With the first question of the day, Marco Donati asked “whether it is not appropriate to consider the three participation foundations established in recent years not as third sector bodies but as entities governed by public law and therefore subject them, for example, to controls by the City Council, the application of the procurement code or the rules governing competitions for the hiring of staff and top management figures. The sentences and case law available to us support this idea of ours: a foundation is a ‘public law body’ if its founding members include public bodies, the State, Region or Municipality, pursues significant public interests and receives public contributions which characterize its budget and management. This is what happens with the Arezzo foundations for which so far all power has been taken away, to the detriment of the City Council. Has the Guido d’Arezzo Foundation, which qualifies itself as a third sector organisation, applied for registration in the appropriate regional register? I understand that it is necessary to guarantee operations in sectors such as culture and tourism but the City Council cannot be deprived of its role in providing political guidance”.
“The answer lies in the papers – replied the mayor Alessandro Ghinelli: from the statutes and agreements it is clear that the foundations have a public nature, are subject to public control, to the rules governing public administration contracts, the selection of personnel and transparency obligations. In addition, foundations do not have to register assets at the end of their mandate. Regarding the powers of the City Council, this body exercises control over their budgets and does so by responding to its own political and numerical logic, i.e. on the basis of the relationships between the majority and the opposition. On the part of the questioners I would not like there to be any misunderstanding between the supervision exercised by the body as such, which exists and I want to reiterate it, and the expectations of that part of the Council coinciding with the opposition”.
Via Fiorentina and related works were the subject of two questions, respectively from the Democratic Party with Alessandro Caneschi and Giovanni Donati and from the mixed group with Egiziano Andreani. The requests for clarification concern the reasons that led to yet another budget change of 2,340,000 euros, to be discussed in today’s session, thanks to which further resources can be allocated to a work whose conclusion is not in sight and which is being claimed an actual count of the expenditure incurred so far.
Michele Menchetti asked what urgent actions the municipal administration intends to implement to benefit the road safety of those traveling through the Chiani roundabout. “In a response received on 15 December 2023 to a previous question, I was told that ‘Carbonaia and the Chiani roundabout are roads subject to an agreement with a consortium that must carry out maintenance works’. From what can be seen from the current situation, the consortium appears to have also ignored the reminders of the municipal administration. In the three-year program of public works there is talk of extraordinary maintenance of via Calamandrei, in the sections between the roundabout that crosses via Vico and the Chiani roundabout without having the certainty that the latter will be put in place like the current deterioration of its roadway would require.”
Councilor Alessandro Casi recalled that “the municipal administration held several meetings with the consortium, also addressing the issue of road maintenance, during which we asked for the urgent restoration of the bottom of the roundabout and some neighboring streets. So: either the consortium intervenes or we will adopt a restoration ordinance. If it is not complied with, the Municipality will replace the consortium and claim the costs incurred from the latter”.
Andrea Gallorini asked if the speed camera that the municipal administration had planned to install in the town of Vitiano along the SR 71 had actually been purchased, to know the reasons for its failure to be installed and to know when the instrument will become operational, ” precisely to reduce the danger of that stretch.”
Councilor Alessandro Casi recalled that the revision of the highway code forced the request for new authorizations, preparatory to the installation of these devices. “Once we have obtained these we will proceed as planned.”
Donato Caporali asked the mayor if he is in favor of the cuts promoted by the Meloni government, through an inter-ministerial decree taken in concert between the Departments of Economy and the Interior, to the detriment of the Municipality of Arezzo and local authorities in general and if not, if intends to take action with the ANCI so that an alternative proposal is developed that can allow the Municipalities not to lose important resources. “The cuts regarding Arezzo will amount to approximately 300,000 euros per year until 2028, for a total cut of one and a half million”.
Andrea Gallorini again asked for the reasons “for the evident delay with which the administration is preparing the mowing of the grass along the streets, sidewalks and green areas and to work quickly to carry out this intervention in order to guarantee road safety and the restoration of decent conditions”.
“There is actually no ‘obvious delay’ – replied councilor Alessandro Casi – because over the years the mowings have been regularly entrusted in the month of June. Furthermore, the works began last Monday and therefore we are in line with the past. At the end of the summer we will launch the tender for the maintenance of the greenery with specific attention to these needs”.
Giovanni Donati asked if there is an allocation of funds for extraordinary maintenance interventions on the public residential building stock and if the contributions made available by the Tuscany Region have been requested. “In via Benvenuti the drains are filled with earth and generate flooding but it is above all the 36 apartments in via degli Accolti that have suffered unfortunate situations in recent years due to which the firefighters also had to intervene. Arezzo Casa remains inert, thus causing further problems such as infiltrations or swelling of the iron structure due to oxidation processes, while in December 2022 we had the announcement from councilor Monica Manneschi that that very real estate complex would benefit from the 110% bonus interventions ”.
Councilor Monica Manneschi: “for via degli Accolti, which is part of the three-year 2024/2026 work plan of Arezzo Casa, 400,000 euros are expected, spread over three parts and intended for the roof and facades. However, I would like to point out that in via degli Accolti there is not a building but a condominium: it is not a nominal difference because while in the buildings the apartments are exclusive municipal property, in the condominiums the ownership is mixed with apartments from the Municipality and apartments of private citizens . There have been tenant owners who did not consider the aforementioned works to be so urgent. The municipal administration could impose its will but wanted to favor a logic of agreement between the parties: so we spoke with the owners to make them understand the need for the works, paying attention to everyone’s needs and reaching a compromise. Now, we are ready to remedy the situation. I would also like to remind you that the recent budget allocation has reserved a further 140,000 euros of municipal resources to be used for public housing. As regards financing from other bodies, in 2023 the Tuscany Region did not provide funds for the benefit of the Municipalities and this lack of resource was not compensated for in 2024 because the current 600,000 euros are foreseen for non-extraordinary maintenance and for apartments left by previous tenants and to be reassigned”.
Giovanni Donati asked if the Municipality is aware of the works on the Sellina stream in the San Marco – Villalba area aimed at reducing the hydraulic risk. “However, these works do not appear to have given due consideration to the problems and inconveniences that they may cause to local roads, to the roads leading to the accommodation facilities in the area and as a consequence of interruptions and demolitions of bridges necessary to access some homes”.
“The competent authority – recalled the councilor Marco Sacchetti – is the Tuscany Region which supervises everything that is public water property, including bridges and bridges. I remember this because the current manager of the Soil Defense Service has a drastic and non-dialogue approach: anything that does not comply must be demolished. As a consequence of this attitude, I am forced to say that I am not even aware of what works are underway, including those to make the area safe. We will then try to talk to the regional councilor thanks to a meeting requested by councilor Casi to understand if we can open a new channel of dialogue”.
Alessandro Caneschi asked whether on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the city scheduled for July 16th the council intends to ask the Presidency of the Republic to send a message commemorating both the event and the massacres that preceded it and to proceed with the maintenance of the memorial stones scattered throughout the area in memory of the latter.
“First of all – recalled the mayor Alessandro Ghinelli – the cleaning of the memorial stones was carried out and the letters that had suffered the most wear and tear over time and were difficult to read were replaced. It will be my responsibility to make the request requested by the questioner thanks also to the collaboration of Santino Gallorini who is in contact with the Quirinale offices”.
For questions that have not been answered, a written response will be provided.
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