Dear residents,
Not even two years have gone by since I took the office as Mayor and I am very satisfied with the large amount of work accomplished in such a short period!
Since the first meeting I headed as Mayor we embarked upon an unprecedented amount of work and I can not but thank the Deputy Mayor and all the Councillors whom I always found by my side and were of continuous support to come up with innovative ideas.
From the beginning I had the envisioned the embellishment of our town and to offer a better quality of life for our residents. We started by evaluating the problems we were facing, problems which were preoccupying our residents quite considerably. We have seen that the biggest challenges that stood out were the lack of cleanliness in the streets, lack of maintenance of public spaces, the lack of relations and contact with local organizations, traffic, parking problems and air pollution.
We were not afraid of these challenges, but rather encouraged us further to commit ourselves to work together as Naxxar residents in the best possible way to face up to any situation and come up with the best solutions for the benefit of our residents.
Suffice it to say that in the last 22 months we have published 26 calls for tenders that ultimately led to the completion of several plans and initiatives so that for this year we have allocated two million Euro for capital projects alone.
From the beginning I felt the need to keep an active and lively contact with residents and particularly with local organizations. I opened up my office at the Council to welcome those who wished to speak with me and give their suggestions or lodge their complaints.
I have kept in constant touch with organisations through various meetings. I found that all Councillors were behind me to help them as best we can. We believe that local organizations are of tremendous benefit to the community and therefore deserve much more support. We have achieved this but I am determined to continue to add to this support.
Since I have become Mayor I kept in direct contact with the public cleansing contractors to ascertain that our town is kept clean. I was not happy with the service that we were getting; I started receiving several complaints from residents which were justified and therefore started exerting strong pressure on the contractor who wanted to terminate the contract because he told me that they could not keep up with my expectations.
We went through a difficult period because we had to engage a new contractor urgently. We started work on a new contract and we entered into many details and specifications according to the Council’s requirements. Whereas before, the contractor had a choice as to the number of scavengers he provided, the Council decided that the contractor must provide eight scavengers. Moreover we specified the type of equipment and machinery to use. We are satisfied that this led to a great improvement in cleanliness throughout the entire locality.
Although traffic does not really fall within the Council’s remit, we still felt that we could do our part. It is useless to criticize without taking even the least action to alleviate the problem.
We have already started to contact several contractors to construct an underground parking to accommodate the residents and the people who visit our city. We are satisfied that there was much positive feedback about it.
I had the opportunity to achieve, with the full support of the Councillors, a dream that had been going through my mind for years and unfortunately had never gotten the approval for it. I refer to the Point2Point project, free transportation offered by the Council.
Since at the time, the Council had not allocated any funds for this, I approached a number of businessmen who believed in this project and agreed to sponsor it.
This project touched several important areas; the first one is that it helped to reduce traffic and alleviate the parking problem. Automatically we are addressing the environmental issue as well. Those who need to run errands in Naxxar do not need to use their car; simply call the driver and they would be picked up.
Another important issue is that of the elderly and those living alone. By this means is we are embracing the principle of social inclusion, alleviate the loneliness problem and help everyone to be independent; and to not have to beg to find someone to run their errands or to drive them around because now we are providing free transport. You can easily decide to meet with friends and get out rather than remain locked up in your home. We want to keep everyone active, and feel included and to keep away from solitude.
I am committed to eventually make this transport fully accessible but, as they say, the world has not been created in a day. It is important to make use of this service in order to give us the courage to improve it.We have plenty of ideas to improve the service and so it is important to make use of it.
I felt that every zone in Naxxar needed attention and so we have planned projects for each area. I shall not be going into details here because you can read about all this with as much information in this publication.
I felt that the Council should not leave anyone out, not even the animals. We have taken initiatives to help the cat feeders who are doing a great job. We have kept records of these volunteers and the council allocated funds to buy crates so that when the street cats need medical care they can be placed inside them to be taken to the vet.
I wholeheartedly thank Zoomangi shop who kindly offered cat kennels to placed in our gardens so that cats will have shelter.
I feel that in future we should campaign for every shop in the locality to be dog friendly and thus dog owners can enter inside the shops without problems.
