Preservation over new constructions: our heritage as a value and a need

On Monday, February 2, we will make the presentation of the refurbishment and adaptation project of Can Falç, one of the most emblematic buildings in Sitges, located on Passeig de la Ribera. The City Hall of Sitges and the Barcelona Provincial Council have been working together during recent months to promote a plan that will allow Can Falç to become a new museum which reproduces the seafaring and farming town of a period between the sixteenth and twentieth centuries. The expected recovery of Can Falç for public use is the culmination of a heritage refurbishment project promoted by the Governing Body during the current legislature. The efforts were centered on Museums, Library, the building of Prado and the catalog of architectural protection.

One of the cornerstones of our project for the 2011-15 legislatures had a self-explanatory title: "Preservation over new constructions”. It was one of the points of our election campaign for 2011 later reflected on our Governance Plan. After years of abusive and disproportionate urban growth, with more than a few urban blights along the way, Sitges needed to highlight our rich architectural, artistic and natural heritage inherited from our elders. For this reason, the City Hall became an active player in the defense of our culture through specific actions, and at the same time as the test of a policy that will ensure that in the future no historical building will be tore down as in the past.

This is the essence of the Special Plan for the Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Sitges, known as Catalogue, that were are carrying out currently. This new plan will double the number of listed buildings, which cannot be tore down in any way, and also include other specific elements such as sets of buildings or natural areas. The catalog is the basic tool that ensures the preservation of our heritage. The last revision was 1991, and even considering that the General Plan was updated about ten years ago, that was not the case of the Catalogue that already has nearly 25 years and that needs to include more items to avoid inappropriate actions. 

The wording of the new Catalog symbolizes the essence of our commitment to protect our heritage. Meanwhile, the refurbishment of Museums, the Library, “el Prado” or Can Falç constitutes the practice of this culture that allows developing specific actions.

In the reform of Cau Ferrat and Maricel Museum, we prepared a project that avoided architectural aggressions and that overcame space limitations with imaginative solutions, but that any case always respected our heritage. The result, as you can see, has been very satisfactory and the general feeling of the 16,000 people who have visited the museums after the reopening has been remarkably positive.

It is also the case of the Santiago Rusiñol Library that we are currently refurbishing, keeping its heritage value as the structure was in a dire condition. The project will allow us to enjoy a library with better services for users, and especially to ensure the continuity of a building with a high value.

We will also intervene in the building of Casino Prado, an important part of our heritage, thanks to the collaboration of the Barcelona Provincial Council. We will carry a necessary reform to further the general interest of the municipality, which will ensure the restoration of a landmark building. While in the project of Can Falç, in addition to the refurbishment, we will gain a new museum which will enrich the quality of our cultural and tourist offer.

Sitges Museums reopen

Rarely, openings after renovation works are as relevant as today.

All of the people enjoying this December morning are aware that today is a historic day for Sitges. Today, after a long process of almost 5 years, we finally recovered the splendor that was only asleep during all this time, the elements of our heritage that represent like no other the uniqueness of Sitges. The newly opened facilities represent the grandeur of the cultural heritage that transformed Sitges in a benchmark of art, specially "modernisme" and "noucentisme". But Sitges is also capable of journeying through other periods of history.

It's been a long road with very difficult bumps, but despite the wild range of different opinions about HOW to do it, the unanimous voice of WHAT was a big roar above all. And the aforementioned WHAT is nothing more than the overwhelming need to preserve and enforce a heritage that belongs to Sitges, but also to the entire nation.

And that is why today is a day to say THANK YOU. Thank you all! Thanks to the authorities: Ministry, Catalan Government and Provincial Council of Barcelona for their financial contributions that have made possible the development of these works. Thanks to civil society organized on the platform that, at the time, three and a half years ago, made it politically possible paying heed to the opinion of citizens, that we could stop the works to achieve a result that we can see today, respecting our uniqueness and preserving the essential that had originally characterized it. And then, let me make a special mention to Mr.Salvador Esteve, President of the Barcelona Provincial Council, thanks to him the most critical moments of this process were not that difficult.

Thanks to politicians who obtained the investment. Thanks to the directors of the Consortium. Thanks to the architect, to all technical managers and companies, especially the joint venture (UTE), those who were there from the beginning of the project and those who were in place during the last phase of implementation.

