City residents must clean up their yards or pay up to $500 per offence, after Flin Flon city council passed an amendment to its property maintenance bylaw on Nov. 7.
Bylaw 108/78 encourages residents to keep yards clean and free of garbage. A graduated fine scale will be introduced under the amendment, and repeat offenders will be fined in $100 increments for each subsequent offence up to $500 per offence.
Fines that go unpaid will be added to the property tax bill of the property in question. Council heard a delegation from resident Lyla Yaremchuk, who was concerned about how unpaid fines are handled, during its regular meeting on Nov. 7.
“What I have a problem with is the fine being on taxes,” Yaremchuk told the room. “I think it’s going to affect our low income, our senior citizens our fixed income people, a lot more that can’t get out and clean these things or can’t get the refuse cleaned up.”
Yaremchuk pointed out the City’s extensive tax sale list – there are 27 properties on the list this year – and expressed worry that low-income residents living in their own homes could end up losing their homes.
Council didn’t see this as a concern.
“There are very few people in the community who either [can’t] pick up their garbage in their yard or have a friend or relative or someone come over and give them a hand,” said Mayor Cal Huntley, who spoke to the bylaw reflecting the importance of a clean community.
Council gave the bylaw third and final reading. The bylaw was passed unanimously.
