Splett calls for earlier planning to mow boulevards

A Brandon councillor says he wants to see the city and the Manitoba government make earlier plans for mowing the boulevards alongside provincial roads through a long-term agreement.

Coun. Jason Splett (Ward 8) said a long-term agreement would prevent “last-minute” decisions being made about mowing, snow clearing and pothole maintenance on roads within the city that are under provincial jurisdiction, including 18th Street and portions of First Street, Richmond and Victoria avenues and the Trans-Canada Highway.

“I think it’s going to be more proactive. Both parties will know for the next number of years what the contract is, who’s looking after it. There won’t be any speculation whether the city is or isn’t (doing the work),” Splett said on Monday.

While the province currently pays the city only to mow its boulevards, the agreement could also apply if the city was tasked with plowing provincial thoroughfares and repairing potholes, Splett said.

Splett will make a formal resolution at next Monday’s council meeting, he said.

“I think it’s just better to be proactive and know who’s looking after it before we’re in the middle of the season,” he said.

He said the current short-term agreement was ratified late this year and city crews were only able to start mowing the provincial streets at the end of June.

As a city councillor, Splett said he and administration are getting calls about boulevards not being mowed, although it isn’t actually the city’s responsibility.

“I see city administration sitting down with MTI (Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure) and signing a long-term agreement,” he said. “Maybe that’s three years, five years, so that both parties know who’s looking after it for that period of time.

“In the city’s point of view, we can hire additional staff if we need. We can get extra equipment or better equipment or different equipment because there’s a lot of kilometres of extra mowing that are on provincial boulevards.”

The current system, Splett said, is adding extra stress on city administration and employees.

“It’s not that these are surprise things that come up. These are things that come up every year. I think they can just do a better job of planning.”

City manager Dave Wardrop on Tuesday said a longer-term agreement with the province “makes a lot of sense.”

“Realistically, it would help us with budgeting and resource planning going forward,” Wardrop said.

Currently, the city connects with the province over the winter to determine how grass along roadways will be cut. At least pursuing the topic with MTI would be good, even if it would be up to the provincial department in the end, he said.

While the city is reimbursed for the work, making sure the pieces are in place is important, Wardrop said.

“Certainly having more notice, and in some cases maybe even a year or two’s notice in terms of what expectations are and what resources are going to be needed is definitely helpful for planning. There’s no question.”

The city’s role in mowing boulevards for the province is also beneficial as the city’s operations are already in a centralized location, Wardrop said, adding that the city is also open to discussions on taking over the work of snow clearing and pothole filling.

A provincial spokesperson on Tuesday said the province “is always happy to work with our municipal counterparts to ensure the most cost-effective delivery of services” for Manitobans.

“We look forward to further discussions when the plan is formally introduced,” the spokesperson said.

Splett said he decided to bring the resolution to council as his ward contains a large portion of 18th Street. As well, he said, the aesthetics of the city weren’t great for people driving into Brandon from the south.

Splett faces re-election as voters head to the polls on Oct. 28. Dhara Patel and Ketan Patel are also registered as candidates in Ward 8.

» alambert@brandonsun.com