The Castelletti council will celebrate its first year on Monday. And the mayor decided to talk about these twelve months to the press and local TV, reiterating that she found herself in an accelerator of gravity (primarily because of the Capital of Culture) but making it clear that the optimism of the will never gave in to the pessimism of intelligence. And enthusiasm has always prevailed over tiredness. The reasoning with which he takes leave is enlightening: «At least ten years are needed to achieve all the things started and foreseen by the program». An elegant way of saying that yes, he is already thinking about running again in 2028. Nipping in the bud the aspirations of those who (since time immemorial) have been studying and sterilizing the hypothesis of Del Bono’s return. A completely legitimate aspiration but made more difficult by the fact that Castelletti has no party membership in his pocket (“I have to be accountable to my voters, not to a party” he says) and which will require – in due course – the approval of the Democratic Party , the first political force in the Lodge.
How have these twelve months been?
«The day after I took office the issue of managing the hydraulic barrier at Caffaro broke out. I remember not sleeping there at night. Entrusting the collection system to A2A was a very good solution. An important year from an environmental point of view, given that we have awarded the tender for the reclamation of the Caffaro industrial site, the reclamation of the Parenzo North and South parks has been completed, we have planted 14,500 trees, continuing the green embrace of the city and we have put in the time and heart even in initiatives that may appear small, such as the urban orchard or the bee garden, but which are functional to achieving the European green capital of 2026. But it’s not just environmental issues. We remodeled the agreement with the Ministry of Infrastructure, guaranteeing the construction of 69 social housing apartments in Sanpolino, saving a large part of the Pnrr funds intended for the former Tintoretto, we prevented the Police School from leaving via Veneto. I shouted about only one thing, I who never shout: for the Borsoni theatre. It will not be ready in June but in September due to a series of technical problems. The work on the nearby clinic is also delayed.”
To improve air quality, the center-right and its leader Fabio Rolfi propose to strengthen public transport not within the city but within the city, starting with the metro to Valtrompia.
«It would have been wonderful if Rolfi, as regional councillor, had defended the strengthening of the Brescia-Edolo line which provided for a connection to Castegnato every 15 minutes and which would have brought a significant drop in private traffic. And it would be interesting for the Region to invest in local public transport in Brescia and its hinterland given that it is the Loggia that guarantees the sum of 8.5 million per year to allow residents of 14 neighboring municipalities to reach the city by public transport. As for the extension of the surface metro to Concesio, I think it has a meaning and we have put this in the programmatic lines. But if we are all convinced that it should be done, let’s create a shared document where the Province and Region also do their part and let’s go look for the necessary funds in Rome.”
The main challenges for 2024?
«Many. Next month, construction of the indoor athletics field and the home of artistic gymnastics in Sanpolino will begin, two works financed in part with Pnrr funds. In the summer it will be the turn of the Papa barracks (the headquarters of the Customs, Motorization and Financial Police are planned but an appeal to the TAR has delayed the works, ed.): we have worked with the State Property Office to reduce the impact of the vehicles”.
What will be the works characterizing this five-year period? The more time passes, the more the new Science Museum and the Musil seem unrealizable.
«These are works for which enormous resources are needed. For Musil we have given the mandate to enforce the guarantee (the practice is entrusted to the manager Gianpiero Ribolla) but it is the Region that must give us instructions. For the Science Museum, the renovation of the physical house is not feasible because it is too expensive (the project sketched out two years ago and to be updated upwards ago talks about 40 million, ed.). We need to figure out how to scale it. I strongly believe in the completion of the archaeological area and the recovery of the Roman theater: it will be our calling card at an international level.”
In the city no one talks about the citadel of Innovation anymore…
“It is not a project of the Lodge but we support it because we are convinced it needs a place of discussion that together designs the future of the city and its businesses.”
The future of the stadium?
“I am of the opinion that we must include it in the disposal plan but if someone proposed that we exploit the stadium law we are willing to think about it.”
The future of the Red Arrow?
«We will accompany the path of those who want to develop it».
Any news on the reorganization of the San Filippo municipal company which manages all the sports facilities?
«In July the new director will bring the new plan, which will say which gyms and structures to intervene on. Society as it is structured is not sufficient in itself. We will also work on tariffs, which have been at a standstill for 10 years, such as those for transport and the Tari which we had to increase.”
Public opinion seems more focused on the safety problem than on public works.
«I personally go on a Vespa to check different areas of the city, starting from the station, to understand if a person can move around safely at half past ten at night. And yes, I happened to have to call a local police patrol. This is to say that the security issue is very close to my heart even if – as I have reiterated several times – it is the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior and the police. A theme that intersects with other variables: there is the immigration issue which is on the rise in the country, including that of unaccompanied unaccompanied minors. However, a topic that cannot be addressed with repression alone: in Piazza Vittoria we have supported the police presence with street educators who are creating relationships with problem children.”
You are in favor of the urban daspo, but not your entire majority.
«In my opinion, the urban daspo allows the weakest people to be protected in limited places. I would like to make the entire majority understand that it is a useful tool and not for Nazis. Of course it doesn’t solve the problems and moves them elsewhere. But when an area of the city experiences a difficult situation for ten years, you have to give an answer.”
There was a lack of harmony with other parts of the majority also on other issues, from the definition of anti-Semitism to the Tari on mowing.
«I would be lying to say that everything is always fine. There are some issues on which the majority of ideological differences widen. My job is to narrow them down. In the council we discuss and discuss but the relationship is good with all the councillors. Of course, for the most part, more internal discussion would be needed.”
So no council reshuffle in sight.
«I’ve never talked about it and it doesn’t even cross my mind. We will make a mid-term assessment of the activities carried out.”
Maybe it’s a premature question but I’ll ask you: are you already thinking about running again in 2028?
«I think it will take at least ten years to complete the entire program».