We have also installed a large number of dog litter bins in the locality for the residents’ convenience and at the same time help towards keeping clean.
One of the greatest achievements by the Council was the prestigious award of the European Label of Governance Excellence bestowed by the Council of Europe to reward those local councils that meet the highest standards of governance. This means that we guarantee the enjoyment of rights, transparency and best service to every resident, among other principles.
This in itself puts pressure on the Council to further strengthen and maintain these levels. I am determined to continue to use all my energy to continue to do this together with my fellow councillors.
Of course much remains to be done; projects that we started will not be completed during this legislature but I am happy that in less than two years I have worked wholeheartedly for you.
The experience gained over the last 10 years that I have been in the council, where I started as a councillor, went on as deputy mayor and continued as Mayor in the last 22 months, surely rendered benefit to our dear town .
I always felt that I should be a Mayor of the people with the people; the success I have enjoyed over the past two years is due to having a team behind me … a real team which deserves all the praise.
Here I cannot but thank the Executive Secretary and his staff. It should be remembered that as a Council we make the decisions but it is the administration who finally implements them.
Finally I would like to thank all the Councillors but especially those councillors who will not be contesting the local elections in May. My sincere thanks go to Clifford Galea, Clinton Sammut, Alexander Agius and Pierre Sciberras. Each one of them gave his complete commitment to the Naxxar community. Thank you from the heart.
We still have much to do and we have many many ideas; Our past is certainly a guarantee for the future.
All this we do because YOU come first!
Għeżież Residenti,
Għadhom lanqas biss għaddew sentejn minn mindu ħadt il-ħatra ta’ Sindku u ninsab sodisfatta ħafna bl-ammont kbir ta’ xogħol li rnexxilna nwettqu f’perjodu daqstant qasir!
Sa mill-ewwel laqgħa li mexxejt bħala Sindku imbarkajna fuq ħidma liema bħalha u minn hawn ma nistax ma nirringrazzjax lill-Viċi Sindku u l-Kunsillieri kollha li sibthom spalla ma’ spalla miegħi u ta’ appoġġ kontinwu biex stajna noħorġu b’tant ideat innovattivi.
Mill-bidu kelli l-viżjoni li nsebbħu l-belt tagħna u li noffru kwalità ta’ ħajja aħjar għar-residenti tagħna. Bdejna billi flimkien evalwajna l-problemi li kellna, problemi li kienu qed jippreokkupaw mhux ftit lir-residenti tagħna. Rajna li l-akbar sfidi li spikkaw kienu n-nuqqas ta’ ndafa fit-toroq, nuqqas ta’ żamma taż-żoni pubbliċi, ir-relazzjoni u l-kuntatt mal-għaqdiet lokali, it-traffiku, in-nuqqas ta’ parkeġġ u t-tniġġis fl-arja.
Ma bżajniex mill-isfidi, anzi dawn l-isfidi aktar ħeġġewna biex nimpenjaw ruħna u naħdmu flimkien bħala Naxxarin biex inkunu fl-aħjar qagħda possibbli li niffaċċjaw kull sitwazzjoni u noħorġu l-aħjar soluzzjonijiet għall-benefiċċju tar-residenti tagħna.
Biżżejjed insemmi li f’dawn l-aħħar 22 xahar ippubblikajna 26 sejħa għall-offerti li finalment wasslu biex wettaqna diversi pjanijiet u inizjattivi biex għal din is-sena bbaġittjajna żewg miljun ewro fuq proġetti kapitali biss.
Immedjatament ħassejt li għandna bżonn inżommu kuntatt ħaj u attiv mar-residenti u b’mod partikolari mal-għaqdiet lokali. Ftaħt l-uffiċċju tiegħi fil-Kunsill biex nilqa’ lil dawk li xtaqu jitkellmu miegħi u jwasslu l-ilmenti u s-suġġerimenti tagħhom.
Mal-għaqdiet żammejt kuntatt kontinwu permezz ta’ diversi laqgħat. Sibt lill-Kunsillieri kollha warajja biex ngħinuhom mill-aħjar li nistgħu. Nemmnu li l-għaqdiet lokali qed jagħmlu ġid kbir għall-komunità u għalhekk kien jistħoqqilhom ferm aktar għajnuna. Dan għamilnieh għalkemm determinata li nkompli nżid din l-għajnuna.
