Resumed work on the development of the Rēzekne municipality and the joint development documents of the city of Rezekne

On Monday, 20 September, the Deputy State Secretary of State for Environmental Protection and Regional Development, MINISTER of State for Regional Development, Minister of State for Regional Development, Raivis Bremshmits, was present in Rezekne to meet representatives of the municipality of Rezekne and the city council of Rezekne and discuss the issue of the development of common strategic documents.

Thanks TO OUR involvement, the ice has now moved and the work on the development of the development agenda and development strategy stuck in the dispute. The negotiations managed to reach an agreement on the establishment of a management group in eight people (four of the Rēzekne municipality and four from the city of Rezekne). The attempt to create a similar management group was already in April, but at the time of the city's proposal, the decisive voice in the event of controversial issues was intended for the Chairman of the city council. This was, of course, disagreed with the other parties, since all the issues at issue would be dealt with in a “single gateway”, in favour of the city. On Monday, the city council concessions, and in the future, the steering group will act on equivalent terms, without the decisive voice of one person.

A large step has been taken with the involvement of the ministry, but the current cooperation has not taken place. As a result of the events of the events, the law of administrative territories and settlements entered into force in June last year, which determined that the Land of Rezekne and the future municipality of Rezekne (joined Rezekne and Viļānu) should jointly develop development planning documents, for which the State also grants funding. On 16 October, the Cabinet regulations governing the procedures for the use of the target grant of 36 200 EURO were published, as well as the deadlines for execution.

Shortly afterwards, on 28 October, the municipality of Rezekne sent a letter to the city of Rezekne, expressing its willingness to participate in the development of joint documents. Neither the letter nor any other months in the following months did not even formally reply. The funding of 50 per cent was received by the city of Rezekne, but the work was not started. Alexander Bartazvičs, Chairman of the city council of Rezekne, explained the delay with the postponed elections and the appointment of the interim administration, but this did not prevent criticism, as the work on the programme had to be launched a good time before the election, when the previous Members' composition was still in operation.

THE CABINET of MINISTERS Regulations prescribe that by 15 November of that year the recipient of the target grant (the City Council of Rezekne) shall submit the revised version of the planning document for public consultation. It is clear that this can no longer be done in such a short period. Currently, after the new time schedule, the public consultation is scheduled for June of the following year, while the two documents are completed by November of the following year. As THE time limits laid down BY THE CABINET of MINISTERS are delayed, the State Regional Development Agency, which is the donor, will decide whether the City Council of Rezekne will have to reimburse the already granted advance of EUR 18 100 and refuse the disbursement of the remaining amount. In a conversation of 20 September with LATVIA, Chairman of the city council Alexander Bartazvičs acknowledged his guilt in the absence of drafting documents.

However, the negligence of the city council has not only cost 36 thousand EURO, but is likely to result in much higher losses: these strategic planning documents constitute a basis for eligibility for the various programmes and funding for project implementation. The absence of development programmes gives rise to a legitimate concern that such aid may go out and the money will be available, but the municipality will not be able to get the money because our overall development programme will still be halfway.

On the day after THE meeting, the spatial and development planning specialists of both municipalities started work. “We are in favour of constructive work towards a common goal. There is no question of dividing borders. Our goal is the representation of the interests of the people living in both territories and the common development vision, so that the two municipalities only acquire,” said the head of the Interim Administration of the municipality of Rezekne Monvīds Švarcs.