After banning the use of herbicides in June, the City of Edmonton is considering the need to increase its landscaping budget to keep its turf weed-free.
According to a report in Metronews.ca, to accomplish this without the use of chemicals, administration is suggesting it will need approximately 10 additional staff members at an annual cost of nearly $1 million. Currently, this business package is unfunded.
The additional staff would be necessary to handle the increased need for mowing and other weed-control measures to get similar results without chemicals.
“If you’re going to ban herbicides there are going to be unintended consequences that are going to cost us,” Coun. Bryan Anderson said in the report.
Anderson, who voted against the herbicide ban, requested a full report on options for increased turf maintenance; however, it has not come to council. That said, Anderson does not feel the $1 million will be enough to improve the conditions of city lawns.
Coun. Ben Henderson, who advocated for the ban, told Metronews.ca he wants to look at the full report before making any decisions on spending the additional money, as he is optimistic there will not be any major repercussions as a result of the ban.
