[POLL] Should Town Provide Main Street Flowers?

This may be the first year in a long time that no flower baskets will be seen hanging from Main Street lamp posts. That's because a contribution to the Main Street Merchants Association to pay for it was cut from the FY 2012 budget last June. But Main Street representatives are making a last ditch effort to get the funding restored, for this year anyway.

"Don't leave downtown barren," pleaded Diane Vallari, co-president of the Main Street Merchants Association, during an interview Wednesday. She and head Steve Lombardi have been to three recent Town Council meetings asking for the panel to restore funding. At .

Last year around this time, the Town Council cut a $5,000 contribution to the Main Street Merchants Association that would pay for flower baskets and the watering needed to keep them alive through the summer. The town's fiscal year starts July 1, so flower baskets last summer were paid for out of the FY 2011 budget. It's a bit confusing.

The line item is also absent from the budget for FY 2013 that's under consideration now.

Vallari, who owns , said now that , it will be easier going forward to get more business owners to participate in efforts to boost Main Street. But they aren't there yet.

"Give us time," she said. "We just joined with the Chamber — let us get other merchants involved."

There are two costs involved. One is the purchase of the flower baskets themselves. The other is for overtime costs associated with watering the plants on weekends and holidays. Everyone agrees that the baskets have to be watered daily to survive. EG Public Works has handled that job, but since there's no staffing on weekends and holidays, workers who fill in to water get paid time and a half. The estimate from for both is $6,350.

Vallari sees things moving in the right direction on Main Street. She applauds the Chamber's Lombardi for his help and hard work. So she's hoping the town can step up to pitch in too, at least this one last time. 

Looking out the window of her hair salon, Vallari said, "If I had a wish list, I'd be looking at a hanging basket by Memorial Day."