Title
Downtown Plaza (NB)
Explanation
The Interim City Manager appointed the Downtown Plaza Task Team and tasked them with reviewing the current physical condition of the Downtown Plaza and recommending modifications to improve the physical appearance.
The Team identified the following issues within the Plaza:
Landscaping issues
* Dead grass
* Lack of diverse plants
* Overgrowth
* Visibility diminished by trees/plants
Hardscaping Issues:
* Condition of benches
* Lack of walkways
* Broken fixtures in bathrooms
* Difficulty in keeping bathrooms clean
* Lack of decorative hardscaping items
* Cages on brick structure at the RTS benches collect trash
Maintenance Issues:
* Lack of unified maintenance
* Inadequate maintenance frequency
* Diverse allocation of resources
* Overlapping areas of responsibility
Restroom Hours of Operation:
* Opened at 7:30 am by Parks staff Monday - Friday
* Cleaned twice a day during weekdays by Facilities Management
* Locked at 6:00 pm by RTS staff Monday - Friday
* Daily weekend cleaning by private contractor via CRA contract
The Plaza currently operates under a diversified management, in which various agencies and departments have overlapping jurisdictional responsibilities. Many of the agencies and departments perform similar tasks, but in different capacities. This approach seems to stretch limited resources, and also makes it increasingly difficult to quantify the effect that this work has on the Plaza.
It is the recommendation of the Team that one Department take responsibility for the overall upkeep and maintenance of the Plaza and all the associated improvements. It is further a recommendation of the Team that there be an Ambassador of sorts provided by the City, whose responsibility would be to provide oversight of the Plaza to ensure it is kept clean and is available to interact with visitors. A unified management structure would improve the information flow between the departments, eli...
Click here for full text