On Monday, Edmonton city councillors decided to keep weed control chemicals as part of public space maintenance, while calling on city staff to improve the appearance of public parks and boulevards.
A request was made in April to have city staff explore a potential pesticide ban.
“There’s been a number of folks who have been writing me, concerned about the exposure to chemicals on the food that they’re growing for their families or the health of their children or the health of their pets,” Ward papastew councillor Michael Janz said Monday.
While the products would not be allowed to be used on public and private properties, they could still be sold, since the provincial and federal governments oversee product approvals.
“If there is a chemical or product or substance that ought not be in the public realm from a health perspective, then other levels of government employ people to make that determination,” argued Ward pihêsiwin councillor Tim Cartmell.
The discussion then turned to how the city would cope without pesticides on public property.
“The underlying consequence of a pesticide ban would be that we have one less tool in our quiver when we talk about maintaining our open spaces,” Cartmell pointed out.
Multiple councillors said they have heard from countless residents upset with the quality of weed control in public places this summer.
Ward Karhiio councillor Keren Tang said her staff have even been berated online and over the phone by people upset with the service quality.
During the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, councillors voted to slash the weed control budget. It was partially restored in 2021 but councillors say the service has not returned.
“All of city council is very frustrated with the state of their city right now and a number of us are quite perplexed as to why,” Janz told media.
“We heard loud and clear that we need to do a better job,” deputy city manager for city operations Gord Cebryk said after the concerns were raised Monday.
Cebryk said his staff will spend the remainder of this summer evaluating where weeds are the worst and developing a budget for improving service.
That budget will go to councillors in the fall.
“I think what we try and do is we look at what we’re doing with resources and what citizens are telling us through 311,” Cebryk explained. “And that will give us an indication of where some problem spots are and we can adjust resourcing accordingly.”
Cebryk said residents should not expect to notice a change this summer but that he had a goal of meeting citizens’ expectations next summer.
As for the potential pesticide ban, the idea will not move forward as it stands but councillors could bring the subject back up in the future if there is a desire.