City looks to snub shrubs

By Collin Gallant on August 29, 2017.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com @CollinGallant

As a tough summer season for local gardeners comes to an end the city’s parks department is ready to permanently remove more than half the shrub beds in parks and greenspaces to cut future costs.

As well, a multi-year remaking of park space at the Gershaw Drive and the TransCanada overpass could be underway in early 2018, aimed at reducing the annual cost at the hard-to-maintain greenspace.

The two projects were among the lower profile initiatives in the so-called “Financially Fit” budget review that sought operational savings after surveying Hatters about service levels.

Parks general manager Todd Sharpe said staff have found two areas to trim that will better city parkland.

“It’s an improvement,” said Sharpe, adding that beds send out shoots, require pruning, and collect litter which needs to be removed manually.

“When shrub beds first go in to a new park, they look pretty good, but they’re costly and time consuming to maintain. It’s a problem and we just don’t have the resources to do it.”

The city takes care of about 550 shrub beds, but over three years that will be reduced to about 200. Those that are prominent or mark entrances will remain in place, as will all trees, said Sharp.

Converting 250 to 300 beds to grass will allow larger equipment to mow larger areas, a budget rationale states, rather than having crews manually tend to the beds.

Removal could take place over three years, after which the estimated annual savings would be $110,000, including $75,000 for manpower and $35,000 for equipment costs.

The city is set to spend $250,000 in each of the next two years, leading to overall cost benefit in 2023.

The bid window for the shrub removal contract is set to close Tuesday. Changes at Gershaw Drive are delayed while Alberta Transportation evaluates how to proceed with major changes for the interchange. That could be determined in early 2018.

That space has always been problematic, said Sharpe, and is in need of an $850,000 upgrade to its irrigation system.

“We’ve had infrastructure problems there for years — that’s why it’s dead and yellow and full of weeds,” said Sharpe. Beside that, it’s really hard to keep looking good. The road salt gravel and runoff makes it next to impossible.

“Rather than spend money (replacing it to a former state) we want to convert it to attractive desert landscape.”

The general plan would be to convert the irrigated turf areas on the banks and boulevards to a combination of natural and manicured grasses, negating the need for irrigation work to proceed.

The 2017-18 budget calls for about $400,000 to be spent replacing vegetation and features to reflective of the local semi-arid climate.

The budget rationale states the area will remain “aesthetically pleasing” as a high-profile area for motorists who travel through the city.

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