The latest session of the City Council was held on Wednesday, October 26. The issue of the possible takeover of county roads by the city authorities was raised by Mirosław Sakowski, head of the Civic Platform councillors’ group. “Will the municipality take over the roads that the county renovated jointly with the city and that are within Bolesławiec?” the councillor asked. “We have no intention of taking over any roads belonging to the county authorities,” mayor Piotr Roman replied firmly. “Why should we pay from the city budget for roads that are not ours? The county receives money for this purpose and must manage it so that it does not run out of funds. The same applies to us.”

“As long as I am mayor, there will be no takeover of any county road,” Roman continued. “Unless the legislature devises a mechanism whereby money follows a specific road. I do not think anyone in this room believes that the city should be a sucker. I do not want to be a sucker.”

According to Piotr Roman, a much better move would be to transfer responsibility for the summer and winter maintenance of county roads to the city. A similar proposal—concerning voivodeship roads in our city—was made to the city authorities by Jerzy Łużniak, a member of the Board of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship (we reported on this in the article The City Authorities Will Handle the Maintenance of Voivodeship Roads). The transfer was to take place on April 1, 2012. The proposed subsidy for this purpose—excluding renovations and investments—amounted to more than PLN 236,500.

“If the county authorities make us the same proposal and it concerns roads in good condition—because I will not agree to maintaining the end of Staroszkolna Street for a few thousand złoty—we will certainly consider it,” the mayor stressed. “Winter and summer maintenance of county roads—yes; taking ownership—no. We have our own roads to maintain.”

A Fee for... Stopping

The City Council was presented with a draft resolution on setting the fee charged to operators and carriers for using bus stops owned or managed by the Municipality of Bolesławiec. The fee for stopping at a bus stop was set at 5 groszy. The document’s justification states:

The Act [...] on public collective transport entered into force on March 1, 2011. [...] Fees may be charged for the use by an operator or carrier of transport stops owned or managed by a local government unit. The rate is set by resolution. [...] The fee for a single stop by a means of transport at a transport stop may not exceed PLN 0.05. The adopted rate falls within the limits set by the Act. Fees for using stops [...] constitute revenue of the relevant local government unit and are intended for the ongoing maintenance, construction, reconstruction, renovation and cleaning of stop infrastructure. Expected revenue for 2012: PLN 100,000.

Mirosław Sakowski spoke and asked whether officials had taken the social aspect of the draft resolution into account. “Certainly, transport company owners will raise ticket prices,” the councillor argued. “The councillor is right, but please remember that carriers also face competition,” Piotr Roman noted. “If a company raises prices significantly, it will lose customers.”

“Today, in Bolesławiec, the biggest problem concerning bus stops and carriers is not the fees for stopping, but the issue of the bus station,” the mayor stressed. “An abnormal situation has arisen: young people stand in the mud on the square between Łokietka and Zgorzelecka Streets, while 50 metres away there is a station with shelters and bays—but it is empty because private carriers are not allowed to enter. The station belongs to the county, and it is precisely the county that should ensure that people can travel around Bolesławiec County in normal conditions. Young people say that the square between Łokietka and Zgorzelecka is Saigon, but I think the shelters in Vietnam are much better than those there. The fee we want to introduce is intended to organise transport in our city. In addition, councillors will now have the right to demand that the mayor and the city office ensure that our stops are maintained in proper condition.”

The City Council unanimously adopted the resolution.

Anna Bober-Tubaj Recognised by Zdrojewski

Józef Pokładek, head of the Council, informed everyone present in the Council Chamber that Anna Bober-Tubaj, director of Bolesławiec’s Museum of Ceramics, had received the Minister of Culture and National Heritage’s “Meritorious for Polish Culture” Badge. “When I heard about it, I thought that this type of distinction is usually awarded to cultural elders,” Piotr Roman said. “This case is completely different. The director is still young, energetic, full of drive and new ideas. Under her direction, the Museum of Ceramics is experiencing a kind of renaissance. Anna Bober-Tubaj skilfully and highly effectively obtains external funding, especially European Union funds. I am proud to have directors like this,” he added.

(information: ii)