ORTONA. A writ of summons before the court of Chieti – detached section of Ortona with the request for payment in favor of the Consortium for the industrial development of the Chieti-Pescara area (Asi), starting from 1 January 2012, of the annual fee of 5,112 .93 euros. A sum which, multiplied by 12 years, equals 61,355.16 euros.
Against this disbursement, the extraordinary prefectural commissioner with the functions of the municipal council, Gianluca Bragaauthorized the establishment of the entity in the proceedings by assigning the legal task to an external lawyer, Paola Silvestri, to protect the organisation’s rights. This is also because the Municipality does not have, within its organizational structure, the professionalism required to support its reasons in court. Hence the assignment of the task.
But what happened that triggered the ASI summons? In 2008, the city council at the time, under the leadership of the mayor Nicola Fratino, by majority had approved a first resolution in which the desire to leave ASI was expressed, thus revoking a 1963 resolution to join the body with the old legislation in force. Since the early 1990s, ASI had faced a period of difficulties of various kinds without being able to make large investments in the industrial areas of Ortona also due to the difficult financial situation of the period. So, without interventions in the area of competence, the Municipality of Ortona, also given the protest of the companies requesting services, had decided to leave the Industrial Consortium.
The resulting political discussion focused on the question whether the Municipality was obliged to participate in the ASI or whether membership was optional. The former Fratino council has always considered this participation optional, clinging to the consortia reform legislation. In all these years, other initiatives have been adopted by the Municipality to confirm the exit from the ASI with new municipal council resolutions. In particular, in 2022, the council led by the former mayor Leo Castiglionehad also entrusted a legal assignment to conclude the deed of withdrawal and thus implement the resolutions to leave the institution.
Now, on to this affair that has been dragging on for 12 years – and which also affected the mandate of the former mayor Vincenzo D’Ottavio – the summons has arrived with which the Consortium is asking the Municipality for over 60 thousand euros. In the past, however, the Consortium has never challenged the decisions of the Municipality. (cr.or.)
©ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
