City delays pesticide ban

Roger Knox - Vernon Morning Star Published: July 16, 2009 6:00 PM

A full ban on spraying pesticides and herbicides in Vernon won’t happen before 2010. City council heard in June from a delegation consisting of Kerry Bohkenfohr and Jerilynn Kelly in regards to cosmetic pesticide use on playgrounds and schoolyards. The pair asked for council’s help in prohibiting pesticide applications, scheduled for last month, for Vernon sidewalk cracks, boulevards, alleys, signposts and the front borders of homeowners’ properties. The pair also asked for a ban on spraying playgrounds, playing fields and schoolyards, set for between May and August. However, council voted unanimously after hearing a report from environmental planner Brooke Marshall to continue spraying, as the city has not yet been able to meet with school district officials over pesticide use. “We have contacted the school district staff to discuss the use of cosmetic pesticides and the estimated costs and operational changes required to eliminate their use on school grounds,” said Marshall. “We will be meeting to discuss current pesticide application practices and polices, and to determine the requirements in greater detail in the next month.”

That meeting is slated to include school district, parks, city and District of Coldstream staff. In her report to council, Marshall recommends, for a full ban on the use of all herbicides currently used in the city’s boulevard spray program operations, that four additional labourers and summer students be hired for two months to trim weeds. The estimated cost would be $36,000. As well, Marshall recommends, to help with other operational demands including bike lane cleaning and spring road cleaning, that the city purchase an additional road sweeper. The new piece of equipment would help in reducing organic material along drainage lines at an operational cost of $96,000. The capital cost of the proposed sweeper is $220,000. Marshall said the potential purchase of an additional sweeper is under discussion anyway, regardless of the resolution on pesticide use on roadways.