Vancouver’s boulevard tree-planting program is on the chopping block as part of the park board’s efforts to make up a $2.8-million budget shortfall.
But park board commissioners, who will deal with the issue Wednesday, are divided on whether to proceed with plans to reduce the tree-planting program by one-third to save $146,000.
“We’ve been having cuts for many, many years but now we’re not talking about cuts to the flesh. It’s to the bone. The trees are one of the things that makes Vancouver so special,” said commissioner Stuart Mackinnon.
“Having the boulevard trees brings the parks to people’s streets…. How can we be the greenest city while reducing the number of trees in the city? This is the most basic form of being green. From a bird’s eye view, Vancouver would in fact be less green if these budget cuts go through.”
As part of the overall proposed cuts by the park board, about 400 of the approximately 1,200 boulevard trees removed each year due to death, disease or posing a hazard to pedestrians would not be replaced. Mackinnon wonders who will decide which neighbourhoods will lose trees and which will have them replaced.
He said the proposal does not make sense in light of Vancouver’s “Greenest City Action Plan,” which calls for planting an additional 150,000 trees over the next 10 years.
Board chair Raj Hundal said he hasn’t decided whether to oppose the cut to the tree-planting program, but agrees it doesn’t make sense in light of the city’s action plan.
“I’ve asked staff to look into it further because it has implications on the Greenest City Action Plan. We want to do our part to ensure we are the greenest city in the world,” said Hundal.
Board vice-chairwoman Loretta Woodcock said she also has concerns, but believes there are other options to keep the trees, such as appealing to an outside benefactor. She noted that in 2008 there was a massive planting of cherry trees after philanthropist David Lam donated the funding.
“It’s an unforeseen casualty of the budget cuts. It’s either the trees or programs at community centres,” said Woodcock.
“I’m disappointed [by the plan to reduce tree planting] but it isn’t the only option. We can’t get private donors to pay for [community centre] programs but with something like the trees there’s something more tangible coming out of it. Donors would be more willing to contribute.”
But Mackinnon called that approach “wishful thinking.”
“We are paying our taxes for these services. It’s not a good plan of action to rely on donors when we do not have them lining up,” he said.
The $2.8 million is the park board’s share of cuts the City of Vancouver is asking for to deal with a $61-million operating budget shortfall for 2010. The city wants all departments to make cuts in order to keep next year’s property tax increase to two per cent.
The tree-reduction proposal is part of a plan to shave $571,000 from direct parks services. Other services affected would include garbage pickup, with priority given to the cleaning of high-use parks and facilities, and reducing the number of plant varieties and plantings at Queen Elizabeth Park.
Other proposals to achieve the overall $2.8-million park board cuts include:
– Closure of Bloedel Conservatory at Queen Elizabeth Park, which is subsidized by about $250,000 annually.
– Closure of the Children’s Farmyard at Stanley Park, which is subsidized by about $160,000 annually.
– Looking for an alternative to support the Champlain Heights Community School’s before- and after-school program. (This is the only program of its kind that receives park board support.)
– Cutting hours at community centres, fitness centres, pools and ice rinks.
– Eliminating some front-line staff positions in the city’s 22 community centres.
Woodcock said the job cuts would work out to 25 full-time equivalent staff positions.
“If you are pulling staff it makes an impact not only on public programs and service but on revenues at centres. Some of the staff runs the programs.”
She noted that if staff can’t run the programs, less revenue is generated at community centres. Where the staff cuts will specifically happen has yet to be decided.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 15, which represents about 2,500 park and city workers, is opposing the cuts not only to protect its members, but to save community services, said president Paul Faoro.
He said that as a taxpayer and a Vancouver homeowner, he finds the difference between a two-per-cent tax increase, which the city is aiming for, and a five-per-cent tax increase is minimal and works out to about $62 a year for the average-priced Vancouver home.
“No one wants to see taxes increase but I’d pay that to protect my local library and community centres,” said Faoro.
He said he hopes the park board will look at past unnecessary spending, noting the previous board decided in November 2008 to exempt 15 union positions to create senior management at a higher premium. That decision resulted in an additional $250,000 in “unnecessary spending” he said.
kpemberton@vancouversun.com
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