The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Question: Whenever I see the city-contracted buses running, they're never even close to being full or even half full. Does the city require the buses have a certain number of seats? Could we taxpayers save money/reduce pollution by using smaller buses? Mayor Therien: The city does not have any stipulations regarding the number of seats on the bus. What we do ask is for a professional looking unit, well maintained and running on a schedule that is agreed to by the city and the contractor, including the routes to be used. When we have discussions regarding the contract, we have asked for the use of smaller buses thinking this would be a way of saving money. Apparently, this is not the case. There is very little cost differential in running a smaller bus to a larger bus, if any. The staffing costs are the same, the capital costs are the same and they use the same amount of fuel, according to our current provider. The better question may be, do we need the service at all? The fact that the ridership is small causes us some concern. However, there is usage of the service and, in a town built like Flin Flon, some form of public transportation may be the right thing to do. This is not an easy community for some people to get around in. We do get some additional funding from the Federal Gas Tax refund dispersements because we run a public transportation service but, regardless, the cost of running a bus service is far greater than the income received. Right now, running a bus service is the right thing to do. * * * Question: I know you have answered a question on this before, relating to the park supposedly to be coming in on the previous Mr. Ribs property. How does the general public feel about this? I feel it will be another place to vandalize. Would putting something for the younger people for recreation make more sense? Mayor Therien: Your question is a good one. How does the public feel about this? Since this topic has been around for a while now, the only feedback I have received has been positive. I have to tell you I have not encountered ANY negative feedback regarding this potential development. I personally believe this park would greatly enhance our downtown area and I support the efforts being made to see this park come to fruition. If we believed everything we could do might result in the development being vandalized, we might never do anything just out of fear. This is a terrible way to go about things. What you are basically saying is the idiots who think it is fun to destroy things are in control. Just look at how many times the boardwalk has been damaged. It would be so easy just to throw your hands up in the air and say to heck with it. The great thing is they didn't. We are also looking at developing some recreational items for our youth as well, regardless of this park becoming a reality or not. * * * Send your questions for Mayor Therien to The Reminder by phone at 687-3454, fax at 687-4473, e-mail at [email protected] or standard delivery at "Ask the Mayor", C/O The Reminder, 14 North Avenue, R8A OT2. No names are required. Ask the Mayor runs Mondays.
