CORNWALL – City councillors will be asked Monday to dig into municipal coffers to add another $14,520 in Christmas decorations and lights to the Rotary Traffic Circle.
Coun. Eric Bergeron asked for a report two weeks ago on what could be done because he was “getting a lot of feedback” from the public on the current display – strings of lights in some of the trees, which some have described as Charlie Brown-esque.
The city used to hoist strings up lights up the center flag pole – something the pole was never designed for – before it came crashing to the ground in 2018.
A contractor advised the city to stop doing it.
City councillors will consider a staff recommendation of $14,520 in upgrades on Monday, which may include a dozen pre-lit decorative figures like deer, moose or snowmen, a dozen pre-lit artificial Christmas trees and 600 feet of red and white lights to be wound around the center flag pole.
The cost includes hiring a contractor with a bucket truck for two days to do some of the installations.
The $14,520 is only part of the staff Christmas lighting wish list, which tops out at $29,120.
The report doesn’t mention where the money will be coming from.
If the lighting upgrades go ahead, they would be up until the end of January – a little less than eight weeks.