Flin Flon’s newly elected city council now know who will look after what.
The six councillors agreed to committee appointments in the run-up to council’s Nov. 15 meeting, determining who will sit on which of the three main council committees and on a long list of City representative spots.
As the recipient of the most votes in this fall’s election, Steve Lytwyn will start the term as deputy mayor. He will hold that post until next June, when that job - which rotates through to each member of council every seven months - moves on to another councillor.
Council’s three main committees will each be made of four councillors, with one chair and one vice-chair. The finance and administration committee, tasked with overseeing the City’s financial plans, revenues, expenses, personnel and economic goals, will be chaired by Alison Dallas-Funk and vice-chaired by Judy Eagle. Councillors Bill Hanson and Heather Richardson will also sit on the committee.
On the engineering services committee comes perhaps the easiest decision of the lot - Hanson will chair the same committee he has led for several terms, 18 years in total. Dallas-Funk will vice-chair, while Eagle and Richardson will fill the two remaining seats. That board looks after public works and utilities, property and land management, fire protection, garbage pickup, water and sewer and similar responsibilities.
“I've been chair of engineering services for probably 18 years, so this was a pretty easy one to slide into,” Hanson said.
Richardson will chair the City’s social, community and recreation services committee, with Mike Slipp co-chairing. Lytwyn and Hanson fill the remaining two spots on the committee. The committee looks after everything from parks and recreation to tourism and festivals, from promoting to the community to looking after area cemeteries.
Councillors have also been picked to be the City’s representatives on local boards. Dallas-Funk will represent council on the Everyone Deserves a Home Committee and on the Main Street Committtee, while Eagle will be part of the Flin Flon and District Environmental Council and the newly remixed Flin Flon Station Museum board.
“It's close to what I do already in the community, starting with the Friendship Centre and a whole bunch of other service providers in regards to the unhoused and the barriers for them,” Dallas-Funk said.
“I am really quite a Mother Earth person, so I am very interested in those things,” Eagle said of her appointment with the environmental council.
“I have a strong background in finance, having been a school board trustee many years ago, but also having been in business in various ways and starting a business from the ground up way back when.”
Hanson will be the City’s point man with the Lions Handivan governance committee, while Lytwyn will be the City representative for the boards of the Flin Flon Bombers, Flin Flon Public Library and the City’s Indigenous relations committee.
“I could not get on this committee, for whatever reason - over the years, I was never on finance. I was the only business person on the committee many times on council, but I was never on finance, so I'm very happy to be on finance,” Hanson said.
“I have lots of excitement and we’re eager to learn. I just want to say it's been a busy couple of weeks starting up, but it's been great and there's an amazing team here,” said Lytwyn.
“I just wanted to say that I appreciate everybody's efforts and feedback.”
Richardson will represent the City with the Flin Flon and District Chamber of Commerce and with Community Futures Greenstone - two organizations she already is part of independent of council.
“I just like to be able to get my hands in everywhere. Animal control is a big one for me and waste collection, landfill and environmental services,” Richardson said.
“I'm the chair for the recreation committee and that’s mostly for tourism, promotion and beautification. Those are things that are near and dear to me.”
Slipp will be the City rep for the Blueberry Jam Music Gathering board, the Trout Festival board and will serve along with Dallas-Funk on the Main Street committee.
“The reason I wanted to be on that committee is that it looks at things that I have shown interest in - specifically tourism and promotion, which is part of the job,” Slipp said.
“I also believe that the recreation committee is very important to help grow our city.”
On the Regional Economic Development Committee, which includes council members, chief administrators and mayors from all three area communities, council will be represented by Hanson and Richardson. The two will join Creighton alderman Darren Grant and Denare Beach village councillor Jean Champagne on the 11-person committee.