Today we are all in luck. Sitges was able to preserve the essentials that made Rusiñol, at the end of the nineteenth century, choose not only to create here, but also to bequeath his holdings and transform our town into a magnet for creativity. His house, Cau Ferrat, shows again with the fidelity he requested, all his collections of art. And from today, Maricel Museum is a must for journeying though art from the 10th to the 20th century. A combination of the large collection Pérez Rosales with the collection of paintings of Sitges that, thanks to the new museum organization, takes even more relevance.

Our famous light and magic coming from the Mediterranean embracing us today, that attracted so many artist and intellectuals that fell in love with our community, was also the cause of the danger of deterioration of our heritage. But being here today shows that no east wind will destroy us. Far from damaging or shrinking us, we are now part during the last two months of a new state structure called Museum Network of Catalonia.

And while our museums were being renovated and uplifted, the cultural vitality of our town has not stopped and we managed to keep playing in the first division. Our local artists occupied a special place, Sitges has been in the news for his contemporary art collections thanks to the Stämpli Foundation, we have allocated space for music, theater and films, and also, we have succeeded in attracting foreign investments to create a university of performing arts unique in the state. 

Sitges is not a political or administrative capital, but from today we are more than ever a true cultural capital. Culture is the hallmark of a people, and that is why, President Mas, we are proud to share it as a hallmark belonging to the identity of our Nation and our future.

Cau Ferrat, Can Rocamora and Maricel. This is our Christmas gift to Sitges, Catalonia and for the world. Just enjoy it!

Thank you very much.

We have a budget for 2015

The full house of the Sitges Town Council we just approved the 2015 budget with the favorable votes of CiU, SGI, NH and PPC, with the abstention of CUP. This budget is centered on the political action of what we call “Sitges for the People” (welfare, family, housing, education, security, culture, festivals, sports ...), the economic development and tourism, the creation and maintenance of jobs, improvements of neighborhoods (Garraf and Les Botigues), public roads, the beaches and the environment.

This budget also includes the public participation process that involved about 1 million for investments proposed and decided by the citizens themselves. A new culture of participation we do hope that takes roots in the municipality, as a new practice of participatory democracy. Although we would have liked to do it before, it was illegal before and we have to wait until the decrease of our debt burden.

This budget consolidates the reduction in tax burden. Taxes and fees are frozen or were lowered. The could be possible because the large debt burden inherited by the past government was corrected. The property tax rate for 2015 will be 0.83 (less than 15 points), which will mean a reduction of 90% of the receipts of all residents in Sitges, with an average decline of almost 6%  in the receipt, approved without a vote against .

This budget is the result of political negotiations between CiU, SGI, NH, PPC and CUP. All groups have contributed much to improve the initial proposal. This budget is for 2015, although there are elections next May. The government resulting from these elections will be have an optimal budgetary tool to carry out good budgetary policies. Meanwhile, until the month of June, the government will fulfill our commitment to lower taxes and to remain alongside the people of Sitges and their activities.

I Just end  this week with the conviction that principles, perseverance and working together is the way to achieve important goals. We have a municipal budget for 2015, we will have a new entrance at the Pruelles Industrial Park from the C-32, and the budget of Escola Agnes is allocated in the accounts of the Catalan Government for 2015.

Payment Terms: from 30 months to 30 days

This week, the residents of Sitges will be able to choose five proposals among the seventy two that went past the constraints of the participatory budget. For the first time, the City Hall of Sitges will allocate a significant part of their investments (a total of 1 million Euros) to actions that will be directly chosen by the people in a clear sign of progress in democratization processes and participation of institutions. As soon as it has been possible once removed legal limitations (if we did not do that before, it was because the law did not permit it), we have launched this initiative that will channel new forms of participation and that will foster a better linkage with local government...

But today, I would like to reminisce and, with your permission, to speak about the causes that allowed the City Hall to invest one million Euros in actions decided directly by the citizens... Those are the same reasons that allowed us to announce the reduction of IBI (property tax) for 2015 from current 0,93 to 0,83, a substantial cut, far more than the proposals of opposition groups.

