Huron Expositor, 2009-03-25, Page 7G G GQETTLER
of Zuh(M-
FINE FURNTTURE
•
J
News
Roadside weed control in Huron East is
The Huron Expositor • March 25, 2009 Page
disracefu1',etafarmer
teliscouncil
Farmer Kenneth Glanvi e told tween mowingroadside grass twice to
Huron East council at their meeting ensure it is to the crop line is $6,370.
March 17 the municipality's roadside "I don't think that's $5 a farm," he
grass cutting has been "disgraceful" said. "The cost of pesticides is going
over the past few years. up and they don't want to spray pesti-
Glanville's comments came in a let- cides on roadside property."
ter addressed to council last week, Siemon said the $6,370 difference
asking for better grass cutting efforts between cutting twice to the property
to control the spread of weeds, which line is "well worth it."
he says tend to multiply and spread "Last year we paid for one swath
easily into farm fields by wind, birds and we didn't even get that," he said.
and machinery. "I think the tenders speak for them -
"The increasing problem of weed selves that something should be
control in food production is a constant done."
battle with increasing use of stronger Seaforth Coun. Bob Fisher said two
herbicides and escalating costs with residents from Tuckersmith phoned
which the finger is often pointed at him last year to complain about the
the herbicides and the farmers that quality of the workmanship and the
have to use them," Glanville wrote in width of the cut.
the letter. "It is very discouraging as a Glanville says one of the problems
farmer to drive in our community and with hiring a contractor for the job is
see the roadsides disgracefully laden that they are trying to do the job in
with weeds only to know they will a few municipalities in a narrow time
eventuallyspread into our fields." frame, before the weeds go to seed.
Glanvile said in the introduction of "It's a nightmare out there," he says.
his letter that he is greatly concerned "I've paid as much as $80 per acre on
as a taxpayer that council is consid- weed control."
ering the possibility of discontinuing Public Works manager Barry Mills
roadside grass cutting to help offset says the one tractor with a double
other expenses and help lower the mower system is used for roadside
municipal budget. - cutting, which should be able to cut 12
Glanville, who was also present at feet wide most of the time. But Glan-
last week's council meeting, said the ville says he's seen some roadsides
first two swaths made by mowers has that haven't been mowed more than
often not been wide enough and that . four feet.
the machines travel too fast and some- Mayor Joe Seili said that if council
times the weeds
are left only bent
•
over and not cut.
"We have people
hired to patrol the
roads daily in the
winter for snow
removal, - surely
they could police
this important job
and get it done
properly as weed
control should
be done on time
before they go to
seed as cutting
them too late is a
total waste of tax
dollars," Glanville
said in the letter.
He says it's im-
portant that the
swath reach the
farmer's property
line, or else crop
production will
"suffer greatly."
He . also said
better grass cut-
ting will prevent
health issues for
residents with
pollen allergies.
I know that a
few of these coun-
cillors are even
farmers so I'm
sure they under-
stand the prob-
lem immensely,"
Glanville said.
McKillop Coun.
Bill Siemon said
the ' difference be -
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tractor, council is "raked over the coals
for it." 4-;
"So our hands are kind of tied some-
times too," he
added.
Deputy -Mayor
Bernie MacLel-
lan says the mu-
nicipality pays
"a pile" of over-
time to the pub-
lic works depart.•
ment through the
winter and he
wondered if coun-
cil could offset
some of the over-
time costs at one -
and -a -half times
the labour rate
and have an extra
person on staff to
do the job during
the summer.
"At some point,
I would hope, we
would not only
break even but
maybe be farther
ahead -because we
would be manag-
-ing how well we
were doing the
job," he said.
Currently, there
is only one person with one piece of
equipment that cuts • the entire
nicipality, MacLellan added.
See WEEDS, Page 20
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