Sunday 31 January 2021

Originally broadcast on CHED radio - Date unknown

It has occurred to me as I'm sure it has to you, that the city of Edmonton could use a more articulate public relations department. Most people understand the problems of the city, and yet we all get impatient when we see so little action from city crews in cleaning up Edmonton every spring time. I am not saying crews are not at work. They may be, but the process is much too slow. I ask these questions, as I'm sure you do. When can we expect the sand and filth to be cleaned off the main thoroughfare’s? When can we expect to see the sweepers cleaning up the residential streets? When will the roads be fit to drive on and what roads will receive priority? When will the lanes be graded and cleaned up? When will the boulevards be raked and cleaned? When will the street washers be in the residential areas? If there is a master plan for the maintenance of the city, the taxpayer is seldom told. And so day by day, when we have to tolerate the dust and dirt caused by winter’s leaving, we become impatient and critical, and rightly so. The problem is compounded by the fact that after a winter like the last one, we are anxious to enjoy a little decent weather when it finally comes along. However, it is hard to enjoy a walk when the wind keeps whipping the filth out of the gutter into your face. We track the salt and sand onto our rugs. It embeds itself in our clothing. It costs residents of this city thousands of dollars a year just for cleaning bills. How much more patient we’d be if someone at City Hall would issue a daily bulletin telling us what areas are being worked on today, where the crews will be tomorrow, and when each of us could expect action in our own district. Instead, it's a guessing game and we all become more critical of the administration. One question keeps nagging at me; Does a master plan for the city cleanup even exist? How about that City Hall?

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