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.
A resident is accusing Flin Flon City Council of being "only concerned about the money" after her offer to purchase a lot for less than half the appraised price was rejected. The woman recently offered to purchase the vacant lot at 79 First Ave. for $2,000 but received a letter from the City stating that the assessed price, nearly $4,200 plus a surveying fee, is firm. "I am writing to you because I am very disappointed that... council are not willing to negotiate on this issue," the woman wrote in a letter reviewed at Tuesday's council meeting. "... I do not have a huge disposable income, but still believe in making an investment in my home and my community. I am appalled that... council do not even seem to care about this and are only concerned about the money." The woman added that she had intended to remain in Flin Flon for years to come after developing the lot but is now reconsidering those plans. Coun. Cal Huntley called it "unfortunate" that the woman feels this way and suggested council might meet with her to outline their position on the matter. "... from a council perspective, when the lots are valued, we try and do it in a consistent manner," he said, "that's done through a specific formula, ensuring that all lots, when they're sold to prospective homeowners, are done so fairly." See 'Liberal' P.# Con't from P.# "I suppose it's a bit unfortunate that you can't consider the financial wherewithal of the potential buyer," Coun. Huntley continued, "but in most cases that wouldn't be a very fair way to go with the sale of property in our community. I believe we have a very fair way of assessing the properties and it's consistent in all the properties that we do sell." Coun. Bill Hanson said council needs to stand behind its decision because "it's just being fiscally responsible to the taxpayers, basically." Snowmobile concern In another matter at Tuesday's meeting, council reviewed a letter expressing concern about snowmobilers zipping down a hill on which young children frequently slide. The small hill is located at a corner of Alder Ave. Park not far from the Perimeter Highway. "My concern is that skidooers coming from either direction can not see kids until it is too late," wrote the neighbourhood resident. "I would like to request that there be a sign put up at both ends of the hill asking skidooers to slow down, as children may be sliding." The woman added that a "no snowmobiling" sign is in place at the park "but it is not enforced." Her letter prompted discussion about snowmobiling in the community, with Coun. Hanson stating that Flin Flon has very "liberal snowmobiling routes and laws." "I don't have a problem with that. I think that so far, most of the snowmobilers in Flin Flon are fairly responsible," said Coun. Hanson. "Unfortunately, there's a few that are not, and hopefully those people won't ruin it for the rest. "If you go to... Canmore, Alberta, where they live in the middle of the wilderness... you have to trailer your snowmobile from your yard outside the city limits because the problems that we're having now got way out of hand, and that would be horrible if that happened. It's a good system we have now, nobody's gotten hurt thus far." Coun. Huntley asked snowmobilers to obey the speed limits. "One thing that should be considered is, speed limits within the community need to be acknowledged by skidooers as well as people that are driving motor vehicles," said Coun. Huntley, "and 40 or 50 kilometres (per hour) isn't what the skidoos that I see running around are doing within the community, so that' something that needs to be considered as well." The woman's correspondence was a copy of a letter sent to the Border Explorers Snowmobile Club. Council received the letter for information. As well, Coun. Dave Law, who sat as mayor in Dennis Ballard's absence, noted that members of council will attend the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association 2005 Convention in late January and early February. Council joined SUMA in 2003 in an effort to help address cross-border challenges that crop up. According to the latest census figures, 267 people reside in the Saskatchewan portion of Flin Flon. Also, Coun. Huntley congratulated the Don Holmes rink of the Willowpark Curling Club for capturing the Zone 13 Safeway Select berth in Snow Lake over the weekend.
