On Feb. 7, the City of Vicksburg’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen agreed to lend to Port Gibson Main Street 100 metal barricades for a festival in March.

That’s nice, neighborly even. But maybe it’s time to rethink the practice.

It’s the second year in a row that Vicksburg has lent some of the 900 barricades bought in 2008 using federal stimulus money.

Since the purchase, the barricades — common along Mardi Gras parade routes in such cities as New Orleans and Mobile — have been used sparingly in Vicksburg, despite their nearly $68,000 price tag. They’ve been used to block intersections during parades along Washington Street, and plans are in the works to extend them the length of the Washington Street parade route for the city’s Mardi Gras parade on March 5.

Two weeks later, members of Port Gibson’s Main Street program will drive to Vicksburg on a Friday to collect the 100 barricades, then return to Claiborne County for their event and return the barricades to Vicksburg on the following Monday. Port Gibson’s Main Street has a $2 million insurance policy against liability and any damage to leased or borrowed equipment, said Kenneth Ross of Port Gibson Main Street.

Vicksburg will get positive public relations for lending these barricades to Port Gibson, but it won’t help the city’s bottom line. Vicksburg, like cities across the nation, has seen brighter financial days. So, should the city consider renting available city property instead of just lending?

It’s great to be neighborly, but at what cost and for how long?