Portland’s parks bureau has finally refined its last estimate for what it will cost to spruce up Chapman and Lownsdale Squares—home, for nearly six weeks, to Occupy Portland’s Alpha and Beta Camps.
The current tally? An oddly symmetrical $85,850. (And, says spokesman Mark Ross in a statement, that doesn’t include some $45,000 in staff and material costs spent during the occupation of the parks.)
The biggest chunk ($28,000) is related to what looks to be a total reconstruction of the restroom at Lownsdale Square, along SW Salmon Street. The next biggest chunk ($16,500) will pay to repair seven benches at the two parks and replace two others.
Meanwhile, parks officials (publicly) and some cops (privately) had worried about finding piss and shit and and drug needles and generator-fuel in the muck, something that could have dramatically raised costs. The good news is that no soil contamination was found.
How much does the city spend in a normal year to maintain the two parks? I’ve got a message into Ross and I’ll update when I hear back. Update 2:15PM: Ross replied about an hour ago that, from September 8, 2010, to November 7, 2011, the parks bureau “spent just $653.14 for aeration, fertilizing, and irrigation at Lownsdale and Chapman Squares.” I’ve now asked whether that’s all the cash spent on the parks in that span.
Update 3:10PM: Ross replies:
No, there are costs for mowing, irrigation/lawn sprinkler maintenance and repair, litter pickup, garbage removal, contracted restroom cleaning, building and bench maintenance, light systems maintenance, shrub and tree care, hard surface cleaning, and leaf removal. Safety inspections possible too.
I will look into the costs for that.
Stay tuned…Update 3:40PM: Ross says the costs for the above list of work, from September 2010 to October 2011, comes to $897.31 in materials, and $18,485.19 for labor. Not chump change—but only a fraction of what Parks is currently estimating.
It should be noted that Occupy Portland has offered its hands and time (and money) to help with the cleanup. The Portland Parks Foundation has raised $33,000 so far in a fund that most supporters of Occupy seem to be using. As the Mercury reported last week, the vast majority of those giving to the fund overwhelmingly support the movement.
Update 2:50PM: Occupy media volunteer Reid Parham offered a tart assessment of what the parks looked like before Occupy Portland settled in: “The pre-occupation condition of the Lownsdale Square men’s restroom included nonfunctional lights and sinks, various human excretions on the floors, and heroin-abusing inhabitants. I hope [Parks Commissioner Nick] Fish intends the parks’ ‘restoration’ to surpass the previous status quo.”
A full breakdown of the costs is below the cut.
Maybe part of the current economic crisis is caused by public money being wasted on things like over priced benches, $16000 to repair benches? With that money I could craft you beautiful magic benches that can take you to the moon.
I’m willing to bet the bathrooms needed some of these repairs prior to establishment of the Occupy camp.
Is there a single person who doesn’t think the final bill will be around $100,000? Take out the government cost of business and elevated union wages, this estimate would be at least half. Use illegals from Portland’s Day Labor Center and cut the estimate in half again.
It’s already over that Andy.
‘that doesn’t include some $45,000 in staff and material costs spent during the occupation of the parks.’
Portland = NAIVE white libtards
Givin’ the 99% jerbs
Hey Reid – how much did you kick in anyway?
$99
If you’re serious, I commend you for walking the talk.
But you need to kick some of yer pals in the ass still.
Yeah, I’m serious. It was on November 15 at 7:30 pm.
The highest price bench I just found on a quick search was 1900 bucks. I’m not saying that we should look at specific parts of this report where costs could be inflated a little, but maybe we should look at parts of this report where costs could be inflated a little.
I think it’s absurd for them to be tallying the bathroom, sewers and LEAF raking as an Occupy cost. Same with the benches (btw, are they made of gold? One was broken beforehand and the benches were in fine shape.) Or graffiti. Subtract those costs and it seems that Occupy DID already pay for what damage they may have done.
oh pleeeease! We all have a right to occupy. I really don’t feel as if it did anymore damage, as the damage the city wants to charge the tax payers for cleaning it up. Come on City of Portland. We are not fools, we can all see that you are trying to over charge for this and make it a huge deal, which it is not.
oh pleeeease! We all have a right to occupy. I really don’t feel as if it did anymore damage, as the damage the city wants to charge the tax payers for cleaning it up. Come on City of Portland. We are not fools, we can all see that you are trying to over charge for this and make it a huge deal, which it is not.
This figure does not include police overtime, which was approximately $1.29 million just for manning the ‘Occupy’ movement. I am aware that those supporting the movement will claim that the increased police presence was not necessary, but the movement has been anything but peaceful. However, if the officers were able to enforce the law, then the cost of overtime would be much lower.