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: Is the city looking at selling part of Queen's Park along Highway 10A to private interests? If so, why? If not, would the city consider this or is the park considered a "hands off" zone? Mayor Therien: At this time, city council is not interested in changing Queen's Park, but to say we have not suggested possible alternate uses for this park would not be true. The area in question is prime real estate and does have great marketing potential. * * * Question: Why is our city willing to lobby a provincial board for a new uptown business tax (to pay a parking enforcement officer) but not cover the small cost of this officer (less than $1,000 a month out of a $10-million budget)? Why does the "majority" of council not see the benefit of this officer, and is it at least a close vote? Mayor Therien: First, let me say that this was a majority view of council to have this matter heard by a provincial board and, as such, what the vote was is of no concern. I am not so sure money was the sole reason for not approving the request for a parking enforcement officer, but the amount you use is the extreme MINIMUM cost to have this service. There are other things to consider when dealing with this issue. Firstly, is there really a problem with parking in the downtown area as a whole, or are we talking specific areas? If it is only specific areas, the question needs to be, asked why is it a problem? As has been suggested, the problem is downtown business employees taking up spots which would be better utilized by customers. This has been an issue for all 20-plus years I have been in Flin Flon, regardless of whether we have the current method of parking or when we had meters and commissionaires employed. When it was meters, employees would send people out every couple of hours to plug the meter and stay all day. I look out my window at the Co-op and, at times, see the same vehicles parked all day. The problem could correct itself if employees and fellow business owner/operators would respect this as being a concern and park off of Main Street. Does this issue have to be left to council to police or could these people just do the right thing and avoid this ugly issue all together? Secondly, is it fair that all taxpayers pay for this service. Regardless of how many tickets could be issued, there is no way this service would be paid for by the revenue generated. It has been suggested that all taxpayers et al would benefit by having more parking spaces more often. How many spaces are we really talking about and, again, where are these areas of concern? With the amount of development going on in the downtown area, availability of parking spaces would appear not to be an issue. Third, parking is available, in abundance, on Church and Hapnot streets, including parking lots relatively in the middle of the downtown area. Fourth, do all the downtown businesses share this same concern? If it means they, collectively, have to pay for the service, the answer was made clear at the hearing. My take on what will be the outcome of the provincial board is they will put this back in the hands of council, and when they do, council will have to make a final decision on this matter. * * * Forward 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, Flin Flon, R8A OT2. No names are required. Ask the Mayor runs Mondays.
