I don't understand why he is being charged for the trees? If they are damaged by the public, that is not his problem. Perhaps these two trees in question died as a result of the fence? There must be more to this than meets the eye....or someone at city hall doesn't know what they are doing.

With out removal of the criminal element all efforts are in vain. I remember many decades ago and in a differant part of the country that loiterers/people up to no good/and ones that did not look like the fathers of Confederation were rounded up and paddy wagoned out of town . These areas of town (water front) were rehabilitated once the low lifes were moved on. That's PG's downtown problem and all of the communities political correctness will not solve the problem. Why worry about offending the offense!

Maybe this business owner hit on something, only in reverse.

Why dont we put up a big fence around the worst area of downtown, heard the "criminal element" inside that fence, put a big lock on it and keep them inside to do as they please.

Supply veggies from the city owned gardens, put up big billboards supporting the local brewery and have them donate the beer. We already donate the needles, so its not a stretch that we get the government to fill them needles before we send them in. Local bakeries can send in all their day olds in exchange for a tax break.

of course the city already has a plan, buy all the buildings, demolish them, plant veggie gardens.

Everybody is happy, especially if they give the business owners enough for their business to relocate to a mall somewhere.

Stompin ..... there are already fences around the vegie garden we have. I understand much of downtown will become a vegie garden this year. If it is necessary to fence one, it will likely be necessary to fence the rest.

So, you are a man of convenience. Put those people inside the already fenced area and they have their pick of veggies as long as they also grow them.
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On another note, I understand downtown merchants have always paid for trees planted near them. I suspect the bill is for the original planting, not fixing the damaged trees. Maybe someone can clear that up for us.

Buy another building. Raise the taxes. No money for the roads. PG city council at its best.

Downtow PG had their election last night. A brand new group of 12 men and women are going to fix downtown properly. Downtown PG will now be run like business, and City Hall had better get out of the way!

re:Mr. PG - Downtown PG will now be run like business...

Yeah okay! Good luck with that!

downtown will never be fixed! soup kitchen needs to be moved to the bcr industrial site,same with all these drop in centres.

It would be great to hear some constructive feedback and ideas from commentors as opposed to sarcasm, bitterness and unproductive whining.

I have great hope that the new directors for the DBIA will be an action oriented group. I am also hoping that Kirk Gable will step aside and let a new vision happen for the downtown.

As for our property buying mayor and council, we need to begin a campaign to seek out people who can run for these jobs. Time for them all to go. And by the way, another city owned building means higher taxes for the businesses within the DBIA

Gus:"I suspect the bill is for the original planting, not fixing the damaged trees. Maybe someone can clear that up for us."

I have seen some of the trees broken off at the level of the protective metal cage which surrounds them.

That means the tree is beyond repair - it must be dug up and replaced!

The business owner pays for it.

"It would be great to hear some constructive feedback and ideas from commentors as opposed to sarcasm, bitterness and unproductive whining. "

lol... you must be new here.

Perhaps they should go to Art Naps and buy a $40 tree and plant it themselves.... Should be able to come in under $1900! Or better yet shut down the transmission business and contract with the DBIA to plant trees for $1500/ea

As for the sarcasm etc. I think that is a very polite way of people voicing there disgust at the complete stupidity of the concept of downtown revitalization, let alone the moronic implementation of the wasted time money and effort.

just my 2 cents

If they are required to pay for the tree(s), then they SHOULD have the right of refusal.

Did you hear, there is this new downtown infinitive to paint the sidewalks hi-vis pink. It will not cost the taxpayers anything, the business owners will have to pony up. You have to pay for it whether you wanted or not, whether you asked for it or not. It has been decided for you. Oh, and you have just been informed this is the case.

As absurd as this statement is, this is what this tree incident amounts to. If the city wants to pretty up the place, it is up to the city. If any or many business' decide to improve the appearance of "their" business, it should be their choice.

Having a heavy handed, non elected, non-governmental body dictating additional costs or expenses in the form of a levy or fee that is really an additional tax, does nothing to improve downtown.

IMO to improve the downtown and attract customers to those business we need to:

1. Clear out the riffraff. the first ones to remove are the well known to police. The ones that are frequently if not always on that corner or in that block. Ask them for the destination of their bus ticket and expedite. Anyone noticed "hanging" around should be interviewed for proper current ID documents and be able to name an income source and address.

2. Have an annual award for the positive appearance of the business frontage. Let's not have peeling paint and falling down trim visible.

3. Hire the disenfranchised and marginalized to pick up and sweep up. $10 for each trash bag.

4. Move the soup kitchens and the homeless shelter to industrial areas. This would provide the greatest potential for day labor.

5. Make it part of the business license renewal process to prove ongoing improvements to the business.

6. shut off the north-south roads and create walking malls from Victoria to Queensway. 2nd to 6th would still be through roads. This could be started one block at a time.

