Highlights from last week’s Flin Flon city council meeting:
Work together?
Coun. Karen MacKinnon said she sees an opportunity for Flin Flon to potentially work with its Saskatchewan neighbours in the area of recreation.
The Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) and Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association (SPRA) have produced a document called Inter-Municipal Collaboration in Recreation: A Guide for Municipalities in a Growing Province.
The guide provides direction to municipalities that want to share recreation services. MacKinnon said provincial resources are also available for that purpose.
The guide was discussed at the recent SUMA convention she attended in Saskatoon.
“I was actually sitting with a councillor from Creighton at the time and this particular councillor was going, ‘Yeah, right on,’” MacKinnon said.
Further to the SUMA convention, MacKinnon said efforts are being made to make Saskatchewan more “age-friendly,” with Manitoba being used as the model.
She said the only Saskatchewan community that has the official status of age-friendly is the portion of Flin Flon that is in that province.
From the Lions Handivan to the adult exercise equipment at Rotary Park, MacKinnon said Flin Flon is age-friendly in many ways.
Study it
Council authorized a preliminary design study for planned renovations at the Northern Bus Lines building and the Flin Flon Municipal Airport terminal.
The city will pay $67,000 plus tax to Winnipeg-based Bridgman Collaborative Architecture.
Council plans to purchase the Northern Bus Lines building to house its public works department. Before that can happen, the city needs to know how much it will cost to renovate the building for its purposes.
Bridgman Collaborative’s study will provide an estimated cost for that work as well as a planned refurbishment of the airport terminal.
“We need to do something at the airport probably soon, sooner than later, and the bus garage is, it’s going to be interesting to see the options there,” said Coun. Bill Hanson.
The city received one bid lower than Bridgman’s, but it did not meet the criteria set out by the municipality.
Council argues the city’s current public works facility, near Channing, is badly aging and behind today’s standards.
New floor
Council voted to spend $19,167 for a new floor at the Flin Flon RCMP station.
“It’s a 30-plus-year-old building and the floor is done,” said Coun. Hanson.
Hanson said he expected work would likely begin fairly soon.
Sgt. Shayne Smith of the Flin Flon RCMP told The Reminder his detachment is appreciative of council’s support.
“We certainly look forward to it,” he said.
The existing flooring has its share of wear and tear, from torn office carpeting to bubbling linoleum.
Accessibility
Council is planning to make the Flin Flon Community Hall more accessible to those with mobility problems.
Coun. Leslie Beck said the city is considering adding more handicapped parking beside the Primary Health Care Centre, across from the hall, but that discussions must first take place with health care representatives.
Two handicapped spots are being considered for the top level of parking near the side entrance of the hall. There are also plans for three “floater” handicapped spots that will be temporarily established based on demand.
Beck said the city’s Traffic Commission is also recommending to council that signs be erected near École McIsaac School and Ruth Betts Community School setting the speed limit at 30 km an hour.
The latter recommendation comes at the suggestion of the Flin Flon school board.
Why Friday?
Coun. Colleen McKee announced that a public meeting will be held this Friday, Feb. 13, to gauge input on the city’s proposal to continue its special services levy.
When taxpayer advocate Blair Sapergia questioned why the meeting is on a Friday, Coun. Tim Babcock said it came down to timing.
“It had to be two weeks after [notice] was posted and before a certain – it was the date that it pretty much had to be,” said Babcock, who sat as mayor in Cal Huntley’s absence.
The special services levy was first enacted in 2014. It is designed to more evenly spread the municipal tax burden by raising taxes on low-end homes and lowering taxes on high-end homes.
