Median maintenance costs triple

Wayne Moore - Aug 8, 2009 CASTANET:

A decision by WorkSafe BC could cost the City of Kelowna dearly. WorkSafe BC has informed the city that current median maintenance practices are no longer considered adequate enough to protect workers. Kelowna pays a single contractor approximately $50,000 a year to maintain medians along Highway 97. The work includes weed and litter control plus the pruning of all plant materials. The work is done during the day.

"In order to meet the new requirements of WorkSafe as well as the requirements of the Ministry of Transportation, it was determined that the landscaped medians now have to be maintained at night with lane closures, lighting and specialized equipment," says Park Services Manager, Ian Wilson in a report for council. "As a result, the contractor cost was expected to be at least three times higher and Park Services was faced with a major dilemma as to how to fund the extra maintenance costs." While most of the medians were originally developed in partnership with the province, Wilson says recent capital costs for new landscaped medians have been borne by the city. "Maintenance costs are covered by the City Park Services Branch."

In a report for council, Wilson suggests staff submit requests through the 2010 budget process to:

Develop a new highway median design standard with lower maintenance and irrigation requirements.

begin to renovate older medians to meet the new standard.

maintain existing landscaping in older medians until renovations can be completed.

Wilson also asks that development of two medians, scheduled for the fall of this year, be delayed until a new design standard is finalized. As for current maintenance, Wilson says Parks Services has developed a partnership through a Ministry of Housing and Social Development program to maintain the existing medians at night through a job creation program.