Kemm ili Sindku żammejt kuntatt dirett mal-kuntratturi tal-indafa pubblika biex naċċerta li l-belt tagħna tinżamm nadifa. Ma kontx kuntenta bis-servizz li konna qed ningħataw; bdejt nirċievi ħafna ilmenti ġustifikati mir-residenti u għalhekk bdejt pressjoni qawwija fuq il-kuntrattur tant li ried iwaqqaf il-kuntratt għaliex qalli li ma jistax ilaħħaq mal-aspettattivi tiegħi.
Għaddejna minn perjodu diffiċli għaliex kellna ningaġġaw kuntrattur ġdid b’urġenza. Bdejna naħdmu fuq kuntratt ġdid fejn dħalna f’ħafna dettalji u speċifikazzjonijiet skont kif ried il-Kunsill. Fejn qabel il-kuntrattur kien jagħżel hu kemm jipprovdi kenniesa, il-Kunsill iddeċieda li l-kuntrattur irid jipprovdi tmien kenniesa. Apparti dan speċifikajna wkoll x’apparat u makkinarju għandu jkollu. Sodisfatta li dan wassal biex kellna titjib kbir fl-indafa madwar il-lokalità kollha.
Għalkemm it-traffiku ma jiddependix wisq fuq il-Kunsill xorta ħassejna li nistgħu nagħmlu l-parti tagħna. Inutli nikkritikaw mingħajr ma nieħdu imqar l-inqas azzjoni biex intaffu l-problema.
Diġà bdejna kuntatt ma’ diversi kuntratturi biex isir parkeġġ taħt l-art biex jakkomoda lir-residenti u anke lin-nies li jiġu jżuru l-belt tagħna. Sodisfatti li kien hemm reazzjoni pożittiva ħafna dwar dan.
Kelli l-okkażjoni li nattwa, bl-appoġġ sħiħ tal-Kunsillieri, ħolma li kienet ilha tberren is-snin f’moħħi u li sfortunatament qatt qabel ma kont sibt approvazzjoni għaliha. Qed nirreferi għall-proġett Point2Point, trasport b’xejn offrut mill-Kunsill.
Minħabba li dakinhar il-Kunsill ma kienx ibbaġġittja fondi għal dan, avviċinajt numru ta’ negozjanti li emmnu f’dan il-proġett u aċċettaw li jisponsorjawh.
Dan il-proġett laqat diversi oqsma importanti; l-ewwel waħda hija li għen biex jitnaqqas it-traffiku u tittaffa ftit il-problema tal-parkeġġ. Awtomatikament inkunu qed nindirizzaw il-qasam tal-ambjent ukoll. Dawk li jixtiequ jinqdew min-Naxxar m’għandhomx għalfejn jaqilgħu il-karozza; sempliċiment iċemplu lix-xufier u jiġi għalihom dak il-ħin stess.
Qasam ieħor importanti huwa dak favur l-anzjani u min jgħix waħdu. B’dan ifisser li qed inħaddmu l-prinċipju tal-inklużjoni soċjali, innaqqsu l-problema tas-solitudni u li kulħadd ikun indipendenti; m’għandekx għalfejn toqgħod titkarrab biex issib lil min forsi jrid jagħmillek qadja jew iwasslek x’imkien għaliex issa qed nipprovdulek it-trasport bla ħlas. Tista’ faċilment tiftiehem biex tiltaqa’ mal-ħbieb u toħroġ minflok tibqa’ msakkar f’darek. Irridu nżommu l-kulħadd attiv, inkluż u l-bogħod mis-solitudni.
Jiena kommessa li eventwalment dan it-trasport ikun totalment aċċessibli iżda, kif jgħidu, d-dinja ma saritx f’salt. Importanti li tużaw dan is-servizz ħalli tagħmlulna kuraġġ inkomplu ntejbuh; ideat kif nistgħu ntejbuh għandna ħafna u għalhekk importanti li tagħmlu użu minnu.
