“Summertime, and the living is easy,” wrote American composer and pianist George Gershwin. “Fish are jumpin’, and the cotton is high.” But cotton isn’t the only plant that reaches skyward in July. Weeds also grow in the rain and sunshine, and in abundance can be a nuisance to those urban dwellers who strive to keep their property neatly manicured, and expect their town to do the same on urban boulevards.
Some of the locals feel that Pelham needs to up its game in this regard. Barbara Bonafie of Fonthill tells PelhamToday that “our mailbox on John Street has weeds that are so high, you can’t see the sidewalk. People are walking their dogs on the road, because the weeds are over four feet tall and full of bees. What is wrong with the Town? They used to cut it and now no one comes. What an eyesore!”
David Cribbs, Pelham’s CAO, says that “the Town increased the resources devoted to grass cutting over the past two budgets. It always comes down to the question of how much residents wish to pay. Pelham has staff and equipment devoted to the task.”
Pelham’s Director of Public Works, Jason Marr, commented via Communications Specialist Leah Letford that, “the Town has a dedicated team of summer maintenance staff who work within the Beautification Department to maintain Town property, including trail heads and parks. There are additional locations including stormwater management ponds and boulevards that are supported by an independent contractor. Grass cutting is completed to adhere to service maintenance standards, and can be impacted by seasonal factors, such as rain. Throughout the municipality there are areas that are maintained by the Region as well.”
Should there be an area of concern, residents are encouraged to use the Spot It, Share it reporting form located on the Town website at www.pelham.ca/shareit, in order to have maintenance crews respond.
Pelham Mayor Marvin Junkin invited residents to contact him personally, or their ward councillor, should they see an area of the Town that they believe has been overlooked by Public Works maintenance crews.