And such causes are not other that the radical turn of municipal finances. When we came into office, in June 2011, the City Hall was broke. The debt had reached 67 million Euros; in a municipal corporation the size of Sitges it was a catastrophe that threatened the very existence of the institution.

But three and a half years later, the picture has changed substantially. The accounts of the City Hall are sound with all the difficulties implied in the current context, but with the necessary strength to perform all the recovery and improvement measures undertaken by the government.

During the summer of 2011, payment terms of the City Hall amounted to 30 months. Now, payment term has decreased to 30 days after presentation of invoice. In the summer of 2011, the Purchasing Department of the City Hall had serious problems finding industrials wanted to make business with the City. The uncertainty hovering over pending accounts and irresponsible management led to a critical situation that placed us in an extremely difficult position. Now, the City Hall works with criteria that care for public spending.

When we came into power, we initiated a thorough rationalizing of spending,  important cuts in staff and positions of trust of the City, the improvement of management processes and debt renegotiation with banks, the municipal accounts went back to normal and, more importantly, now allow to promote new social policies, public investments and reductions of tax burden.

This is what helped us create, among other initiatives such as the plan to boost economic activity and job growth (with aid to small entrepreneurs who want to create their business in Sitges), the promotion of the Advertising Festival (which will enhance again the brand Sitges and generate economic activity). The balance of accounts also allowed to help the most vulnerable families with a “Carnet Blau” (Blue Card) (to obtain discounts and reductions in public services and tariffs) or program improvements (such as the reform of the library or the next improvement of the seafront promenade). .And now, the new participative budget of 1 million that residents will vote this week.

Sitges Awards Night 2014

Councilors of the City Hall of Sitges.

President of Societat Recreativa El Retiro.

Presidents and members of associations, organizations and neighborhoods.

Award winners.

Residents of Sitges that work so much for culture currently present at the Theater Hall of El Retiro, and also those that follow us live through Maricel Televisió and Canal Blau

First, thanks to all who made this Awards Night possible, an act led by the Department of Culture and assistants. Many congratulations to all persons and entities that tonight received recognition for their commitment to painting, sculpture, literature, music and singing, history, photography, literature, journalism, traditions ... in short, the culture of our town and our nation. Congratulations and thanks for your contribution to culture, so important for Sitges and to everything Catalan.

Why...? What would become of Sitges without culture? ... 

A very different Sitges, that’s for sure. 

Could you envisage our town without our architectonic and urban legacy? A Sitges without our sculptures on our streets? A Sitges without dance, popular dances and human castles, without the collection of municipal art (from Escola Luminista to modern art)? ... Without our historical and literary publications and our programming of events and exhibitions, including all artistic disciplines? ... 

Could you envisage Sitges without our Fantastic Film Festival or a Fantastic Film Festival without Sitges? ...or without other recent festivals such as the Jazz Festival and the Festival of Poetry? ... Or without El Retiro and El Prado? ... or without the School of Music, School of Grallers, bands and music groups, batucadas or without la “Cobla Sitgetana”, which this year celebrates its 50 years and, by the way, tonight they can't be with us because at this moment they are receiving and Award for Continuity at the Saló de Cent of the City Hall of Barcelona. Congratulations, Cobla!

A Sitges without our network of museums, now part of our present day state structure…

A Sitges without its powerful and diverse list of volunteer associations that work in support of culture, endowing and equipping the intense cultural program during the entire year?

Could you imagine a Sitges like the one I’m picturing now? Difficult, right?

The result would be a soulless Sitges, because culture is what moves us.

With years and years of history, culture transformed Sitges in a cultural brand. True, for domestic consumption, but also enjoying projection and national and international prestige.

Despite all the economic and social hard times we have experienced in recent years, the movement and the cultural production of Sitges has not diminished. The reason was a diverse, strong and involved civil society. And the public engagement with culture, despite the dire straits we are going through.

In each Awards Night, I like to remember that I have the conviction that culture, and above all access to culture, is a common and essential good for all citizens.

And in times of cutbacks, we did not want that budget constraints could affect culture in a substantial manner. It was precisely for this reason; we consider it fundamental for the development of a "Sitges for the People".

