The plenary session approves the new garbage and street cleaning contract for the next 15 years

The plenary session of Benidorm City Council today approved the new contract for the collection of urban solid waste and cleaning of public spaces in the municipality. The approval has been passed by a majority, with votes in favour of the government team and against the opposition formed by PSOE and Vox.

The new contract will have a duration of 15 years, a cost of 328 million euros and will mean updating the service to the needs of the city and the new regulations, since, as the Councilor for Street Cleaning, Luis Navarro, recalled in the session “the current contract, which dates back to the 80s, was very far from achieving the objectives.” Now, with the new contract, "we will be by the times, the needs of Benidorm and what the regulations establish."

The approval of the point included the lifting, with a favourable report from the General Intervention of the Generalitat Valenciana and the Higher Advisory Board of Administrative Contracting of the Generalitat, of the initial objections filed by the Intervention department. The proposal also entails the start of the contract bidding procedure through a harmonized ordinary and open file.

As Navarro explained in the plenary session, after more than two years of study, analysis of alternatives, simulations, comparisons, compilation of experiences from other cities and an extensive process of consultation and citizen participation "the decisive step has been taken so that the city has the waste management and cleaning that it deserves and 100% effective and sustainable.” Currently, Navarro said, "We only classify 17% of the waste that is generated and the regulations set the goal of reaching 55% by 2025."

The file, throughout the entire process, has been sent to external bodies to have the greatest guarantees of transparency and solvency "and to resolve the technical discrepancies that have arisen throughout this time." Navarro has defended that the new contract will facilitate segregation at origin and reduce as much as possible the presence of side-loading containers "thus resolving one of the main complaints of citizens about the service." He also proposes “specific solutions for large producers” such as hotels, restaurants, cafes, shops, health centres or workshops, among others.

Likewise, it is committed to “rewarding the user who separates their waste and assumes their environmental responsibility” and will also “promote composting at the individual and municipal level and will favour the use of fresh or cooked food by collecting it in restaurants and shops and distributing it.” social".

Regarding the cleaning of public spaces, the new company indicated the Councilor for Street Cleaning, “must be responsible for ensuring that all spaces for public use are clean, including those that are not now under contract such as undeveloped spaces, roads, natural parks, cliffs, ravines, etc., as well as special situations.” Also ensure that setbacks, facades, passages, arcades and the like are. Ultimately, the objective will be to achieve “a permanent image of neatness, without excuses.”

Another aspect included in the contract is the renewal of all vehicles and machinery, which will be “highly efficient, with low gas and noise emissions and which, in addition, will be the property and responsibility of the successful bidder so that “they will have to maintain or renew them if necessary, without extra cost for the City Council.”

A transition year is established from the signing of the contract to the effective provision of the new service, the year in which the new ordinances will be approved. Subsequently, another four for progressive implementation are set to execute all the facilities and develop the door-to-door collection, removable, identification and bonus systems.

Luis Navarro has highlighted the advantages of the new contract, among which he mentioned that it adapts to each user, that it is beneficial to the environment and against climate change, it cleans the natural environment, it improves health by reducing the number of containers, will have an eco-efficient mobile fleet, will allow bonuses so that users receive incentives and recover part of what they paid. There will also be a complete renovation of containers, and litter bins, free collection of belongings, compliance with European regulations and an improvement in the tourist image by significantly improving cleanliness and the management model.

“No one has said that the management of this new service is going to be easy, but we are obliged to carry it out,” said the mayor, who considered that not doing so “would be irresponsible and an extra cost that would not remain in Benidorm, but that would be used to pay taxes and sanctions to other administrations.”

Navarro finally clarified that the tax ordinance will have to be modified “not only due to the increase in the cost of the service, but to include the new Consortium rates, the new taxes of the Generalitat, the conditions of Law 7/2022 and the systems of bonus and incentives that will allow us to recover part of the cost of the service for the benefit of users who segregate waste at source." All of this, Navarro concluded, will mean that "if we do it well we can save more than three million to reward the real authors of that savings, instead of paying taxes and penalties that could exceed that amount.”

Other issues

The plenary session also approved today by a large majority, with the votes in favor of PP and Vox and the abstention of the socialist group, the ratification of the Decree dated December 13 for the approval of the second extension of the operation and maintenance service contract of the sanitation and purification system of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) for the 2023-2024 financial year. The Councilor for the Water Cycle, José Ramón González de Zárate, explained that this extension is the last one that was stipulated in the contract and that the plenary session has, in this way, fulfilled “a legal obligation” as it is “a service.” basic for the city.”

Likewise, the councillor has justified the urgency of this point in which the Consistory had been waiting since November 30, 2022, for the response from the Public Entity for Wastewater Sanitation (EPSAR) of the Generalitat and that it was not until last Friday when a “favourable response to the price review proposed by the technicians” was received as a result of the increase in energy costs, which amounts to nearly 1.6 million, to which is also added that the deadline expired this Sunday, December 17.

Finally, the mayor has reported that the municipal technicians have already worked on a first draft of the specifications for the bidding of the new contract, which has been transferred to the EPSAR so that they can begin their study for a future contract.

Finally, the plenary session has also approved by a large majority the proposal of the Councilor for Finance, Aida García Mayor, for the modification of the destination of a credit operation that the City Council has contracted with Caixa Callosa.

The councillor has explained that this modification responds to the existence of an economic surplus in such loan as a consequence of a reduction in the costs initially planned in the price review of the “Remodeling of Mediterranean Avenue Phase I” project, which amounts to 925,718 .06 euros, of which 283,965.70 will now be allocated to the final settlement of two other works: 156,709.27 for the repair of the wooden walkway on Poniente beach and 127,256.43 for the pedestrianization works and implementation of the Low Emissions Zone on Armada Española Avenue.

Aida García Mayor explained that this modification of the destination of these funds is “perfectly informed and endorsed by the technicians.” This point of the session has obtained 17 favourable votes from the local government councillors and Vox, compared to the abstention of the seven PSOE councillors present today in the plenary session.