Bright and colorful flowers will keep shining this summer in downtown Monroe.

The Monroe Main Street/Downtown Development Authority will hire two seasonal workers who will spend the summer months watering flowers in the hanging baskets around downtown.

The flowers in downtown were in jeopardy because the City of Monroe eliminated the Department of Public Services position for a worker to water flowers in previous summers. The new workers will water flowers and pick up trash and perform other tasks in the downtown district.

“We could have them do anything we needed done,” said Main Street manager Andrea Jones. “They will be the visible side of the Main Street/Downtown Development Authority and have a lot of contact with the public.”

The workers will also do minor seasonal maintenance and cleanup around the downtown, as well as assist at DDA events. The DDA board approved the positions Wednesday.

The May-to-September workers will be chosen from the seasonal worker candidate pool through the City of Monroe. The jobs will pay about $10 an hour. Ms. Jones said the workers likely will work alternating days, so a DDA worker would be on the streets each day.

Ms. Jones said the workers will concentrate on only the downtown district.

“We’ve got a lot of compliments on it, how nice it makes the downtown look,” she said of the flowers.

The downtown group will rent a watering truck from the city’s DPS to complete the tasks.

Board member Ken Wickenheiser said the workers could focus on other needed cleanups like graffiti removal and riverbank work.

source : www.monroenews.com