BRADENTON – The De Soto Historical Society will get its parade this year, but it won't get an extension of the route or the barricades the city's police chief wants.
In a discussion that was mostly civil but became heated between City Councilman Gene Gallo and Police Chief Mike Radzilowski, the City Council voted 5-0 to allow the parade as it was last year, and consider the extension and the barricades for next year.
Gary Scott, the president of the Heritage Festival, said the two issues were extending the parade to 43rd Street and Manatee Avenue, and the barricades.
Gallo said in making the motion that the choice was to deny them the right to have the parade or to force the organization to do something it couldn't afford to do.
Councilman Bemis Smith wanted the organization to outline its efforts to find funding for the proposals that were before the council.
"Safety has always been our concern," said Gus Sokos, president-elect of the society.
They went to find funds to barricade the whole parade, so they went to the Tourist Development Council and asked for $25,000. That would have "just covered" the cost of barricades if they were to barricade the parade route. The TDC told them to go to the County Commission meeting the next day and gave the same presentation.
They were told to go back to the TDC. "Bottom line is, we have been running around in circles and we haven't been to their next meeting," which is in February, Sokos said.
So far, all they've done is go around in circles, he said.
"We're talking about barricading the entire parade route," said Councilwoman Marianne Barnebey, "and we're talking about placing those barricades off of the sidewalk in the outside lanes. At what point are we estimating that we'll have to turn Manatee Avenue into basically a two-lane road to accomplish this?"
"It will take a lot of time to barricade the entire route," Sokos said. "Preliminary indications have not been favorable."
The road would have to be shut down at 1 p.m. for the 5:30 p.m. parade, and after the parade it would take time to remove the barricades.
These would be in addition to barricading that was up last year, Smith asked, and it was confirmed.
The organization has been unable to raise money to do all the barricades, and in fact has lost sponsors. They're short up to $8,000. If they barricade to 43rd Street and extend the parade, they'd need $20,600, and up to $3,000 more to barricade 43rd Street.
There was an issue of safety, since there have been incidents elsewhere where people and children ran into the street to grab thrown strings of beads and were injured or killed.
There would be people to serve as a float crew to keep people away from the floats, Sokos said. He said they weren't aware of any incidents that required barricades along the entire route.
"Our safety record is immaculate" after 71 years, he said.
Councilman Harold Byrd Jr. said that if they just ran the parade as they did last year, there wouldn't be an additional cost.
The letter
"When was the discussion presented to you that you may have to put additional barricades in?" Gallo asked. "Was it the end of last year's parade?"
They received a letter from Radzilowski, society member Joe Miller said, a week or two after last year's parade, and it's been under discussion since then.
"Were you told that if you did not barricade the route that permission" would be withheld? Barnebey asked.
"That was our understanding," Miller said.
They didn't want the parade to go away, and he promised that they'd do whatever the council dictates.
Barnebey said she didn't want to see the parade go away, but said that the phone calls would be pouring in if they started turning Manatee Avenue into a two-lane road at 1 p.m. on a Saturday during the height of tourist season.
Attempting to choke down the road could create a bigger hazard, Miller said. And businesses would need openings to function. Drivers would have to navigate through openings and close them an hour before the parade, so the barricades could create a hazard.
What was your criteria for asking for barricades? Gallo asked the police chief, who said it was because it's the largest parade in the state. It was discussed at the Manatee County Law Enforcement Council, Radzilowski said. A child was struck 10 years ago in Bradenton, he added, so the parade doesn't have a perfect safety record.
"Based on the size of the parade and the crowds growing year after year after year, and the constant pedestrians running in and out of the parade route, the Law Enforcement Council agreed that for public safety and the safety of the parade, that it's time now that we have a safe parade," he said.
Also, Radzilowski said, that judgment is based on his 40 years of experience and work on other parades.
"So, you're basically telling me the criteria you're using is discussion among public safety people in Manatee County," Gallo said. "An incident that happened 10 years ago and in parades in other parts of the country. I don't think all those parades have those barricades."
