The plenary asks the Consell that Benidorm be recognized as a tourist municipality based on the new Law

The plenary session of Benidorm has approved today with the favorable vote of the entire Corporation, the proposal of the mayor, Toni Pérez, to request from the Consell the “Condition of Tourist Municipality of the Valencian Community” for Benidorm, based on the new autonomous regional decree approved on last January 10 that develops the Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Act of 2018. The spokeswoman of the government team, Lourdes Caselles, recalled that “with the Tourism Law of 1998” Benidorm was recognized as a Tourist Municipality so the city "Could access by call to a compensation fund" provided by the Generalitat Valenciana and in the years of application of the law exceeded 9 million euros. However, this compensation was suspended with the processing of the new Tourism Law.

Once the regulatory decree of the Statute of the Tourist Municipality is approved, it is “essential to take steps to obtain that recognition” that allows access to regional financing that “palliates the economic effort that as a tourist municipality we must make permanently, well beyond the registered population itself , in the provision of the services of all who visit us ”. As the spokeswoman pointed out, the Generalitat now has "six months" of term "to resolve this request."

With the same result, the Corporation has agreed to request from the General Directorate of Coasts the concession on the jetty and the existing constructions on the island of Benidorm based on the basic project of integral rehabilitation of said constructions in an Interpretation Center and for “the term maximum possible ”according to the 1988 Law.

The government spokeswoman has indicated that through this Interpretation Center we want to "value" the environmental relevance of the island, especially "its seabed." In this regard, he recalled that since 1966 the island is a municipal protected area and since 1990 has a Special Protection Plan. It is also included in the Natura 2000 Network of Protected Areas of the Valencian Community and in the demarcation of the Serra Gelada Natural Park, established in 2005 and which is first maritime-terrestrial of the Community.

Caselles has indicated that the rehabilitation of existing buildings includes “demolishing a part” of them and the “landscape integration” of the new Interpretation Center. He also recalled that this project is the result of "a very extensive work" and numerous meetings with the General Directorate of Coasts to "put even more value" on the island, which in addition to environmental bulwark is also "icon" of Benidorm and a "great tourist attraction."

For the most part, the proposal to approve the change in the parking management mode located in the SSMM Reyes de España Square, which, based on the technical reports and the audit carried out for this purpose, will become “direct management with the help of a private company. " As indicated by the Councilor for Mobility, José Ramón González de Zárate, this new management formula will mean “a leap in quality for commercial parking in the center of Benidorm”, and that the City Council controls and determines “the rates ”, Being able to establish rates“ for commerce and catering, for workers, of social type or for residents ”.

De Zárate said that "the City Council has already notified the company that currently manages this car park that the concession ends on May 30" and has transferred "the actions" to be performed to "deliver these facilities in perfect condition" . Some actions that the company "is already executing."

With the plenary approval, the process is now started to write the specifications to hire the auxiliary company.

Unanimously, the motion presented by the mayor to ask the Provincial Council of Alicante to transfer to the City Council the section of the CV-753 road, which links with 'Albir popularly known as' tourist '', as it passed through Benidorm, has prospered. Specifically, it is a section of 1.6 kilometers, which starts at Doctor Severo Ochoa Avenue and extends to the municipality of 'Alfras del Pi, at the height of the' Vicente Pérez Devesa 'ratchet. The mayor of Works, José Ramón González de Zárate, has indicated that incorporating these 1.6 kilometers into the municipal urban network has “advantages” in urban, environmental and mobility terms, and recalled that “in practice this section of the CV-753 already functions as an urban road because of the frequency of traffic, its location, as well as the existence of fully consolidated tertiary areas, a campsite, a school, an event farm and orchards. ”

In addition, "for years the City Council assumes the costs of supply of public lighting, as well as the maintenance of most auxiliary services of the road." Hence, the technicians insist on “the suitability and relevance of assuming ownership and management of these 1.6 kilometers in order to, in addition, be able to provide this route with the necessary infrastructure and services” in relation to the water supply network potable, sewage, rainwater, natural gas and telecommunications.

De Zárate has also pointed out that assuming ownership and management of this route would make it possible to enhance sustainable mobility by increasing the frequency, number of lines and stops of urban transport; encourage the use of the bicycle; calm traffic and reduce current speeds; improve services; reduce the accident rate; and reduce emissions and noise ”. Likewise, by becoming an urban road, landscaping areas can be generated, improving the image of this access to Benidorm.