Rajt li naħsbu f’kull parti tan-Naxxar u għalhekk ippjanajna proġetti f’kull żona. Mhux se noqgħod nidħol fid-dettall hawn għax tistgħu taqraw dwar dan kollu f’din il-pubblikazzjoni b’daqstant informazzjoni.
Ħassejt li l-Kunsill m’għandu jinsa lil ħadd, lanqas lill-annimali. Ħadna inizjattivi biex ngħinu lill-cat feeders li qed jagħmlu biċċa xogħol kbira. Żammejna reġistru ta’ dawn il-voluntieri u l-kunsill alloka baġit biex jinxtraw gaġeġ biex meta l-qtates tat-triq ikollhom bżonn il-kura jitpoġġew fihom sakemm jittieħdu għand il-veterinarju.
Minn qalbi nirringrazzja lill-ħanut Zoomangi li ġentilment offrielna cat kennels biex jitpoġġew fil-ġonna tagħna u b’hekk il-qtates ikollhom fejn jistkennu.
Inħoss li l-quddiem għandna nagħmlu kampanja biex kull ħanut li hawn fil-lokalità jkun dog friendly u b’hekk is-sidien tal-klieb ikunu jistgħu jidħlu fil-ħwienet mingħajr inkwiet.
Installajna wkoll numru kbir ta’ dog litter bins fil-lokalità biex b’hekk ir-residenti jkunu aktar komdi u fl-istess ħin inżommu l-indafa.
Waħda mill-akbar kisbiet li kellu l-Kunsill kien l-unur prestiġġjuż European Label of Governance Excellence maħruġ mill-Kunsill tal-Ewropa biex jippremja lil dawk il-Kunsilli Lokali li jilħqu l-ogħla livelli ta’ Gvernanza. Dan iffisser li aħna niggarantixxu t-tgawdija tad-drittijiet, it-trasparenza u l-aħjar servizz lil kull resident, fost prinċipji oħra.
Dan minnu nnifsu jitfa’ piż fuqna biex il-Kunsill ikompli jissaħħaħ u jżomm dawn il-livelli. Jiena determinata li nkompli nuża l-enerġija kollha tiegħi biex dan inkompli nwettqu flimkien ma’ sħabi l-Kunsillieri.
Naturalment għad baqa’ ħafna xi jsir; proġetti li bdejna mhux se nilħqu nispiċċawhom f’din il-leġiżlatura però kuntenta li f’inqas minn sentejn ħdimt minn qalbi għalikom.
L-esperjenza li gwadanjajt tul l-aħħar 10 snin li ili fil-kunsill, fejn bdejt bħala kunsilliera, komplejt bħala Viċi Sindku u f’dawn l-aħħar 22 xahar Sindku, żgur li ssarfet f’ġid għal din il-belt għażiża tagħna.
Dejjem ħassejt li għandi nkun Sindku tan-nies u man-nies; is-suċċess li għamilt tul dawn l-aħħar sentejn ġie għaliex warajja hemm tim…tim ta’ vera li jistħoqqlu kull tifħir.
Hawnhekk ma nixtieqx ma nirringrazzjax lis-Segretarju Eżekuttiv u l-istaff tiegħu. Ta’ min wieħed jiftakar li aħna bħala Kunsill nieħdu d-deċiżjonijiet iżda tkun l-amministrazzjoni li finalment tattwahom.
Nixtieq fl-aħħarnett nirringrazzja lill-Kunsillieri kollha iżda speċjalment lil dawk il-Kunsilliera li mhux ser ikunu qed jikkontestaw l-elezzjonijiet lokali ta’ Mejju. Grazzi minn qalbi lil Clifford Galea, Clinton Sammut, Alexander Agius u Pierre Sciberras. Kull wieħed minnhom ta l-impenn minn qalbu għall-komunità Naxxarija. Grazzi mill-qalb.
Fadlilna x’nagħmlu u għandna ħafna u ħafna ideat; il-passat tagħna ċertament li huwa l-garanzija għall-futur.
Dan kollu nagħmluh għaliex INT tiġi l-ewwel!