And we reflected all the above on the Governance Plan 2011-2015: "We will ensure cultural policies that, from a diversity of origins and references, pursue the enrichment of our own culture. We will stress identity, historical background, values, ​​language, cultural diversity and conferring prominence to all actors of our culture ... Supporting creativity and cultural production has a clear social value. "

The aim therefore is none other than promote a great social network in Sitges. A network of citizens committed to helping people grow through any educational or cultural event, but they also help Sitges by abiding a historical legacy full of energy and cultural diversity headed into modernity. In a Sitges with well over 80 nationalities registered in the municipality, it could not be in any other way.

From the City Hall we have promoted this social capital (which is cultural capital) towards and from a participatory model. Above all, we must insure bigger emphasis on equal opportunities in the access to culture, in the development of projects and in a direct support for creators and promoters of culture. And this approach to social capital was promoted all around the municipality, both in Sitges proper as in the town of Garraf and Les Botigues. A social capital distributed unevenly could generate differences and inequalities within the municipality. Just the opposite of our public responsibilities. We have worked in this line of direct support to any initiative in a balanced way, but there is still much work to do. 

We must continue to bring together culture linked to local tradition with the condition of Sitges as a magnet for the arts. And we must continue to support local culture because it has a double value: It's a culture made in Sitges endowed with a global vision, is also a local consumption culture. This duality is what transforms Sitges in a privileged place.

Our concern has also been dual:

1)      First duality: create a trusting relationship as a companion for the achievement of such essential goal, especially with all of you. The principle of participatory democracy is guiding us. Make sure that all of you participate and are players, as cultural agents, in the design and development. The participation conceived as a shared responsibility (just as we are doing with the participation process on the investments of the Budget 2015 for the first time in Sitges, and the consensus of all political parties in the city council has allocated 1 M € to proposals made ​​directly by residents and will voted by the town during the second week of December).

2)      And second duality that worried us: improve cultural infrastructures of Sitges despite budgetary constraints. Here I must say that collaboration with other authorities has been crucial, especially with the Barcelona Provincial Council, the Government of Catalonia and the Ministry of Public Works. The premise was this: to restore and maintain our great heritage and create new assets as cultural poles. So, we are now working on the following projects:

1)      The reform of Santiago Rusiñol Library that will place our 1936 library in the 21th Century. The library will be fully accessible.

2)      We will see very soon the tender for roof repairs and restoration of the theater hall Casino Prado, as we promised a night like this.

3)      The coming months will be very intense in the review of the Architectural Heritage Plan, that will update the survey of historic and artistic buildings of our town, both public and private, adding for the first time ethnographic and natural elements, not covered so far.

4)      And in a few days we will inaugurate Cau Ferrat, Casa Rocamora and Museu Maricel de Mar, with a new museum discourse and buildings that fully respect the heritage of all. After extensive work and with a project change arising from civic protests, and thanks to the political will of the City Council and the Council of the province of Barcelona.

However, as I said, there is much work to do. In 2015 will also receive three new very positive cultural news for Sitges: a Center for the Interpretation of our Main Festivity, Can Falç and a new country wide Festival.

1)      The Center of Interpretation of our Main Festivity .After reaching municipal agreement (and thanks to the work done by a group of citizens who debated and proposed it, and the full City Council approval), the foundations for the future center of interpretation will be laid, preferably at l'Escorxador. The center will show the tangible and intangible heritage of our Main Festivity.

2)      Second cultural good news:  The house of Can Falç. Thanks to an agreement with the Council of the Province of Barcelona and  Sitges Heritage Association, we will present the future Can Falç cultural facility on Passeig de la Ribera, with a museum tour on the history of Sitges, from ancient to contemporary times, respecting the heritage of the former owners of Can Falç.

In Sitges we have four art museums. And now, we will finally have a museum of history of Sitges that will show us to the world.

3)      Third cultural good news. Thanks to an agreement with the Government of Catalonia, Sitges will hold for the first time the new Festival of Creativity and Innovation during the upcoming spring 2015, with the commitment that Sitges becomes the permanent headquarter. The festival will link and position Sitges in the world of advertising and new technologies.

Let's recap. Public lectures, scenic arts, architecture, landscape, museums, history, advertising, creator, associative fabric....all those are essential elements of our cultural personality and part of the social capital that all communities need.

And they also show the added value of our Sitges brand, as a cultural brand. An expression of how great we are, how we project ourselves and how we understand life.

