DAWSON CITY The Dawson City Chamber of Commerce is pleased with town council's steps to deal with such issues as the appearance of properties and the boarding of seasonal businesses during the off-season.

However, the membership is impatient that corrective measures are not proceeding more quickly.

In particular, the chamber has sent council a list of five properties it feels need immediate attention. This letter, sent late last year, is a follow-up to a letter sent the previous April.

Chamber president Dina Cayen begins by complaining about a lack of response to the first letter, then continues.

'Perhaps our request was too vague about which properties we were speaking of, so we have compiled a list of specific buildings to clarify:

'1. Always first and foremost: Old CIBC 1001 Front Street;

'2. Old Youth Centre 930-5th Ave.;

'3. Old Post Office 936, 944, 954 5th Ave.;

'4. Arnica's Restaurant 401 Craig Street;

'5. Former Shady Ladies building located on a trailer behind 1078 3rd Ave.

'While this is by no means an exhaustive list of properties that we would like to see addressed, it is the list that members feel is most important to start with,' she writes

Cayen congratulates town council for the recent passing of a bylaw giving direction and teeth to the bylaw enforcement officer, but expresses the chamber's concern that not enough has been done in the past.

'...we encourage the City of Dawson to follow through with enforcement of this bylaw,' Cayen writes.

'We believe that the buildings above pose danger to public health and safety and substantially depreciate the value of other land and improvements in the neighbourhoods in which they are located. We do not accept the fact that they are for sale as a legitimate reason for the derelict state.'

In closing, Cayen reminded council the buildings on the list have been the subject of community concerns for quite a few years.

'These buildings have been on the agendas of many groups with little hope for a solution to a growing problem.

'History shows that enforcement of property bylaws is a lengthy process and we request that this issue is dealt with immediately so that the community may have action soon. We believe that it is time to get tough and stand by decisions to enforce.'

The chamber has asked to be kept informed about the status of the buildings on the list.