Highlights from Tuesday’s Flon city council meeting:
Position panned
Mayor Cal Huntley fended off criticism as council’s neutrality on Hudbay replacement workers came under fire.
Blair Sapergia, vice-president of the striking IAM Local 1848 union, urged council to take a stand against replacement workers.
“Any council that is in favour of replacement workers or wish[es] to remain neutral on replacement workers is clearly not community-minded,” Sapergia told council. “[Replacement workers] do no good for this community. If you could see the support that [IAM members] have out there, do you think replacement workers would be getting that support from the community? You bet they wouldn’t.”
Huntley reiterated council’s neutral position.
“It’s not an issue at this point in time and we don’t have a stand on it,” he said. “It’s not part of city business.”
When Sapergia asked whether every member of council shares that position, Huntley said it “is the position of mayor and council from this council.”
“If you wanted further dialogue on a personal nature, away from the council role [from] any of us, feel free to approach any of us outside of this venue and we’d be more than welcome to talk to you,” said Huntley.
Sapergia said he is fine with talking to councillors on a personal level but will not vote for anyone “afraid to say something at the front of the room, in public, and then say something different” elsewhere.
Huntley respectfully responded.
“I appreciate that,” he said. “Don’t know if you’ll get a different conversation from them or not, but collectively as council and as the mayor you have our position. I appreciate that…it’s not the answer that you were looking for, that’s for sure, and you have some opinions about how that reflects on us and I appreciate that as well. I mean, that’s the beauty of a democratic society.”
Tougher penalty
Council approved first reading of a motion to increase the maximum penalty for property-maintenance bylaw violations from $100 to $5,000.
The bylaw in question covers matters such as unmaintained grass, junk being stored in yards and houses that are found to be in an unsuitable condition.
The vote raised questions as to what else is covered in the bylaw, with Coun. Colleen McKee saying she would like to see siding on houses that lack it.
Coun. Ken Pawlachuk said ambulance attendants told him they are concerned by the lack of address numbers on the exterior of many Flin Flon homes.
Huntley highlighted Pawlachuk’s concern, saying a lack of numbers can cause problems for emergency responders such as firefighters.
A copy of the bylaw is to be brought to the next council meeting so as to provide clarification on what offenses are included.
In order for the new maximum fine of $5,000 to take effect, council must carry two more readings of the same motion, likely at their next meeting on May 19.
Council’s motion includes an alternate penalty of up to one month in jail for offenders, but jail time is rarely doled out in Canada for people who violate bylaws.
Loan approved
Council voted to lend $9,000 for a feasibility study on a proposed arts and environment institute for the Flin Flon area.
The Flin Flon Arts Council, which is exploring the possibility of what it calls the North Central Canada Centre of Arts and Environment, must pay back the interest-free loan within three years.
While councillors McKee and Leslie Beck said they support the project, both voted against the loan on the grounds it was not an appropriate use of tax dollars at this time.
“We’re not a lending institution,” said McKee, adding that the city must be mindful of spending and has already donated $5,000 to the feasibility study.
Beck sounded a similar tone, saying the city must “be fiscally responsible” and has supported the feasibility study and other Arts Council initiatives.
“This is not something that we know will happen and I think we have to do our due diligence on the projects that we have in front of us,” added Beck.
The city’s loan will allow the Arts Council to proceed with the $90,000 study, having already raised $81,000.
Coun. Karen MacKinnon, a supporter of the loan, said the proposed centre could create jobs and increase Flin Flon’s visibility.
“I’ve seen some of the plans for this facility and I think it would be such an addition to our community,” MacKinnon said.
MacKinnon said the city has loaned the Arts Council money in the past and always got the dollars back. She expects this latest loan will be paid back in less time than required.
Whether the centre happens 10 years down the road or never, Coun. Tim Babcock said the process of studying the facility will draw positive attention to Flin Flon.
For his part, Coun. Bill Hanson said “$9,000 is not very much money in the big scheme of things here” and that the dollars will be coming back into city coffers.
Paving support
Council voted to apply for $225,000 in provincial funding for nearly 20 paving projects across Flin Flon.
The projects include sections of Centre Street, Dominion Boulevard, Hill Street and Boam Street, among others, that were dug up without being repaved.
“If we can get the province to pay for that rather than us, well hallelujah, we’re going to do that,” said Hanson, who made the motion.
The city’s application will go to the province’s Municipal Road and Bridge Program, which offers funding for up to half the cost of road and bridge projects outside of Winnipeg.
Updates
MacKinnon offered updates on the Flin Flon Recycling Centre, Flin Flon Public Library and Flin Flon and District Chamber of Commerce.
She said the Recycling Centre is “looking to expand recycling in the future, which I think is something this council is going to have to work with them on.”
The Flin Flon and District Environment Council, which operates the centre, is also in need of three board members. MacKinnon said anyone interested can call the centre.
MacKinnon said she was impressed by the latest annual usage figures from the library, which show the number of items loaned out increased by 2,903 for a total of 30,203.
“That’s amazing for a small library to get the usage that it’s getting,” she said.
MacKinnon said the library also welcomed 199 new
members.
“The library covers our whole area,” she said. “When everyone thinks our population is going down, it goes to show that we cover such an area here that people are using our library [often].”
As for the chamber, MacKinnon said this month’s general meetings will see guest speakers Blaine Veitch, Flin Flon superintendent of schools, on May 12 and Patrick Soares, head of Foran Mining Corp., which owns the McIlvenna Bay property outside Flin Flon, on May 26.
She said an announcement was made to chamber this week that the Northern Health Foundation, which is raising dollars for Flin Flon’s new ER, will host another Bollywood event this September.
MacKinnon, who represents the city on the chamber, further noted that the organization is now holding its first-ever
50/50 draw. Huntley showed his support by purchasing the very first ticket.
Choir kudos
Pawlachuk, a member of the Flin Flon Community Choir, commended the choir’s Mark and Crystal Kolt for their work on last weekend’s production of Les Misérables.
The musical could not have happened without the Kolts, Pawlachuk said, adding that the choir enjoyed much community support for the production.
Les Misérables packed the RH Channing Auditorium last Friday, May 1, Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3.
The musical was the latest in a long line of blockbuster productions from the choir, though this marked a departure from past practice given that a professional director, Ann Hodges, was hired.
