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: Why hasn't the city painted parking spaces/lines to prevent all those drivers on Main Street who do not know how to parallel park from taking up extra space? Also, what is the official explanation as to why we cannot get the parking meters back? Mayor Therien: As long as we do not have a parking enforcement person, the issue of painting lines may not necessarily make any sense. People can park as they wish without caring about anyone else. Some people may choose to follow the lines, others would not. Regardless, painted lines work well in the summer but not in the winter. Another system may be better, but I would like to see how or if parking changes when we hire a new parking enforcement person before we, again, look at this situation. It should be noted there are those who say we get better parking without the designated spaces. It would appear that it depends on who is parking, when they are parking and when they vacate the space, and who takes over the spot, but it is safe to say there is no clear-cut way to determine what or if there is a problem. As for parking meters, these were taken out as a result of requests by the uptown business people shortly after Wal-mart came to town. Parking is free at the mall and, as such, should be free uptown as well. The meters were obsolete, anyway, so we took them down and sold them for parts. There have been great strides made in the parking meter/parking space area since we last put in meters, but they are costly to implement and would they really solve anything because they did not before. * * * Question: There is a problem with non-apartment dwellers using the dumpsters at apartment buildings as their own personal garbage bins. What can apartment dwellers do about this? What can/will the city do about it? Mayor Therien: This is actually the first I have heard of this being an issue. I am not sure what the actual problem is unless the dumpsters are overfilling, but I am really not sure why people would be doing this or how many people we are talking about. As for the city doing something about this, I need you to elaborate more about this issue before we can take a look at it, if necessary. * * * 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, Flin Flon, MB, R8A 0T2. Ask the Mayor runs Mondays.
