.
