Recreational grounds around town are about to get the Cadillac service when it comes to grooming.
On June 23, town council approved an administration request to spend $40,580 for a turf sweeper; a self-propelled, hydraulically driven, three-wheel unit designed for quick and easy cleanup of golf courses, parks, school campuses, cemeteries or any large turf area.
“It is a unit that actually picks up the excess grass clipping on turf and deposits them into a hopper, and it lifts it up and puts them in the back of a truck,” said Terry Welsh, director of community and protective services.
He said the new turf sweeper, which has a lifespan of up to 10 years, is the first time the town has had such a high-quality unit of this type. The town had previously groomed its recreational fields through gruelling manual operation.
“It was very labour intensive. Basically what we are now doing is hand raking and using a unit to push it up into piles and loading it into a truck and taking it away,” said Welsh. “This (purchase) is a huge efficiency improvement for us. Athletic fields, the ball diamonds, soccer pitches and the cemetery are the key ones for us.
“Especially at this time of year with all that rain you will see a lot of clippings laying around on an athletic field, and that is a concern,” added Welsh, noting one concern is for the safety of athletes.
Welsh's report to council said $25,000 was previously approved and set aside in the 2014 capital budget for a turf sweeper. However, he said a thorough check with suppliers in the province revealed there was only one appropriate unit choice for the town and it would result in a $15,580 shortfall.
Council later approved in principle the over-expenditure to be drawn from the 2013 operational surplus but wanted staff to come back for final approval.
Welsh said the turf sweeper has been ordered and it should arrive in town for service this month.
