HomeMy WebLinkAboutINS-13-045 - Service Level Reduction for Grass Maintenance along Regional RoadsA,
Staff Rep►�r
Infrastructure 5erv! Department
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REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING: May 6, 2013
SUBMITTED BY: Jim Witmer, Director of Operations ext. 4657
PREPARED BY: Greg Hummel, Manager of Park Planning, Development and
Operations ext. 4598
WARD(S) INVOLVED: All
DATE OF REPORT: April 29, 2013
REPORT NO.: INS -13 -045
SUBJECT: Service Level Reduction for Grass Maintenance along
Regional Roads
RECOMMENDATION:
For information.
BACKGROUND:
The Cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge maintain regional roads within their cities on
contract to the Region of Waterloo. This maintenance contract outlines specific functions and
duties that will be performed within the municipalities in accordance with specifications within
the Region of Waterloo Transportation Division Maintenance Agreement. This agreement
covers many items (but is not limited to) turf maintenance, forestry service, street sweeping,
catchbasin repair and litter picking in the summer months as well as winter road maintenance.
This contract was signed in 2010 and expires December of 2014.
REPORT:
Through the Region of Waterloo 2013 budget process, regional government reviewed and
decided to change the maintenance service level of turf cutting for the 2013 season. The
existing contract called for a service level for turf control to be set at one cut every two weeks
during the growing season or as required. The Region has informed the cities that the turf will
now be maintained to a new level of service where the frequency of one cut along the edge of
the road way will occur once a year in the fall on all regional roads. This cut will be the
responsibility of the Region of Waterloo. Regional Council approved this new level of service on
January 16, 2013 as per Regional report FS -13 -003 schedule 7.
This service level change for turf also creates issues with regards to litter pick -up as well as
horticultural services to planting beds that lie within regional road allowances. Through our turf
maintenance activities, staff spends a minimum of thirty minutes picking litter on site prior to
cutting along regional roads. This regular litter maintenance will not be performed until the fall
cut when the region will deal with the cutting. The existing contract still calls for one spring litter
clean -up to be performed by the city. Turf crews also cut weeds from concrete /asphalt center
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medians twice a year on a separate work order to the region. This will not happen this year and
weeds will be allowed to grow. Similarly with the horticultural beds, these beds will be negatively
impacted as the tall grass /weeds will block views and lessen the aesthetic value of the planted
beds throughout the season. Examples of this impact would be King Street East from
Montgomery Road to beside Rockway Gardens and Highland Road from Westmount Road to
Fieldgate Street. This reduction has already impacted the number of seasonal hires that would
have performed the work on regional roads. If Council were to decide that staff are to continue
to maintain high profile areas with horticultural beds, there will be direct impact on existing city
budgets through the added labour costs to address these areas as well as additional wear and
tear on city equipment having to jump curbs that the machines are not designed to do.
Another logistical issue will be the City of Kitchener Property Standards By -law. Our by -law
indicates that the grass will be maintained at a height not greater than 20 centimetres. Once the
turf reaches that height on Regional roads, it can be expected that complaints received will
enact the by -law and the Region will be forced to cut the turf at the time of enforcement.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
The Environment: This decision by Regional Council could softly constitute as meeting the
strategic direction of the environment by allowing regional road areas to naturalize and thus
minimizing the impact of mowing and trimming. This minimizing will lessen the amount of use of
small engines, exhaust and fuel consumption.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
As a result of the directed change to the service level, Regional staff has advised each
municipality that there will be a consequential adjustment to the payment for the service that
was provided. Our 2013 summer lump sum payment will be adjusted with a reduction of
$180,000.
Regional staff has assured the cities that equipment carrying costs will continue to be covered
by the Regional contract until a decision is made about the permanency of the service level
change.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
The Region of Waterloo made the decision to reduce the level of service for turf cutting as a
way to meet budget allocation reduction. This process did not engage the community or look to
solicit comments from the municipalities to ensure a seamless transition in the reduction of
service.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Pauline Houston, Deputy CAO, Infrastructure Services Department
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SCHEDULEB
DESCRIPTION OF WORK
CITY OF KITCHENER
Road No.
