HomeMy WebLinkAbout13.A.1. Downtown Flower Pots/Baskets Maintenance
CITY OF SHAKOPEE I 3. A. ).
Memorandum
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Mark McNeill, City Administrator
SUBJECT: Downtown Flower Pots/Baskets Maintenance
DATE: January 29, 2009
Comment:
Introduction:
The City Council is asked to affirm budgetary decisions for the maintenance of
downtown flowers during the 2009 growing season.
Background:
For several years, the City has worked with both the Downtown Partnership (DP) and
local Cub Scouts for the beautification of downtown Shakopee. The DP provides funding
for approximately 130 hanging flower baskets which are located primarily on street light
poles. The DP also reimburses the City for the annual buy back cost of the "Gator" all-
wheel-drive vehicle upon which a watering tank is placed. The annual buy back amount
for the Gator is $1597.50.
The City's contribution to the flower baskets has been a summer seasonal employee, who
devotes two to three hours per day for watering those baskets. The remainder of that
employees time goes to maintaining other plantings elsewhere in the City.
In addition to the hanging flower pots, since the mid-1980's the City has also funded the
purchase of flowers to go in street-level flower pots. Labor for this is done by a local Cub
Scout pack, which is paid $1500 for their work. (That amount was determined years ago
as compensation to the Scouts when the City took over recycling. The Scouts had
previously collected aluminum cans as a fundraiser.)
Last June, the concept of not participating in the downtown flower program was
discussed as one of the possible ways to reduce the City's overall expenses. There was no
clear consensus at that time, although full funding for both pots and the flower baskets
were subsequently included in the 2009 budget.
Therefore, because the Downtown Partnership needs to have a commitment now if the
baskets are to be assembled and grown for 2009, and because of the continued change in
the overall economic situation, I have placed this on the Council agenda to get
reaffirmation of what the City Council wants to do.
Budget Impact:
Money is included for the 2009 budget for the above. A total of $6,000 goes for the
flower pots (Cub Scout labor, and plant materials). Another $6000 goes for the seasonal
employee who is used to water the flower pots, and hanging baskets. The decision not to
fund those would eliminate all flower maintenance in the downtown, and pruning and
weeding in other landscaped areas of the City would be also reduced or stopped if that
seasonal position is eliminated. It should be noted that seasonal employees are the most
cost-effective way of doing this type of work, short of volunteer labor.
Because the DP would no longer reimburse the City for the Gator, the funding for that
($1597.50) would need to be taken from the Park budget. The Gator is well-equiped for
doing maintenance work elsewhere in the City, such as weed spraying, sidewalk
inspections, irrigation systems maintenance, GPS inventorying, and the like. Therefore,
the Public Works recommends retaining it on the buy-back status.
In summary, the elimination of all of the flower maintenance in the downtown area (and
related work done by the seasonal worker) would result in a net savings of about $10,400.
Relationship to Visioning:
This supports Goal B, "High Quality of Life".
Recommendation:
I recommend that the flowers be maintained as budgeted for 2009. The City will have to
look at this again for 2010.
Action Required:
If the Council concurs, it should, by motion, authorize downtown flower pots and flower
baskets be maintained as budgeted for 2009.
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Mark McNeill
City Administrator