Flin Flon city council may be ready to beef up the “lawn” arm of the law.
A 2011 bylaw requires Flin Flonners to regularly mow the municipally owned boulevards adjacent to their properties, but many residents are failing to do so.
Asked about overgrown boulevards at council’s Tuesday, August 1 meeting, Mayor Cal Huntley said council is working on its bylaw for “problem yards.”
He agreed overgrown boulevards are “an issue,” adding, “People out in the community need to realize that boulevards in front of their homes are their responsibility, and at the end of the day, if [the city has] to look after them, there could be some costs involved.”
While boulevard mowing is already mandated, Huntley said a revised bylaw might include “a different schedule with regards to penalties and how you attach them.”
The previous council adopted the boulevard bylaw in July 2011, for the first time enshrining into law mandatory mowing of city-owned property.
If a homeowner refuses to comply, the city has the right to mow the boulevard itself and tack the cost onto the resident’s property tax bill.
The preamble of the bylaw states that “many boulevard areas in Flin Flon have grass that needs seasonal cutting” and the city “does not have the resources to mow all boulevard areas as a free service to the public.”
No vote
Council did not vote on a proposed bylaw to ban smoking on Main Street and in front of many businesses.
Huntley said he had reviewed feedback on the matter from the Flin Flon and District Chamber of Commerce, but the rest of council had not.
He said he did not know whether the proposed bylaw would come to a vote, adding this would depend on council’s discussions.
In a subsequent interview with CBC, Huntley said feedback on the proposal from local businesses had been “mostly favourable with a few exceptions.”
He told the network people don’t like walking through cigarette butts or through groups of smokers.
Huntley also clarified that if the bylaw were enacted, people smoking in their vehicles while on Main Street would not be hassled.
The bylaw would prohibit smoking on the street, sidewalk and road allowance located on or adjoining Main Street.
Smoking would also be barred within 15 feet of the front doorway of any business in Flin Flon that employs more than two workers at any one time.
Sponsorship
The City of Flin Flon will again be a major sponsor of the Flin Flon Bombers in 2017-18.
Council voted to sponsor the team to the tune of $7,500 this coming season. The city will deduct this amount from the team’s ice rental fees at the Whitney Forum.
“Our mandate is to provide fast-paced hockey excitement for a low cost to our community and surrounding areas,” read a funding application from the Bombers to the city.
“The funds would help pay ice costs, which in turn keep the costs down for the organization, which again keeps cost down for the public.”
The city has sponsored the Bombers each season since 2005-06.