Road Name
From
To
Centre
Line
Distance
TOTAL
Lane/km
2.010
Class
4
Ottawa Street
Keewatin Avenue
Fischer Hallman Road
8,959
31.836
2
4
Ottawa Street
Fischer Hallman Road
International Place
0.640
5.110
2
4
Ottawa Street
Intannabonall Place
Trusster Road
2.300
4.600
3
6
Benton Street
Courfland Avenue
King Street
0.529
2.255,
2
Frederick Street
Kin g Street
Bruce Street
2.025
7.005
2
6
FB
Highland Road
Queen Street
Fischer Hallman Road
2.512
10.084
2
Hr hland Road
Fischer Hallman Road
Trusster Road
3094
6188
3
6
Queen Street
Courtland Avenue
Highland Road
0.712
1.484
2
8....
Street
KnEStreeCtast
Watedoo City Boundary
B.895
23.180
2
a
King Street East,
1 Riverbank Drive
Fairway Road
2.178
4.692
3
8
King Street East
Fairway Road
Weber Street
0.373
1.492
2
9
Bridgeport Road
Lancaster Street
Waterloo City Boundary
0 62
2.512
3
115
King Street
Montgomery Street
Ottawa Street
1.171
4.684
2
15
_
King Street
Victoria Street
Union Street
1.532
4.788
2
20
Bloomingdale Road
Bridge Street
Daniel Avenue
1.175
3.334
3
28
Hamer Watson Blvd
Ottawa Street
Highway 401
9,030
35.120
2
29
Lancaster Street
Bridge Street
Victoria Street
2-843
7.446
3
60
Wastmount Roadl
Blockline Road
Waterloo City Boundary
5.378
21.480
2
60
Wastmount Roadl
Ficher Hallman Road
Blockline Road
0-620
1-748
3
52
Bridge Street
Waterloo City Limits
Woolwich Boundary
4711
9.422
3
53
CourtlandAvenue
Queen Street
Manilou Drive
4.492
14.236
2
63
Fairway Roadl
Manitou Drive
King Street E.
2.200
8.800
2
53
Fairway Roadl
King Street East
River Road
0.700
2.8,010
3
53
Fairway Road
River Road
East of Lackner Blvd
2.415
T950
3
54
Lackner Boulevard
VidoNa Street
Fairway Road
1.904
7.858
3
55
Victoria Street
Centennial Road
Frederick Street
2,636
12-880 1
2
55
Victoria Street
Frederick Street
IRA Needles Blvd
9,256
34,744
2
56
Blearns. Road
Manitou Drive
Strasburg Road
2.210
9.040
2
56
Bleams Road
Strasburg Road
Fischer Hallman Road
1.84D
3.680,
3
56
Bleams Road
Fischer Hallman Road
Trussfer Road
3.100
6.400,
3
56
River Road
King Street East
Fai!wg Road
1,347
5-388
3
58
Fischer Hallman
Road
Huron Road
Ottawa Street
4.200
10.120
2
58
Fischer Hallman
Road
Ottawa Street
University Ave
4.285
17422
2
61
Bruce Street
Victoria Street
Frederick Street
0.318
1.272
2
62
Edna Street
Victoria Street
Frederick Street
0.341
1.364
2
64 1
Charles Street
Victoria Street
Ottawa Street
2461
9.144
2
69
Man1tou Drive
Fairway Road
Homer Watson Blvd-
2.383
9-632
2
70
Ira Needles Boulevard
Hwy 718
Victoria Street
6-920
2
70
Ira Needles Boulevard
Victoria Street
University Avenue
2-000
2-690
2
70
Trusslar Road
Hwy 718
Now Dundee Road
8.800
15.480
31
Totals
113.885
Total Lane Kilometres
375.1130
NIOTE-. "winter maintenance only" roads designated in BOLD and Italicized.
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