Welland revises floral bed policy

Businesses with Welland roots that have grown and flourished over the years may get a chance to be showcased in one of the city’s four floral beds next year.

Tuesday night, council passed a new floral bed policy that allows private businesses a shot at being included in the floral beds that were once exclusively for nonprofit groups.

Ward 4 Coun. Pat Chiocchio was in favour of the change and said there are a lot of businesses in Welland that have given back to and helped promote the community in a number of ways over the years.

“How will this affect the nonprofits going forward? Is there a waiting list?” Chiocchio asked.

Erik Nickel, Welland’s general manager of infrastructure services, said the policy may affect nonprofits in the future. He said there is a selection process and that all groups now have until the end of the calendar year to put in an application for the next.

Nonprofits will be looked at first under the new policy and will still have to meet certain criteria. Consideration is given to national, provincial, local and then local chapters or branches of national/provincial organizations in that order and then the city looks at anniversary/milestone years. There are no fees charged to nonprofits.

For businesses, they’ll have to pay $5,500 for their floral display and will have to meet criteria such as having a significant milestone/anniversary and provide an explanation of how they have contributed to the community.

The policy also says one business request a year may be considered.

Chiocchio asked if there was any interest from local businesses.

“Yes, there is interest,” Nickel said.

Ward 2 Coun. Leo Van Vliet feels businesses should have to have at least a minimum milestone of 10 years to be considered for a floral bed.

Nickel said groups for 2018 are already chosen, and had to apply by Aug. 31 last year.

The flower beds in the city include at Broadway Avenue and Ontario Road, Colbeck Drive and Prince Charles Drive, First Avenue and Prince Charles Drive, and Riverbank Drive and Niagara Street, which was decommissioned in 2016 but could be used.