7. Get rid of all pay parking. They are mostly empty because no one wants to pay to park down town all day. Even the parkade above the former Cadillac and the one behind the brick are mostly empty. This is where I believe the city should be involved in building adequate quantities of parking spaces.

8. no more retail business licenses issued outside the core until the core is vibrant again. Any new retail business must locate downtown. Also, have an out of core business surtax and a companion tax reduction for being in the core to encourage that.

9. install awnings along the buildings. Make them consistent. This is a winter city. Whoever the bonehead was that made all the businesses take them down should be forced to walk a beat for a duration equal to the time they have been gone.

10. open some of the larger buildings to mini malls of a few companion stores.

11. permit business owners to reside in the same building as their business.

12. allow more residential apartments.

13. have street fairs every weekend, weather permitting.

14. establish a permanent farmers market site, no cost, but a permit would be required.

15. 24/7 highly visible police presence. They should have a couple of kiosks within the walking mall area.

16. fix the alleyway paving

17. Enforce a requirement for all businesses to have dawn to dusk or motion detected lighting in the rear or alley side of their business. Darkness is the criminals friend.

18. install cameras, lots of cameras. Some visible, some not. Make them all publicly viewable on the internet and recording on a 24 hour loop

19. have a tax incentive for business' to do the same with cameras inside.

20. remove industrial or commercial enterprises that are not retail.

21. level abandoned buildings and plant grass and add a park bench

22. fine any building owner for poor appearance. Things like stains across the facade as on the white tong building, or any appearance of disrepair.

23. paint the curbs. Maybe have an adopt a curb program so we can have a technicolor city core.

24. have drop in child care so parents can leave the view of the children while partaking in the amenities.

25. either move bababaloo's or allow/encourage a similar child oriented business to locate in the core

26. install more bike racks

27. join some buildings with a pedestrian skyway across street, like in Calgary

28. have mayor AND council make an appearance regularly on the weekends in that area. This is for them to grow a personal appreciation for the area and to monitor progress and receive feedback on the ground

29. get rid of the bingo halls and forbid a downtown casino. those patrons only go to that business and do not contribute significantly to the local area

How about a large sign attached to what's left of a destroyed tree: "This tree was killed by vandalism. Enjoy sitting in it's shade! It will be replaced when we know it's safe to do so!"

This is a constructive suggestion, it is not sarcasm, bitterness or unproductive whining!

Typical bureaucracy that hasn't run a business of their own... tax the small guy for their own bureaucratic mistakes....

climbchic ... here are two ways of commenting using the tree issue as an example.

Negative sounding comment = It is ludicrous to separate the decision maker from the funder in the case of providing trees in downtown sidewalks.

Positive sounding comment = Fix the tree kind of problems by making sure the decision maker is also the funder.

The end result is the same, in my opinion.

That, btw, is my suggestion to improve the downtown tree issue.

Now, do you agree with it? If not, what is your suggestion?

If you do agree, are you in a position to influence change? If not, how do you suggest change will happen?

On the bigger question of businesses operating donwtown.

At this time and for some decades, owning or renting space downtown has been one of the cheapest locations in the city to do so when looking at the per square foot rental or bulding cost rates. There are other expenses which come to play as has been written about.

Nevertheless, it is a choice that the businesses make. Other than those businesses which have to be donwtown to do effective/efficient business, the others can operate in other city locations and will eventually move.

That move might be caused because of the deteriorating conditions of the location due to undesirable activities moving in.

We must, however, not forget that there can be another force that could cause the same business to move.

A thriving downtown which will cause rents to rise and property values to rise along with taxes and cause an intollerable amount of business expenses to go to facility costs. A change, which will not be beneficial to the renter, but may be acceptable to the owner since the sale will be beneficial if there is a less expensive location somewhere else in the city.

Will the business owner complain about that change in the location as well? Very likely, especially if they rent.

I find it surprising that we still live in a city which does not require a downtown business owner with inventory sitting in an outside yard to be fenced securely from intruders. That is the same city where people steel copper conductors from a city lighting installation running along a brand new bridge.

Perhaps the money to replace the trees could come from the new tax all the downtown businesses have to pay. Isn't that what its all about?

Loki...
That would be an amazing downtown!
If it ever happens, I would consider opening shop!

Loki suggested: "Enforce a requirement for all businesses to have dawn to dusk or motion detected lighting in the rear or alley side of their business. Darkness is the criminals friend."

I think taking a completely different approach to alleys should be tried. Alleys in some cities are wonderfull found pace that is pedestrian. Get rid of the garbage bins and delivery vehicles and parking. Do the deliveries early in the morning.

Here is what an alley should/could look like ....

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/LggnexLsLduNWI3ODW2m9A?select=-iewctgbfm8cy5jKXLx3CQ

Trounce Alley, Victoria
http://www.worldisround.com/articles/151898/photo21.html