Benidorm plenary session supports Hosbec and the AMT by requesting a Special Plan for Protection of the Tourism Sector due to the COVID crisis 19

The plenary session of Benidorm has approved today in a telematic session with the votes in favor of the local government of the Popular Party and the municipal group Ciudadanos (Cs) a motion of support for the agreements promoted by Hosbec and by the Alliance of Tourist Municipalities (AMT) of Sol y Playa to request the implementation of a Special Protection System for the Spanish Tourism Sector that will allow the tourism industry to overcome the COVID 19 crisis and resume its activity with full guarantees. The motion presented by both political groups based on the proposal made last week by the local government and enriched by the contributions made by the Board of Spokespersons and by the AMT chaired by Benidorm, indicates that this Special System must be based on seven fundamental measures linked to the health plan, protocol and reopening date; to communication; to coordination and collaboration; of a labor nature; financial; fiscal; and transportation and connectivity.

Thus, from the health point of view, it is claimed that a calendar with dates for the stepping down of the current confinement measures, and the subsequent reopening of the tourism sector and destinations, be determined as far as possible. Likewise, the importance of having common protocols and guides throughout Spain, validated and agreed with the main European markets, which could include health certifications (or passports), has been pointed out.

In this complicated health, social and economic crisis, more financing tools are requested for the City Councils, both for the municipalities themselves, making the spending rule more flexible, so that it allows them to use not only the entire surplus for the 2019 financial year but also an important part of the current remainder, or allowing the debt capacity. The companies and the self-employed also have to have specific plans to be able to relax and / or postpone financial charges and rents or mortgages, as well as to be able to benefit from and prolong the current ERTES from the labor point of view.

Coordination with Europe is very important throughout the stepping down process; The measures to be taken regarding the liberalization of people's mobility, and the support to airlines to reactivate connectivity and the European economy as a whole are very important for everyone, but especially for island destinations. Europe is also important from a financial support point of view, since among other measures, the creation of specifically Tourist DUSI funds could be considered.

At the most operational level, the uncertainty linked to the use of beaches in each municipality, which has not been clarified today, as well as, for example, the taxes and fees that each municipality must face, associated with the use of these Beaches according to the law of the Coasts are topics that have been revealed in the meeting.

The mayor, Toni Pérez, recalled that last Saturday the eight municipalities of the AMT (Benidorm, Adeje, Arona, Calvià, Lloret de Mar, Salou, San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Torremolinos) transferred these measures to the Minister of Tourism, Reyes Maroto, who proposed holding periodic meetings to follow jointly the evolution of the initiatives carried out and their suitability.

Unanimously, and at the proposal of the mayor, a budget modification was initially approved to allocate 1,530,354.79 euros to aid to the city's commercial and business fabric to "try to alleviate the economic consequences that the COVID pandemic is causing 19 " The mayor of the Treasury, Aida García Mayor, explained that the objective of this "aid program for freelences and SMEs" is "the survival of businesses and the maintenance of the jobs they generate, in order to facilitate the return to normality of economic activity in Benidorm, once the measures imposed by the state of alarm cease ”.

García Mayor has pointed out that, as the mayor already announced on April 22, these funds will be taken from the Investments chapter of the municipal budget for 2020. Specifically, “it has been decided to postpone the contracting and execution of various investments that, being still important today, they are not as priority as dealing with the social and economic emergency caused by COVID 19 ”.

The mayor, for his part, recalled that these 1.5 million euros constitute a first phase of aid to the productive fabric, since the total amount will reach 2.6 million euros, to which must be added 1.4 million euros committed for direct social aid to families, whose bases have also been unanimously ratified in today's plenary session. In total, therefore, the global amount of both grants will reach 4 million euros.

After the plenary approval, this budget modification of 1.5 million euros must be published in the Official Gazette of the Province (BOP) and pass the exposure process before becoming effective. While the administrative procedure is completed, the City Council will prepare the bases that will govern these grants.

By majority, the plenary session has given the green light to the modification of the contract for the conservation and maintenance service of the parks and gardens to incorporate the new garden areas after completing the process of hearing granted to the concessionaire company. The mayor of the area, José Ramón González de Zárate, has indicated that with this modification the more than 62,000 square meters of green areas corresponding to the Parque de la Séquia Mare and the stop of Calle Italia are included in the contract. This extension translates into an annual amount of 91,871.25 euros until the end of the contract. Likewise, the City Council will pay 84,215.31 euros for this maintenance and conservation service provided in these same spaces between February and December 2019.