Gallo said he isn't opposed to the barricades, but he's opposed to them right now because of the economy. "At this time, I would like to see us delay the barricades until the following year," he said. "That gives them a lengthy time to generate the revenue to figure out exactly what they're going to need for the barricades next year."
"Well, Mr. Gallo, certainly you appreciate law enforcement's position that we make law enforcement decisions based on public safety and not on economics," Radzilowski said. "They had a year to try and figure this out and work with us, and they have, and they have given us an agreement saying they will do it."
The barricades are needed, Radzilowski said, for the safety of the participants and the watchers, and law enforcement in the county believes that.
"And if the council doesn't agree with that, they'll be going against all the law enforcement in Manatee County," he said.
"Don't play that game with us," Gallo said.
"I'm not playing a game," Radzilowski said.
"No, that's a game. You're telling us that if we make a decision, that we're going against all of law enforcement?" Gallo asked.
"You are," Radzilowski said.
"First of all, sir, you are the law enforcement for the city of Bradenton," Gallo said. "You're the one who we're going to listen to. I know every one of those gentlemen out there and I respect them," pointing to Manatee County Sheriff, Brad Steube; Palmetto Police Chief Garry Lowe; and Holmes Beach Police Chief Jay Romine.
"But they're not involved in the parade like the city of Bradenton is and what it does," Gallo said. "You are."
The council would decide if they wanted to extend the parade for another year, he said, and it was up to Radzilowski to decide if he signed the permit or not.
Poston weighs in
Mayor Wayne Poston jumped into the exchange to say he couldn't believe that the chief would not sign the permit if the council approved it.
"I'm just saying that would be his option," Gallo said. "If we decide not to put the barricades up, then he (Radzilowski) has the option and he signs the DOT permit or does not. The sheriff doesn't sign it, Garry (Lowe, the Palmetto police chief) doesn't sign it, Jay (Romine, the Holmes Beach police chief) doesn't sign it. He signs it."
It affects all of the county's law enforcement, Radzilowski said.
Then Gallo brought up an incident at a Pirates game where a man ran into the street to retrieve a foul ball, was hit by a car and killed. Would you want barricades there? he asked. Why not? "There's a safety problem," he said.
Poston interrupted the exchange between Gallo and Radzilowski.
"Gentlemen, let me tell you what. I'm in charge of this meeting and I've had enough of both of you," the mayor said. "We're not getting anywhere and it's not productive."
The Sheriff's Office has a part of this, and the city's police chief has to do his job, too, he said.
Steube said his agency had 94 deputies at the parade last year, and he said he opposed the extension of the parade because he'd need 14 more deputies and would have to spend more money.
"The bottom line for us is public safety," he said.
They need the barricades, Steube said, but he'd abide by what the council decides.
The vote, and more discussion
The council voted 5-0 on the motion to allow the parade this year without the barricades and without the extension of the route, but it would be discussed in the future.
Radzilowski raised the issue of mutual aid with the members of the law enforcement council, and said there was none to be had this year.
"Well, that's nice that you tell us now," Barnebey said. "We've made a motion and passed a motion. Don't you think that was pertinent information that could have been shared with us during our deliberations?"
"Would it have really made any difference?" Radzilowski asked.
"It might have, sir," Barnebey replied.
When asked by the chief, Gallo said it wouldn’t have made a difference to him, but he could see what Barnebey meant.
"Why is there no mutual aid?" Gallo asked.
"The chiefs inform me that Palmetto uses all their officers for the direction of traffic because of the road closures on Manatee Avenue, and the other chiefs said that because of budget cuts and where they were in their budget, they would have no extra money to provide extra officers for the parade," Radzilowski said.
"It's a sign of the times," Gallo said.
After the meeting was adjourned, member of the De Soto Historical Society gathered outside the chambers.
Miller, the general chairman of the organization, said they're happy with the decision.
"We're also very concerned about the safety as well," he said. "We look forward to discussions into improving the parade for next year with the police department. It was easy to say, 'Let's do it', but there was not a whole lot of talk about logistics, and I think that's why we got to this point."
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