I went to the evening meeting last night at 5.30pm. I was told that it would either be in the Town Hall or the bar. When I reached the Town Hall it was locked and appeared deserted so went to the bar but no one was there. So for the first time used my key to unlock the Town Hall door and found them upstairs in a back room. The meeting started quite promptly for one of these and we went through the papers showing the budgeted amounts for everything for the Town Hall. I did not have an interpreter so it was very hard work keeping up but I think I got most of it. The meeting went quite well for the first hour but then we got bogged down in a heated discussion about whether we could save money outsourcing tasks such as street cleaning etc. This discussion completely lost me as it got more heated they started speaking too fast for me and I told Candido that at the end and he said he would fill me in when we next meet either Thursday morning or next Tuesday. The meeting finished at 8.0pm without reaching any conclusions on what projects we could or could not afford.
I met with the Teniente (Chief of Police) at Garrucha at 9.30am today with the coordinator for NHW from Sierra Cabrera and he enthusiastically supported the concept and ways of Neighbourhood Watch. He also agreed to help in anyway he could with his colleagues in other Guardia stations. It is a shame that in Garrucha we only have the one scheme up at Turre. If anyone knows of anyone interested in NHW in the Garrucha area now would be a great time for them to contact me.
I then went to the Town Hall to assist a couple who desperately needed to get onto the Padron but did not have a Cert of 1st Habitation. This was no problem and we used a process, which anyone who needs to do similar, to get a certificate of empadronimiento. If you or anyone you know is in such a situation eg needing a cert of padron then if you have a friend (preferably in the same municipality) who is on the Padron and paying his basura tax then you can go onto the register at that address. All that is needed is the sponsoring person needs to attend with you at the Town Hall and be in possession of latest basura receipt. The applicants will need to have their NIE and passport documents with them.
After sorting that out I had hoped to see Candido however I had noticed two of the councils solicitors arrive so I suspected that I would not manage that and I was correct. He was involved in a meeting with them which was to take some time and then tomorrow he and they were going down to the Courts in Almeria to retake possession of some more of the documenst which the Guardia had seized from the Town Hall in their investigation in 2008. I will see him early next week and find out a) what I missed at the end of the meeting on Wednesday night, b) how he got on with the courts, c) how we can manage complaints about the WiFi as at the moment we don't have a way of doing that satisfactorily and d) some of more my/your ongoing list.
I have had quite a busy week so far this week primarily with Neighbourhood Watch stuff. The coordinator at Turre was having problems with the Guardia Civil not getting onside but following a meeting we had this morning they are much happier to support us and then we have to meet with their bosses at Garrucha tomorrow at 9.30am so we should be able to et them to support us as well, although we do not have a scheme in the Garrucha area.
Been waiting for an opportunity to see Candido this week but each day he has been busy checking possible budget options for this year and as a result I got a call at 4.0pm today asking if I can make a meeting at 5.30pm this afternoon to agree our suggested actions for the budget. Andreas is unable to make it but I will attend and hopefully understand some of it. That which I do not understand I can sort out in the morning, as I have another meeting in the Town Hall at 11.0am to assist a local resident get on the padron without a Licence of 1st Occupation.
I also want to try and sort out a way in which we can address any problems with the new WiFi system because at the moment all I have is a Skype number for the system engineer.
Had a meeting with Candido this morning for about an hour and was able to get some answers to some of the issues.
Firstly they had resolved the problem with the sewerage at Llanos del Peral.
Next I asked about reports in the press where the Mayor of Arboleas was trumpeting how advanced they were with their PGOU. We had a long discussion about this as it is not as simple as it sounds. They, Arboleas Town Hall, had a local Subsidiary Norm which applied to certain areas of their municipality. They are using this as the basis for their LOUA which is a staging post between their norms and the PGOU. So in fact that is a two stage process. Candido said that we are subject to provincial subsidiary norms and because of that we have to go straight from our ideas to the PGOU. He did however say that he still felt optimistic that our processes would be the most timely and more importantly comprehensive.
