This site is in beta — data may be incomplete and features are still being added.
Council Meeting/Documents/Correspondence from Katherine Buchanan regarding Boulevard Trees
Correspondence

Correspondence from Katherine Buchanan regarding Boulevard Trees

September 17, 2019Page 421 section

An inquiry from a resident regarding the health and maintenance costs of Katsura trees along the Old Island Highway.

2 APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Date: September 6, 2019Concerns about trees dying and accountability for maintenance by Victoria Contracting

Boulevard trees

From: Katherine Buchanan
Sent: Friday, September 6, 2019 9:20 AM
To: Mayor And Council Email mayorandcouncil@viewroyal.ca
Subject: Boulevard trees

Dear Mayor and Council:

When I moved to View Royal about 4 years ago, I noticed and enjoyed the boulevard trees that are planted between Portage Park and Stormont Road, along the Old Island Highway. Some of the trees in the beds closer to Portage Park have never looked great, but as I drove west, the beds with the katsura trees impressed me.

This year, the katsura trees looked stressed and unhealthy when they usually look full and green. Early on in the season, many of the leaves became brown and very dead-looking. Katsura trees do have beautiful colours, especially in the fall, but these leaves were turning brown in early summer. I drove past the trees the other day and was very dismayed at how sad and brown the trees appeared. If you notice any colour, it is most likely to be brown, dead leaves.

My questions and concerns are as follows:

  1. I noticed that View Royal contracts out much of the maintenance of lawns and boulevards to Victoria Contracting. Does this mean that View Royal does not have any of it's own gardeners? I know that Colwood has a larger population than View Royal, and they have their own crews, which I see working on the boulevards and streets.
  2. How much do we, the taxpayers, pay for Victoria Contracting?
  3. Who chooses and pays for the boulevard trees? If the trees die because they are the wrong tree for the location, should it not be up to whomever choose those trees to replace them at no cost?

I would really appreciate someone getting back to me with answers to my questions. The bottom line for me is, it is taxpayer money that pays for the trees and pays the company that is supposed to be taking care of them. I would like to see some accountability, and for someone other than the taxpayer to fix this problem.

Sincerely,
Katherine Buchanan
2380 Chilco Road
Victoria, BC
V9B 0N7

Page 42
Extracted from: 2019 09 17 Council Agenda - Agenda - Pdf