The past few days have been truly tormented, with a tough head-to-head battle between the association and the Municipality.
The Pro Loco case
«We regret to inform you that the board of directors of the Pro Loco of Borgomanero APS has expired […] our intentions are certainly not to hinder the municipality of Borgomanero, but unfortunately with a Grape Festival unfeasible due to the lack of certain funds, all the activities blocked by construction sites and a lot of bureaucracy, they have negatively affected the enthusiasm of us volunteers, who have always willingly made our free time available for the success of the city’s activities, but which in these circumstances has been lacking”.
With these words, delivered in a press release addressed to the citizens, the Pro Loco motivated the news of the expiration of the association’s board of directors following the resignation of four councilors that occurred in the meeting of Thursday 20 June.
The resignation and dismissal of the board of directors
The four resignations notified to the association by the councilors on Thursday 20th Alberto Monzani, Gianluca Schiavon, Tommaso Sabatino and Simone Sabatino they were added to those of the vice president David Cerutti (resigned on June 18) and those of Mariano Manca (which instead date back to a few weeks ago).
In the same session, the president of the tourist association, Manuela Arcone and the treasurer Elizabeth Bagpipe they resigned from their social roles, but remained in office as councilors.
During the same meeting, however, the legal quorum was not present (half plus one of the councilors elected in the association). The remaining six councilors (Manuela Arcone herself, Federico Bozzato, Francesca Colombo, Antonio Gentile, Elisabetta Zampogna and Matteo Costa) had no choice but to note the expiration of the board. “The current resigning board – continues the press release – undertakes to continue the ordinary administrative work in order to keep the Pro Loco alive and to call a first elective assembly when possible”.
The harsh response of the Municipality
The municipal administration, called into question, responded with its own press release defining the reasons given by the Pro Loco as “unfounded, specious and denigrating”, placing the emphasis on the support granted over time to the association «both with reference to the events organized by the same, and with regard to the coverage of ordinary and extraordinary expenses necessary for the management of the Foro Boario».
The question of the Foro Boario
And the topic of the Foro Boario, the municipal structure managed by the Pro Loco, has ended up in the cauldron of controversy. In its press release, the association’s board never mentions it directly, except in the statements made in a personal capacity by some resigning councilors, but the passage about “activities blocked by construction sites and a lot of bureaucracy” seemed to refer precisely to the situation in that area, currently partly cordoned off for security reasons.
The Giornale di Arona interviewed the councilor about the matter Elisa Zanettawith responsibility for public works, who said she was shocked by the recent developments, in light of the commitment to redevelop the area through participation in funding calls. In the Municipality’s Single Programming Document, approved last December by the City Council, there was talk of enhancing the Forum “as a multifunctional meeting space to satisfy the strong demand that the area today expresses for cultural activities for young people […] the works on the railway underpass having been completed”.
In reference to the barriers that prevent the normal use of the Forum, Zanetta explains: «Recently with the offices we carried out a static check on the two shelters, a check that involved tapping them to see if any pieces would come off, which happened, highlighting their poor condition and, therefore, the need to intervene by first of all making the area safe. The restoration work on the shelters will cost around 150 thousand euros per shelter, a significant expense and not foreseen in the budget, but we still found the money to intervene on the shelter closest to the bar. The work should start in July and will last approximately 5 weeks».
The cordoning off of the shelter area does not prevent the use of the Forum and Zanetta explains that before the controversy broke out «we had agreed with the Pro Loco to continue organizing the “roba végia” market by moving part of it along the adjacent Viale Libertà. However, after what happened there are no certainties».
The sidewalks of the Forum are also currently undergoing maintenance. “Before the shelters, following a report from the Pro Loco, we took action to resolve the state of degradation of the sidewalks. In that case, it was a less onerous assignment, but still subject to the constraints of the Superintendency. We presented more than a dozen cement samples but they have to authorize the colors.” The councilor concludes by saying that: “I understand that many do not accept the slowness that the public administration sometimes has, but I assure you that the offices are doing everything they can and I am sorry to see them attacked in the newspapers for this.”
The complaint for the uprooted fountain
Also in the response statement, the Administration also announced that «With astonishment and deep regret, we learned that a member of the Pro Loco Council had “destroyed and demolished” the fountain located inside the site, a property protected by the Superintendency and a heritage of the City, which was followed by a complaint to the competent Authorities».
Already in these days part of the former management of the Pro Loco is trying to mend the rift with the Municipality, but the results of these attempts at dialogue are not certain.