Also by majority, the Financial Plan of the City Council for the period 2020-2021 has been approved. The Councilor for Finance, Aida García Mayor, explained that from the settlement of 2019 "it is extracted that the impact of several sentences and claims from previous years" has caused the spending rule to be exceeded by just over 1 million euros . However, and as stated in the report from the Intervention area, García Mayor has clarified that "these expenses are not going to be repeated in the current year" so "it will be possible to comply with the spending rule for the 2020 biennium- 2021 ”.

With the favorable vote of all councilors, the Corporation has agreed to ask the Valencian Government to initiate the procedure to grant "public congratulations" to the two Local Police officers who on January 18 "located and rescued a British citizen that he was in danger of being dragged by the strong waves when he was trapped in a small jetty of the port ”.

Similarly, recognition has also been requested under the formula of "public congratulations" for a citizen who on August 18 "rescued and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers on a child under two years of age who had fallen into a swimming pool, managing to maintain his vital signs until his transfer ”.

Also unanimously, the modification of the Municipal Organic Regulation of Benidorm City Council has been ratified to regulate the telematic realization of plenary sessions, commissions and Boards of Spokespersons.

Within the agenda, the Mayor's resolutions regarding the health alert have been reported; and of the authorships made on the Impursa contract, the invoice register, the management of Palau d'Esports and the accounts of Visit Benidorm Foundation. Likewise, it has been informed on the report of the Sindicatura de Comptes on the basic cybersecurity controls of the City Council; and the resolution of the Ministry of Education to readjust the annuities of Edificant Plan.

Condolences and institutional act in memory of COVID-19 victims

Before the session began, a minute of silence was observed by the victims of the pandemic. The mayor, on behalf of the Corporation, has conveyed "condolences and condolences to the families and friends of those killed by Covid19", and announced that "as soon as the necessary guarantees are given, Benidorm will honor its victims in a institutional and solemn act, because they are lives that the virus will not make us forget ”.

Toni Pérez thanked "all those who are helping us to fight and overcome this difficult stage" and that "they keep alive the flame of hope and life in our city" such as "medical, sanitary and auxiliary personnel of hospitals, clinics, centers health and ambulances ”; “The components of the security, fire and civil protection forces and bodies; "the Red Cross"; "Municipal and concessionary company officials"; “The volunteers of the Collective Aid Network”; "The professionals who ensure our public and social services"; "The transporters of goods and people"; "The commerce and the restoration, the hotel trade, that so resignedly have ceased their activity"; "The individuals, groups and companies that with their ingenuity and donations are helping in this fight"; "The essential establishments and their personnel for keeping us supplied"; and "of course, people of Benidorm, to all the residents of this city, but also to those who are also overcoming this confinement here, because here the state of alarm decree also reached them, wherever they came from , this is also their house ”.

In his speech, the mayor stressed that "the inhabitants of Benidorm are modelically complying with confinement to prevent the spread of the pandemic", adding that "this City Council is putting all its management capacity into adopting and applying measures that make overcome this crisis in the best possible way, without leaving anyone behind ”.

Motion of urgency

By majority, an urgent motion of the local government has been approved and amended by PP municipal group, so that "on the part of each and every councilman and the mayor a donation of 1,000 euros is made to any of Caritas centres existing in our municipality or to the Red Cross ”that are performing“ an exemplary function of helping families in need ”in Benidorm and that“ are aware of the real and true needs of the users ”of both NGOs.

The local government spokeswoman, Lourdes Caselles, has clarified that "as it is a donation it is completely voluntary, therefore with this agreement we express the will to make the delivery of that money effective" to two entities that "are on the front line and working with the neediest people ”. Caselles has defended the donation formula, which the local government will comply with as soon as possible, since "we understand that it is much more effective, real and direct than other alternatives" and "to do our little bit to help those who need it most” due to the health crisis of COVID-19, which is also economic and social. A personal action that adds "to all the measures that the City Council is adopting and in which Benidorm is being a pioneer in many cases".