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.
Residents who dial the City of Flin Flon's after hours emergency line will soon be greeted by a live voice rather than a machine. Flin Flon City Council on Tuesday passed a motion that will see a city worker carry a cell phone for after hour emergencies, such as sewage backups, effective May 1. Under the old system, callers were given a message that gave them two (at one time, three) other numbers that led to answering machines. "Now our guys, I would say, have been good. They do check the messages frequently," said Mayor Dennis Ballard. "However, nobody gets back to anybody, and so when the sewage is bubbling into your basement, you just don't know what's happening Ñ and then you phone the mayor." The mayor stressed that having a worker answer does not mean immediate action will be taken on all calls. He said the worker will have to judge whether rapid steps are required or if the situation can wait until regular hours "and avoid paying taxpayer money into overtime." Nor does the change mean the line is to be used for anything other than emergencies. "If it starts to be used (for calls) other than (emergencies), it won't be there very long because it costs money," said Mayor Ballard.4/22/2004