I then asked about the letter for the people who needed a letter to allow Endesa to install the necessary electrical equipment for the Socribo houses. He told me that they had been unable to find the original letter which would have been the best option as now they will have to establish the correct legal procedure as the Town hall cannot be seen to be giving away or selling public land. Isa is trying to ascertain what course of action to take to ensure that the letter is legally correct.
I raised the issue which I had been contacted about last week regarding the Spanish lessons in the village. I had been told that people from Arboleas were filling the classes up so that local people could not get into the class. I was told that the Town Hall only supply the premises but he would look into how much say we can have in who attends these classes as they are organised by Dept of Education.
I asked whether we were in a position yet to issue small licences. He told me that only on properties where the court cases had completely concluded eg Prodelor etc. could we issue any licences for pools etc.
I again asked about the Gun Clubs application for a licence. He said he was surprised that they had not heard back from Almeria yet as usually such applications are turned round quickly so he wondered if there was already a problem with the application. He said that in the normal course of events once Almeria has processed the initial application it should go to the Town Hall with a date by which all persons whose properties bound the site should be informed and he promised to inform me when and if that happened.
I the asked on behalf of the residents of the area near the pool bar if the fence which runs between the pool bar terrace and the swimming pool could be hinged to allow a larger area for people to enjoy. He said that was a matter we would need to discuss as there were issues around the automatic irrigation and the grass. He was not saying no but that we needed to discuss the options.
I asked if there was any news he could give me regarding his current work on the budgets. He said he would as soon as he had finished.
He did tell me that they were still working very hard on the PGOU and that things were going quite well. He was obviously reluctant to go into detail as it is still all subject to negotiation and he does not want to say or do anything which might impact these discussions. He promised that as soon as he had anything which I could communicate he would let me know.
Called in on spec today primarily to find out how I could pay the traffic denuncia which I received last week from Granada. The denuncia did not have any telephone numbers or email addresses or any suggestion of where to pay the 40 euros!
After 6 phone calls I eventually managed to get someone to email me the banks and the account into which I could pay the fine.
Whilst there I discovered that if anyone wishes to burn any rubbish then it is necessary to apply for a permit from the Town Hall. I discovered this as a result of overhearing a conversation between two Spanish ladies and Andreas. It transpired that last year they had been told not to bother with a permit and had received a 3,000 euro fine. There is also an issue about how far your bonfire is going to be from a hill. If it is less than 400 metres than an even more in depth application has to be made.
So if you know of anyone who is intending to burn rubbish please inform them that they will a) need to know how far from the nearest hill (even if a small one) and b) will have to apply for a permit in advance.
Also whilst there I spoke with Peter Parkin from Los Menchones. he had learnt from this bog that they were hopeful of getting their lights switched on. I told him that Candido was trying to get this done but was awaiting the report from the architect to ensure that it was all okay before he did so. Mr Parkin then told me about a mains cable which crosses over his swimming pool which he wanted moved. In our discussion we then realised that the Town Hall's architect would not give the necessary permission if this was the case as that would not be a complete and safe bit of infrastructure. He was advised that they need to ensure that Endesa carry out this work asap in order for the Town Hall to be able to sign off the infrastructure.
Candido's wife called into the Town Hall while I was there and after enquiring what the British Legion poppy appeal was about donated generously to the collection tin.
I had hoped to see Candido but he was just going into a meeting so I have agreed to see him tomorrow morning.
To update you regarding the WiFi as many people have been asking.
The current situation is that we have the original aerials up and running covering most of the municipality but there are areas where the signal is not very strong and we are awaiting an upgrade to the system.
