Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Third Sector


Last week, we held a meeting with sectoral organizations that provide social support to needy people. The meeting was very positive thanks to the will to promote joint agreements and initiatives. But there was also a reason of concern because data, analysis and the experience provided by active professionals and volunteers, confirm that poverty is also gaining ground in Sitges. The number of people suffering from extreme poverty is growing.

Among the resolutions adopted at the meeting was the creation of the Third Sector Roundtable. The Roundtable will allow organizations working in this area to establish joint cooperation lines, share information and become organized in a flexible and swift manner. The organizations that attended the first meeting and, therefore, will be part of the Roundtable are: Càritas Ajuda Fraterna (Caritas Fraternal Aid), Creu Roja Sitges (Red Cross Sitges), Fundació Ave Maria (Ave Maria Foundation), Fundació Hospital Sant Joan Baptista (St. John the Baptist Hospital Foundation), Fundació La Granja, Associació AMIS (AMIS Association), ONCE Garraf, Municipal Senior Home, Agrupament Escolta Nostra Senyora del Vinyet (Scout Our Lady of Vinyet), Latin American Association Garraf, Gay Sitges Link,  Garraf Foster Care Foundation, Vida Útil Private Foundation. The next meeting will be held on Thursday 31, at 19.30 at the Red Cross, and is also open to other sectoral associations wishing to join forces.

We often have a wrong image about the impact of poverty. We tend to relate poverty to situations and environments far away from our reality. Crass Error. There are people suffering from poverty in Sitges, and not precisely few. The profile of people applying for aid is changing and needs have expanded, now including more plural segments. There are instances that require fast and expedient action because the situation has reached unsustainable levels.

As a City Council, but also as a society, we have the moral obligation to respond to this situation. On one side, acting with discretion but with efficiency, we must engage in actions to meet impending needs. We are engaged in such actions right now. But above all, the final intent is to provide instruments to neutralize the impact as much as possible, being well aware of our obvious limitations and that the economic situation is very far from buoyant. For all the above, I can guarantee that the City Council and Councilman Marc Martinez will not spare efforts to fight poverty and look for suitable alternatives.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Good news for suppliers


This week, we will sign the loan with eleven banks. Such a loan will allow us to cover the debt of 12.8 million € incurred during the years 2008 and 2011 with different suppliers. We will make use of Royal Decree Law 4/2012. The measure is very good news for many small and medium enterprises in town in and the surrounding region, now they can receive payment -late payment- for jobs they performed in the past. Unpaid bills were an excessive burden for many of those companies.

The loans, amounting to 12.8 million €, correspond to 3.095 invoices recorded by the City Hall of Sitges, the Tourism Promotion Agency and "Societat Sitges Model XXI". The loan will be returned in 10 years with an interest rate of 5.9%. Such a rate will be applied during the first quarter and will be revised afterwards. Last week, the Municipal House approved the arrangement of the loan, a crucial step for signing the loan with different banks.

Since we gained access to municipal government a year ago, payment to suppliers has been a number one priority in our financial management policy. In this context, we included our first urgent measure in which we ordered payment of invoices below 1,500 Euros, corresponding mainly to small and independent businesses located in Sitges. According to the same principle, we are adopting a policy of budgetary constraints and reduced spending, which only authorizes the procurement of services and investments that have their corresponding budget allocation.

The above mentioned operations constitute a source of reflection for the current government, that wants to prevent the recurrence of situations like those recorded in recent years. The former government spent money they did not have, and had no qualms about increasing credit ad infinitum. The new political culture based on austerity in public spending is quite tough for people; they witness how services and benefits are reduced or suppressed. It is also quite tough for the municipal government, since their field of action is more limited. However, the positive lesson that we learned from such situations is that a general policy based on severe budgetary constraints is the best warranty to insure that resources are used in a responsible manner. Suppliers and citizens at large can rest reassured of our commitment.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Entrepreneurship


Last Friday marked the beginning of a new edition of Sitges Tapa a Tapa, the successful initiative of several restaurants and bars associated with the Restaurant and Lodging Association of Sitges. The initiative offers specially prepared "tapas" for the event during ten days. Until next Sunday, twenty bars and restaurants in Sitges will participate in this exciting initiative, which last year raised the attention of consumers and attracted new customers to participating bars and restaurants. 

The campaign Sitges Tapa a Tapa shows that the combination of talent, drive and work are good allies to obtain results. During the first days of this year's campaign, the public tried the offers of each bar and restaurant, and they realized that the initiative is positive for all stakeholders: bars and restaurants, since they get more clients and exposure; consumers, because they can enjoy attractive offers, and the entire Sitges and our Sitges Brand, because the event reinforces our position and generates direct and indirect traffic to town.

Although we are going through difficult times, such initiatives are an actual proof that Sitges has an enormous potential for future growth. Sitges Tapa a Tapa is just an example of the entrepreneurial nature of our tourism industry, which has always been at the forefront of initiatives to boost the economy. In fact, the Restaurant and Lodging Association of Sitges was an extremely innovative organization when initially chartered, afterwards other organizations or trades joined forces to win together. The City Council will always support all such positive initiatives for Sitges and all residents.

La Montserrat Almirall. Last week, we lost a woman from Sitges that was very dear for several generations of "Sitgetans", "la Montserrat Almirall", "la senyu". When Montserrat passed away, the entire town felt a unanimous and saddening shudder. Her virtuous hands and her teaching spirit awoke a yearning for music among hundreds of local residents. Few places like her home, at the Francesc Gumà Street, have been such an authorized reference for music and a symbol of many memories for boys that are now grownups. They will be always accompanied by the bars and lessons learned with her piano teacher.