City to Discuss Removing K-Rail Barriers Used For On-Street Dining During Rose Parade

The City Council on Monday is scheduled to discuss a proposal to remove K-rail protective barriers used for outdoor dining during the Rose parade.

Following a review of all on-street dining locations along Colorado Boulevard, city staff determined the barriers would need to be removed prior to the event due to the negative impact their presence may have on the parade route.

The report states the K-rail barriers will be reinstalled following the parade.

Council discussion is expected to center on staff’s recommendation to reject all bids for contractor services for the removal and reinstallation of the K-rail barriers. Staff initially recommended amending the bid notice of bid, which resulted in a low number of bids and a higher bid price. The city received two bids for the project.

“The notice of bid was released with a requirement that all vendors provide a bond with their submittal. Bonds are typically only required for construction projects,” the report states.

Staff noted that the removal and reinstallation of K-rail barriers is not a construction project, thus it recommended for the reissuance of a bid specification excluding the bond requirement “to attract more vendors to submit bids and receive more competitive pricing.”

On July 11, 2020, the city implemented the first phase of its outdoor dining program on Colorado Boulevard in Playhouse Village and Old Pasadena to help restaurants after the state forced thousands of businesses to halt nearly all indoor operations.

As demand for outdoor dining increased due to the ongoing implementation of pandemic related protocols, the city provided additional areas for outdoor dining.

On Feb. 8, the city also decided to purchase concrete K-rail and TL2 sleds for its outdoor dining program after determining it was in the city’s best interest to buy the equipment instead of renting it.