With the arrival of spring and warmer weather, the City of Parksville's annual multi-week spring maintenance and cleanup program is well underway.
Over the next two months, city staff will be working in the community, tackling seasonal maintenance tasks, according to a news release by the city.
"The city’s operations department provides a variety of services to enhance the daily lives of Parksville residents," the release said. "The levels of service are approved as part of the financial plan and budget process in the fall."
Some of the activities residents may see in the community over the next few months include:
Road and infrastructure maintenance (weather permitting):
• Daily street sweeping across the city
• Roadside mowing and brushing
• Asphalt repairs and patching
• Gravel shoulder repairs
• Catch basin cleaning and storm flushing
• Sidewalk inspections and repairs
• Sign maintenance and repairs
• Preparing for line marking
City buildings and facilities
• Maintenance, repairs and painting in park washrooms and other facilities
• Additional park washroom cleaning
• Garbage collection throughout the city as well as parks
Utilities
• Water meter replacements
• Respond to residential service repairs
• Annual hydrant maintenance and testing
• Continued testing of SCADA system for replacement
• Arrowsmith Dam solar project, replacement of flow meters on outlet pipes and weekly inspections
Parks, green spaces and trails
Many spring park maintenance activities are underway and will continue over the coming months with crews working to get parks and green spaces ready for the busy spring and summer season.
Annual grass mowing is underway, and it can take crews about two weeks to complete the first round of cutting of boulevards and parks. Listed below are some of the responsibilities undertaken by city parks crews:
• Pressure wash street benches across the city
• Prepare hanging baskets for downtown area
• Clean and prepare flower beds on boulevards, parks and city managed facilities
• Clean/pressure wash Memorial Plaza and Parksville Community Park playground
• Weed and mulch tree rings
• Tree inspection in parks and boulevards
• Edge pathways and parking areas
• Hand mowing and weed eating
• Mow boulevards, greenways and parks
• Address all requests for service
• Invasive plant treatment and habitat restoration planning for 2025
Sports field turf and infield preparation includes weed and edge infields, warning tracks, proactive mounds and dugouts, dugout repairs, top dress infield with grey and red cinder, and aeriation, top dress, overseed, and fertilize turf.
• Power washing tennis and pickleball courts
• Install volleyball court nets and sand volleyball court grooming
• Mobility mat installation at Parksville Bay beach
• Waterfront walkway inspection and repairs
• Playground inspections and repairs
• Energize water systems for water fountains showers and irrigation
• Splash park inspection, cleaning and activation
• Food truck and event utility source inspections and activation
• Special event parks support
• Irrigation system and cross connection inspections, tests and repairs
During peak demand, residents can support spring maintenance activities by submitting an online service request to report such issues as potholes, repairs to sidewalks, curbs, manholes, streetlights, graffiti removal or dead or unhealthy trees.
As well, with spring maintenance in full swing, please be alert, slow down in work areas and give city crews, trucks and equipment space and respect and follow any barricades and signage at work sites.
