| Law Would Mean Increased Operating Costs |
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If the proposed law passes requiring maintenance workers to decontaminate themselves and their equipment and vehicles between job sites, efficiency and profit margins could suffer. Time would be added to each job and operating costs would increase due to cleaning materials and additional equipment to clean vehicles. According to Vic Nocera, principal owner, Landscape Techniques of South Florida, Delray Beach, Fla., complying with such a law would be a tremendous responsibility. "My labor costs would probably go up 10 to 15 percent," he said. "That’s rough especially with the profit margins in the maintenance industry." As a commercial landscape contractor with a client base of large communities, Nocera said the law could really hurt, especially as there is no way to cover the added costs this season. He explained that contracts are secured for the season with predetermined rates and that raising bidding rates on non-contracted work for this season would open the door for lower bidders to take the jobs. - Scott Hunsberger |
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. - To prevent the spread of citrus canker - an infection plaguing citrus trees throughout Florida, requiring infected and surrounding trees to be cut down and destroyed - the city of Delray Beach, Fla., may take the unusual action of requiring lawn care workers to decontaminate themselves when leaving work areas.
An ordinance being considered by city staff would order lawn maintenance and possibly public utilities personnel who trim, maintain and plant trees, shrubs and flowers to wash exposed areas of their bodies and clothes with antibacterial soap, wash, spray or other solutions.
The ordinance, discussed by the City Commission on March 20, 2001, and expected to be introduced in April, would subject the violators to fines that would be enforced by city police and code enforcement officers.
"This is the biggest culprit," said Mayor David Schmidt, referring to landscaping companies that are unknowingly spreading canker, a bacterial infection that attacks trees and damages fruit.
The proposed requirement would be in line with the Florida Department of Agriculture's recommendations on ways to reduce exposure to the bacteria.
Broward County, Fla., cities have planned to impose similar requirements, Delray officials said.
Delray Beach is considering the ordinance even as it prepares for a legal showdown with the state agriculture department. The city's action is intended to block state canker eradication crews from chopping down trees in the city.
The state crews marked about 700 citrus trees in the Delray Shores neighborhood for removal earlier this month after finding a lemon tree infected with the Asian strain of the virus. State policy requires all citrus trees within a 1,900-foot radius of an infected tree to be cut down.
When numerous homeowners complained, city attorneys asked the Palm Beach County Circuit Court to issue an injunction that would stop the trees' removal. The court hasn't yet ruled.
More than 2,400 residential trees in Palm Beach County and 589,000 trees in South Florida have been destroyed to prevent the disease from spreading.
The proposed ordinance would require, among other things, that in addition to workers decontaminating themselves, their vehicles and various other equipment would need to be cleaned with steam.
Article adapted and reprinted from the Sun-Sentinel - http://southflorida.sun-sentinel.com.