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.
Unless the aging pipes beneath it have been replaced, don't expect your street to get repaved. That was the message from city council when the worrisome state of Flin Flon's roads surfaced at a recent meeting. 'There's no point in fixing the street if we can't fix the pipe below, you know what I mean?' said Coun. Bill Hanson, chair of the Engineering Services Committee. 'We are targeting, and we have been for the last number of years, renewals _ sewer and water renewals. Then we (fix) those streets above them.' Even in some areas where sewer and water lines were once replaced, the work needs to be redone because durable PVC plastic piping was not used, Coun. Hanson said. Though it is out of sight, and therefore out of mind for most residents, sewer and water piping comes with a hefty price tag that makes other projects difficult to fund. 'It's just unfortunate that the water and sewer renewals takes up the majority of our capital budget every year because it's so expensive,' Coun. Hanson said. He made the comments in response to statements from taxpayer advocate Blair Sapergia, who delivered a blunt assessment of the roads.See 'Streets' on pg. Continued from pg. 'Some of the streets are getting to the point where they almost need signs that say 'If you don't have more than four inches of clearance on your vehicle, don't use this street,'' Sapergia said at council's May 7 meeting. 'If you're starting to scrape the street (with the bottom of your vehicle), something's wrong.' If there is no money to repave such streets, Sapergia suggested the city tear out the pavement so the roads can at least be level. Mayor George Fontaine said that approach has been used in some cases, but Sapergia favours stripping pavement off entire roads rather than just sections as has been done to date. Mayor Fontaine did not downplay the poor condition of the roads, calling Sapergia 'absolutely right' when he referred to the streets as 'really, really rough.' 'And that's the point,' the mayor said. 'We're sitting here trying to juggle our figures and we're looking at where the money's coming from, how much of it we have, where it has to go, what control we have.' Every time the city spends a dollar, Mayor Fontaine said, there is a conversation over whether it is necessary. 'We've got a lot of streets that need fixing,' he added. 'We've got a lot of money that needs spending. The problem is, we don't have a lot of money. We're balancing _ balancing all the time.' One water line replacement project still underway is on Green Street between Phelan and Elm avenues. It began last fall before breaking for the winter. The initial cost estimate for the project _ up to $300,000 _ is still the target. 'It looks like it's achievable. Time will tell,' Mayor Fontaine said. Sapergia called the project an 'eyesore,' and he isn't alone as the work forced the city to dig up yards along Green Street.
