A proposed purchase of the Northern Bus Lines garage by the City of Flin Flon will not proceed, after council resolved at the Sep. 1 city council meeting to cancel the deal and go forward with renovations at the existing garage.
The proposed purchase was the largest capital expenditure in the 2015 budget, with an estimated total price of $2.6 million, including the purchase of the building and renovations that had been planned to convert it into the new city public works shop.
The decision not to proceed came after a study showed savings of between $400,000 and $500,000 to upgrade and continue to use the city’s existing facility.
Mayor Cal Huntley said the actual savings were unclear, since the proposed purchase and the proposed renovations to the existing building are both estimates.
“It was obvious that one option was significantly cheaper than the other one,” he said.
Financing remains an issue, he added, “so that’s one of the things that we’re going to have to look at. It may be more of a phased-in approach.”
The existing building is still serviceable, Huntley confirmed, and will continue to be used as planning proceeds.
“We have to set up a project team,” he said when asked how long the process would take. “I think, barring a winter from hell, we’ll probably have a little bit of quieter time over the winter to discuss the strategy to move forward. So we’ll be able to give you a better answer in the new year.”
Grant
Owners of Flin Flon property without any building or structures will be able to apply for a 2015 special off-setting grant of $540 after a council resolution passed on Sep. 1. The grant recognizes that these kinds of properties have a reduced need for fire and protective services.
Landowners may apply in respect of only one vacant lot per primary residence. The grant is for residential landowners only and does not apply to commercial land.
Long reign
Today, Queen Elizabeth II becomes Britain’s longest reigning monarch.
At the Sep. 1 council meeting, City of Flin Flon resolved to recognize and applaud the milestone.
Until today, the record was held by Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years and seven months, from 1837 to 1901.
Queen Elizabeth II was crowned on February 6, 1962. She is also the longest reigning female sovereign in any country and at any time in recorded history.
Fire calls
The Flin Flon fire department reported 11 alarms in August 2015, three fewer than same month last year.