With a majority, the plenary has approved the proposal to approve the price of the road cleaning and urban solid waste collection service for the year 2020. The area councilor, José Ramón González de Zárate, has indicated that the City Council will pay in 2020 for the service practically the same amount signed in 2013 by the then socialist government. The difference between the amount of 2013 and the amount to be paid in 2020 is marked by the annual increase in the CPI and the exception of having to pay the rental of new vehicles, since the current ones are fully amortized since 2010. However, mayor stressed that "the citizen will not pay another euro for the service."

De Zárate has clarified that in 2018 and 2019 the City Council paid the concessionaire a million euros less than budgeted, in application of the external audit Faura Casas, although this amount is currently subject to judicial claim by the concessionaire .

Also in the matter of contracting and with the same result, it has been decided to communicate to the company SICE, concessionaire of the public lighting and of the traffic regulation facilities, which must “continue with the provision of the service in the current terms” until “30 September ”, date on which it is estimated that there will be a new winner. In this regard, De Zárate has clarified that “by technical decision” and based on state regulations, the current contract will be divided into two: one referring to traffic services and another exclusive to public lighting.

Regarding the contract for traffic services, the mayor has advanced that will shortly go through the inspection phase, the last procedure prior to its tender. Regarding lighting, he has indicated that "maintenance is only going to be carried out", since according to technicians' calculations this formula is the most profitable for the City Council. De Zárate recalled that "in only 4 years the City Council has achieved an energy saving of one million euros thanks to the measures applied to reduce consumption and the accession of Benidorm to the Central de Procurement of the Provincial Council of Alicante."

In the same agreement, an out-of-court recognition for the amount of 422,204.70 euros has been approved to pay the bills to the current concessionaire, corresponding to the period August 2019-January 2020.

With the unanimous vote, the plenary session has agreed to increase the services made available to entrepreneurs by creating a new “coworking” space and business incubator in the municipal offices located in the Anna building, located on Gerona street. The head of Employment, Mónica Gómez, recalled that Benidorm currently has a 'coworking' with nine work spaces, although “we consider it responsible to anticipate the needs of the sector and provide both young entrepreneurs who want to start an activity as to the companies that decide to develop their projects in our city of a new municipal space in which they can promote and develop their initiatives ”.

With the support of the entire Corporation, the report issued by the municipal secretary last December in relation to the urban planning agreements of the APR-7 has been ratified. The agreement includes dismissing the allegations presented in a hearing process by an owner.

On the other hand, in the face of the celebration of International Women's Day, unanimously a motion was approved by the mayor of Equality, Ángela Zaragoza, in which the promulgation of a National Law on Labor Equality that guarantees “of effectively the right to conciliation, as well as the measures that make equality possible in employment ”. As stated in the motion, in the workplace "women continue to suffer inequalities with respect to men, encountering obstacles such as‘ the glass ceiling ", and the need to claim the" use of inclusive language. "

In addition to a Law on Labor Equality, the proposal also includes asking the Government of Spain to ratify ILO Convention 189 (International Labor Organization) for the dignification of work at home and care; and reaffirm the City Council's commitment to the State and regional Pacts against gender violence.

Among the agreements included in the motion is “to promote policies that promote conciliation, co-responsibility, as well as non-discrimination against women”; and the City Council's commitment to “promote, from the different municipal areas, that all people, when they need it, have the necessary attention through public services, so that family care tasks do not imply inequality at the time of effective integration of women into work and / or professional career ”.

Also, at the initiative of the municipal group of the PP, a motion has been approved by a majority to urge the Consell to formally claim from the Ministry of Finance the VAT corresponding to the year 2017 for 281 million euros; and that, in case of not paying said amount, “the corresponding legal actions are taken to defend the interests of the Valencian Community”.

In the same session, the technical report on the specifications that will govern the public bicycle management contract has been reported; as well as the proposal of the Councilor for Sports, Mariló Cebreros, for the ratification of subsidies to sports entities and clubs granted in 2011. It has also realized the referral to the Government of Spain of the agreement regarding the adoption of measures and actions in water resources matter approved in the previous plenary.

Urgent motions

By way of urgency and unanimously, it has been approved to request to the Ministry of Finance the definitive transfer of the house of road laborers of the Emilio Ortuño route to be destined to civic-social center in favor of the Saladar Neighborhood Association and users in general , so that it also hosts a municipal administrative extension. The Councilor for General Heritage, Jaime Jesús Pérez, explained that after the efforts made with the Ministries of Finance and Development, an office was received at the beginning of the month “in which the City Council was required to transfer the purpose to which the property ”to study the viability of the transfer of this old house of road workers, which has a plot of 384 square meters and a building of 138 square meters.