This morning I said to President Artur Mas on his visit to Sitges

"President, we place our entire legacy, experience and all the vitality of Sitges at the service of our Catalan Nation, their economic and social recovery, and the promotion of equal opportunities and the achievement of our freedom"

I'm about to end...

Sitges Awards Night is an accurate portrait of our current cultural situation. A night in which we awarded trajectories, recognized capabilities and encouraged talent. 

It is a night of dreams and a sign of vitality, creativity and the projection of our town and our country. 

Cultural diversity, always as a single town.

Cultural diversity, always as a single nation.

Thank you.

I participate at 9-N because I want to decide. And you?

This November 9 marks the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Undoubtedly, one of the most important events in contemporary European history, since it involves the end of the Cold War and the Soviet regime and, at the same time, a decisive impetus for the construction of a new Europe that aspires to live in peace and freedom. A quarter century later, in the same November 9, Catalans also want to bring down the walls that bar the way to our most basic rights. And the ban on the new 9-N, implemented by the Spanish government and executed by a Constitutional Court totally devoid of any impartiality, can be considered an indiscriminate attack against freedom of expression, opinion and participation. All three, incidentally, recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The best reaction to the total absence of dialogue of the Spanish State is a complete mass mobilization to fill ballot boxes, to show the world that the desire for self-determination of Catalan society is not only legitimate, but fully in force and shared by most in an unprecedented manner. That's why I encourage all inhabitants of Sitges to join the participatory event this Sunday to cast our ballots to decide the political future of Catalonia. This is a personal commitment that I assumed as mayor, together with all the government, when eighteen organizations from Sitges asked, during the last National Day of Catalonia, that all elected officials of the town did all that was in our hands to allow that the citizens of Sitges could exercise their right to decide.

Our loyalty to the Catalan institutions, and our support for the proposed consultation process, will materialize on Sunday with the opening two points of participation (Institut Juan Ramon Benaprès and Institut Vinyet) with special and free transport to facilitate the movement of all the people who need it. All this will contribute to the development of a festive day of protest in which, beyond the vote of each individual, the entire Sitges and Catalonia must prove again that we are part of a civic, democratic and peaceful society with excellent organizational skills.

This 2014, 300 years after Catalonia lost its national rights, the citizens of this country will express at the ballot boxes what will be our collective future. Referendums in Scotland and Quebec –previously agreed by UK and Canada– are the most obvious proof that the political challenges of the twenty-first century cannot solved, as the government of Spain pretends, with restrictions and denials associated with authoritarian states and not to modern advanced democracies. President Mas often reminds that laws are made to serve and listen to people, not to prohibit their dreams and silence them.

This November 9, Catalans will rewrite an outstanding page of our ancient history. The big difference is that this time,we will consider all opinions. Catalonia's fate depends only on each and every one of us. I will participate in the N-9 because I want to decide my future. Would you like to do the same?

Participatory Budgeting: Sitges citizens decide

I am very pleased to address you all to encourage you, ass citizens of Sitges, to be an active part of the public participation process for the 2015 budget. This is the first time that the City implements a process of direct participation on municipal finances, and we did it through the consensus of all political parties represented in the local council.

We are laying the foundation for a consolidated practice of participatory democracy that must be sustained over time. For this government, your voice and your needs are a priority. As described in Municipal Governance Plan, it has been so from day one, and the reason we have not started the process before it was because of the complicated debt situation of the City.

During our three years in office, we had the opportunity to receive your complaints, suggestions and proposals to improve Sitges. Public hearings, neighborhood meetings, full houses or social networks are some of the channels of expression that we made available and that many of you have used. But now we make a very important step, because you'll be the one who decides the fate of one million Euros to be invested in the first participatory budget.

We have made together a very hard but possible journey towards the recovery of municipal finances. The citizens of Sitges should be able to enjoy now the capacity to decide what they want for Sitges. In addition to laws that now do not allow debt levels capable of  endangering  public resources, you will also help avoiding any return to critical situations, thanks to the knowledge acquired during the participation in this process.

In a Democracy, citizens always have the last word. People have the right to decide and the inhabitants of Sitges over 16 years old can submit their proposals for the future of Sitges. I invite you to do so!