An issue with a lawnmower in the Westmount area had some Okotoks residents questioning the Town’s methods earlier this month.
Ivan Olsak, who backs onto the Westmount park, said he was concerned when he noticed the grass had been cut unevenly and there were extra clippings scattered through the park.
He sent letters and photos to the Town to the parks department, which received calls from a number of people in the neighbourhood..
The parks department looked into the complaints.
“Really it was just a mower malfunction,” said Okotoks turf specialist Daryn Hitchner. “The mower that was doing the wide cut there had a spindle go in one of their mower decks, so it makes the blades shift off-centre and it was digging in on one side.”
He said the result was the grass being cut deeper on one side of the mower, and throwing more clippings out the other side and was easily missed by the mower operator at the time.
The Town has been using the same mowing contractor for six years, he said, and this is the first time there has been any equipment problems.
However, Olsak suggested the condition of the park has gone downhill over the years.
He said the trees are also a concern because they are not trimmed regularly and many have unsightly suckers growing from their base. When he noticed one in particular hadn’t been trimmed in two years, Olsak took a closer look.
“Then I noticed there was Black Knot in that tree, so I sent an email and the next day they came and they actually pruned this one tree,” he said.
He said the weeds are also worse and the park doesn’t look as nice as it once did.
“We’re paying our taxes and I’m not sure where that goes to because it seems like it’s not taken care of,” said Olsak.
Okotoks parks manager Christa Michailuck said the Town cares for its parks in keeping with its turf care and pest management policies.
Pest Management
The Town has an integrated pest management plan, which was developed with public consultation, said Michailuck. The plan indicates the Town has a 15 per cent tolerance for weeds in manicured turf on most sites and a five per cent tolerance on Class A sites (like Town buildings) and sports fields.
“So if the weed coverage is exceeding 15 per cent then we will post and treat for weeds in those parks,” said Michailuck. “We sign the park entrances and leave the signs up for 48 hours.”
Town policy states that there is a 15-metre buffer zone around playgrounds where no herbicide is to be sprayed, she said, so in some locations, there are breakouts of dandelions and other weeds nearby playground structures, she said.
Most sites are treated once per year if necessary, she said.
Tree Pruning
The Town of Okotoks prunes its trees year-round, said Michailuck. There is no seasonal component to pruning.
She said the suckers growing out of the base of trees are not always tended to for a number of reasons. First, they are primarily an aesthetic issue and do not impact the health of the tree, she said.
“They’re actually kind of a good thing for the tree, in that they protect the base of the tree from mowers and things like that,” said Michailuck.
She said suckers are removed more frequently in high-profile areas like Elizabeth Street and McRae Street, while those in neighbourhood parks might be trimmed up once per year if necessary.
Mowing
The Town’s budget for mowing allows the contractors to mow each park about 18 times per year, said Michailuck. Once each site has been mowed, a cycle has been completed and the next begins.
It takes about a week to complete a cycle, though rain can make the cycle longer, up to 12 days, she said.
Hitchner said there are two waves to every mow – the wide mower that goes through the parks first, followed by a crew with smaller mowers and trimmers to clean up the edges and around trees, where the larger machinery can’t fit.
“A lot of times we’ll get calls from residents saying they’ve missed this area or they’ve missed that area, but it’s just that the other mowing crew hasn’t come in behind them yet to do it,” said Hitchner.
Michailuck said residents who back onto parks should also be aware they are responsible for trimming grass and weeds along both sides of the fence. Since fences are within the property line, they are the responsibility of the homeowner, she said.
Irrigation
The Town’s policy is to water only sports fields, said Michailuck.
New parks in town don’t have irrigation systems installed anymore, she said. Any sites and developments in town are designed with enough topsoil to provide nourishment for grass, so the Town has been able to move away from irrigating, she said.
“It’s to be more responsible with water conservation for our community,” said Michailuck.
Trees are still watered up to five years after planting, or until they have exhibited two years of vigourous growth, she said. All watering of flowers and foliage is done with non-potable water, she said.
“Typically the trees we’re watering around boulevards and medians and things, they just don’t have the same landscaping around them, so they need a bit more attention,” said Michailuck.
