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.
City of Flin Flon crews have new authority to keep themselves safe after the approval of a by-law amendment that supporters and opponents agree is a "heavy-handed" approach. City council on Tuesday passed final reading of a motion that allows workers to write down the license plate numbers of vehicles that disregard detours and have a fine mailed to the owner. "I think that it's going to take a heavy-handed approach, maybe, to resolve this," said Coun. Dave Law, a supporter of the motion that carried by a 4-2 vote. City crews had previously recorded the names of drivers caught circumventing the barricades, an inefficient system in the sense that they might not always recognize the person behind the wheel. The workers will now write down the license plate numbers of the offending vehicles, with the City mailing a fine to the registered owner. Mayor Dennis Ballard said he doesn't like to see the City employ a hard-line approach, but stressed that the problem of motorists ignoring barricades is not new. With City workers willing to report people and "incur their wrath" in the name of safety, Mayor Ballard said council owes it to them to at least try this method, adding that the by-law could always be amended in the future. That didn't sway Coun. Nazir Ahmad, who more than once expressed concern the new system would punish vehicle owners, not necessarily the offending motorist. Coun. Ahmad suggested a public awareness campaign would be a more appropriate means of dealing with the problem. "I think we should be able to resolve and protect our [workers] and make the people more aware of the situation," said Coun. Ahmad, "before we start using the heavy-handed stick of the big governments that is becoming very common in our society." But Coun. Tom Therien said awareness campaigns have been used for years and "it hasn't worked," as "a significant amount" of people are still disregarding the detours. "The only concern I have is for the safety of our employees," said Coun. Therien, "and obviously this is an issue that they have brought to the forefront and continue to bring to the forefront. "It's a fundamental safety issue." But how prevalent is the problem? Coun. Cal Huntley said he wanted to see some statistics before employing "a heavy-handed approach to deal with the few that affects the many." Coun. Ahmad then made a motion to table the amendment until such data is brought forward, but it was defeated with only he and Coun. Huntley in support. They were also the only councillors to oppose the second and final readings of the amendment, which passed and is now law. Coun. Dave Kennedy, who previously indicated his disagreement, was absent. Vehicle owners who receive fines maintain the right to appeal.
