160706 Beautification Working GroupTown of Tillsonburg
Beautification Working Group
Report from the meeting of July 6, 2016
1. Attending
Christine Nagy, Matt Fenn, Corey Hill , Penny Esseltine, John Kirkland
Regrets/Absent: Wendy Cameron, Paul DeCloet, Sue Saelens
Chair Christine Nagy called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.
2. Presentations
Christine reported that she and Penny had made a presentation to the Development
Committee at the request of BIA Chair Cedric Tomico. The presentation included a review of
the Fanshawe College Tillsonburg Beautification Project as well as current activity and plans
going forward for the Beautification Working Group. It was recommended that the group
make a presentation to council in advance of town budget considerations. All
approaches/presentations to council will be directed and approved through the Heritage,
Beautification and Cemetery Committee. Christine to coordinate.
3. Broadway Beautification Assessment
Matt says the urns are growing nicely. There’s appears to be some staining on the sidewalk/
pavers on which they are placed and Matt says that may be a result of salts and/or fertilizer.
As well there is gravel in the bottom of the pots and perhaps this needs to be rinsed before
being used.
The Committee has received $2000 from the Knights of Columbus to sponsor the four urns
placed at the Broadway and Brock Street intersection. As well the Tillsonburg Horticultural
Society has contributed $1000 to the hanging baskets. John reported that an additional $25
per week is required for watering the urns. It was suggested that some of these additional
dollars could come from the donated funds.
Corey reported that at Turtlefest three of the urns had been tipped. There was no damage
reported to the urns and Parks staff uprighted them. With that exception, vandalism of the
urns has not been evident. There was some concern for the levelling of the urns at
intersections. Corey reports that the town will be levelling grates and cobblestones in the
downtown area and attending to the tree guards as well.
Regarding the hanging baskets, John will investigate obtaining different brackets for
the baskets on the hydro poles so that the baskets can be lowered to a more visible height
and placed on the inside sidewalk side so that they are more visible to pedestrians rather
than vehicular traffic. John will ask Virginia to count the optimal number of baskets that
could be positioned on Broadway.
Christine suggests focusing our efforts on street-level urn plantings and foregoing the
baskets because of their limited visibility and the cost of watering these. Potentially we could
increase the number of urns so that they are placed at all intersections from Bridge Street to
Oxford Street in 2017. In 2018 we could look to add a second medium-sized urn in all
locations and in 2019 we could add a smaller one. These would be bolted together so that
tipping them would be difficult. Matt will investigate the cost of both round and square
urns in three different sizes. An order placed in February would be delivered in mid-May.
The committee discussed offering small urns to storeowners to be placed in front of their
businesses and whether or not theft could be a problem. John will investigate brackets or
posts that could help to prevent this.
There has been a suggestion/request from the town asking for another urn to be placed on
Broadway outside the Library and Scotiabank where the brick is uneven This would help to
guide people away from this area. Matt and Corey to coordinate. Funding from donations.
Because 2016 is Canada’s 150th, Broadway Beautification will focus on red and white
colours. Coordination of beautification efforts for Canada 150 is critical, including budgeting.
4. Amenity Spaces
Corey has acquired a cost estimate from Ron Koudys Landscape Architects for preparing
conceptual design options and a cost estimate for construction for the Southend Parkette
amenity space. The cost estimate for services is based on an hourly rate to a maximum of
$8000. Being that the committee has already secured some design concepts from
Fanshawe College and is looking to secure drawings that would primarily include trees and
a fountain or gazebo it was suggested that perhaps this could be done in a smaller, less
costly way. Corey explains that the pump in the existing bubbling rock has been vandalized
for three years in a row and has needed replacement/repair several times. Matt will talk
with two or three landscape design professionals that he has worked with through the
garden centre to determine if there would be another way to secure the conceptual drawings
we are after. Matt and Corey will meet with these individuals on site. Potentially the
redesign and rebuild of this parkette could be done in recognition of Canada’s 150th.
5. Town Wide Beautification
Some other areas that the committee needs to consider in our town-wide beautification
efforts are gateways, parks, and trail entrances, as well as Simcoe Street. Again, with
Canada 150, beautification of gateways to the town should be a priority. Penny will inquire
about whether or not gateway signage including the town’s new branding logo will be
included among budget requests for 2017 because this would impact decisions and plans
regarding gateway beautification.
6. Donor Recognition
Penny has started to investigate potential ways to recognize donors for their contributions to
the beautification efforts. With regard to the urns on Broadway the committee agreed that a
plant stake/pick with the Tillsonburg logo as well as wording such as what follows … support
for this beautification project generously provided by the Knights of Columbus We All Win …
for each donor would be fine. To date the donors are Knights of Columbus ($2000),
Tillsonburg Garden Gate (Design, Plantings, and Support), and the Tillsonburg Horticultural
Society ($1000). Committee members suggested names of companies who may be able to
produce these for us. Penny will follow up.
7. Other Business
Christine has arranged with Chris Abbott of the Tillsonburg News for a story and photo
about the Beautification efforts to be published in next Wednesday’s newspaper.
8. Date of Next Meeting
Wednesday, July 27, 9:00 a.m. Lion’s Den, Tillsonburg Community Centre
Chair: Christine Nagy
Recorder: Penny Esseltine
07/13/16