Myrtle Beach adopts barricade policy to avoid competing with business

To avoid competing with private businesses, Myrtle Beach will not loan or rent out the barricades it purchased earlier this year for use during Memorial Day weekend and other special events.

Myrtle Beach will spend a little more than $1 million over the next three years on barricades and bicycle racks that were used to control traffic during Memorial Day weekend and officials say will be used throughout the year. The city has 7,677 bicycle rack barricades and 1,656 hydro barriers.

The city had not been lending the barricades out, but had received requests from private organizations about borrowing them, leading the city to create the policy, Assistant City Manager Ron Andrews said

“We received requests for borrowing them from citizens and other communities,” he said. “We’ve had conversations with people who do this kind of business who say we’re competing with them when we allow the use of these.”

According to the policy, the city will not loan or rent bicycle racks or barricades to private organizations or individuals for use on private property.

Todd Friedman, owner of CSS Rental Fence, said he was happy with the city’s decision not to loan or rent barricades.

“I’m pleased the city has established guidelines and boundaries for their use and will keep them from competing with [private businesses],” Friedman said. “We shouldn’t have to compete with the city. ... They spent $1 million on that. I’m a small business. I could never compete with that.”

The policy also states that the city will not use its barricades for any event on private property. Additionally, the city manager is authorized to determine if the barricades can be used when the event is being held on both public and private property and the city is a co-sponsor.

This story was originally published July 23, 2015 at 6:31 PM with the headline "Myrtle Beach adopts barricade policy to avoid competing with business."