City balks at fresh flowers

Filling Calgary communities with fresh flowers is far too costly, council heard Tuesday, but extending a pilot project to beautify neighbourhoods with cheaper banners and planters could be expanded.

In March, Calgary Parks was asked to examine the cost of extending its enhanced landscape maintenance program (used by some communities willing to pay a special levy) citywide if it could be done for a modest cost.

But a department report found communities that bought into the landscaping program pay from $39 to $219 per household, while a $5 levy per household would only generate some $2.35 million — a fraction of what would be needed to meet the same standards.

City bureaucrats told council that a relatively inexpensive pilot program, which saw the city erect floral banners and planters in 16 communities this year, may be a more cost-effective alternative.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi said the banners he’s seen do little to enhance neighbourhoods’ beauty.

“Do people like them?” he asked Anne Charlton, the city’s director of parks. “I’ve seen several and I don’t know if I love them.”

Charlton admitted a lean budget meant officials essentially used free clip art for the banners, but as the program expands they’ll work with the Alberta College of Art and Design to improve the quality.

Council heard Calgary Parks is aiming to add 20 new communities to the program next year and another 20 in 2018.