If anyone is considering this system the suggestion is that you see if you have direct line of sight to the top of the Clock tower in Zurgena then try and get a connection directly. If that fails to establish a good enough connection there are two options. You can buy a small aerial to plug into you USB port but sometimes that will still not give a good enough signal. In this case then you may need an external aerial and cabling from the aerial to the PC. You can either buy and install this yourself or if you wish Mike Gayne (mobile telephone no is 687601567) who is a ex BT engineer can visit and check your signal and install any necessary stuff. His prices seem reasonable.
The alternative to that is to await the new delivery of Airmax aerials, which the Town Hall has ordered, and are due before the end of the month. I had the last one (of the first delivery) of these installed last week and am getting about 2 meg.
Called into the Town Hall today to see if I could catch Candido. Missed him by 20 minutes!
Asked when the next delivery of Airmax aerials for connection to the WiFi would be available and they said before the end of this month. Will post when they have been received. I was fortunate to get the last one, of the first supply, last Friday and all seems fine.
Could not obviously discuss the inventory and I am not going to be available for the next few days so I will have to pursue that and other issues next week. I will try and contact Francisco about the sewerage problem in Llanos again tomorrow otherwise all issues will have to wait until next week.
One thing, which is probably important to mention, is the manner in which denuncias are published in Spain (I thought I had better mention it as I have become victim of it). It transpires that, for example, if you have been clocked by a speed camera in some part of Spain they will not necessarily send you a letter but, they will post a denuncia to the Town Hall, where it will be posted on the public notice board for a set period, usually about 4 weeks. If you do not know of its existence then that is assumed to be your fault and the amount of the fine will start to increase. I try and check the notice board everyday and if I find an english name then try and inform them of its existence but I am afraid this is not 100%. I was clocked going down a bus only street in Granada in June of this year as a result of road works. The first I knew of the fine was when I checked the notice board and found my name on a denuncia for 40 euros, today. I had previously had my name up in lights in February this year. I had been reported for failling to stop at a stop sign near Vera by a Police vehicle on 6th November 2008 and fined 120 euros which, in order to get the maximum discount, I paid straight away. on 7th November 2008 but after the passage of 3 months I then discover that they had no record of it and I had to send copies of everything. I never heard anymore not even an acknowledgement but at least I didn't have the denuncia outstanding. So two lessons ensure name not on denuncia published in Town Hall and if you ever pay a fine keep everything as proof.
In reverse order
1. I had a couple of complaints about the sewerage problems at Llanos Del Peral which was bubbling out of the manhole cover. I enquired whether we could do anything about this and Candido explained that how this is happening is down to individuals connecting their waste pipes with the infrastructure which is there, but not fully connected. The reason, this is the case, is that each house in that area has its own septic tank and that will be all they have until the main sewerage treatment plant is built. Therefore the pipe work that does exist is merely in place awaiting the further pipework but, someone in the street above the manhole, has connected their waste to this piping and of course there is nowhere for it to go when it hits the manhole and thereby backs up. He has promised to get some workmen to the offending house and block that pipe. It is not easy as the pipe is some 3 metres down but they will try and block it off.
2. Those of you who still have not managed to get connect to the mains water, supplied by Galasa, should no longer have problems if you are in possession of either a building licence or a certificate of antiquity. Please apply and if you still have any problems let me know and I will see if the Town hall need to do anything but I am advised that there should be no problems now. If your property does not have a building licence and it is over 4 years old you are advised to engage an 'Aparejador' (apparently one below an architect) and he can sort out the necessary paperwork for less than an architect (who would charge 300 to 500 euros)
3. Regarding the siting of the transformer for the Socribo houses and the request that I get a letter sent from the Town Hall. It transpires that a letter was sent from the Town Hall to Sevillana Endesa some 2 years ago telling them where the transformer could go. We do not know have the paperwork so it will be easier for us to do a new letter and I will arrange that over the next few days.
4. Regarding the WiFi it seems to working well now. It looks as thought the charges will be (as some of you have no doubt noticed on the site) 1 euro for 512k, 3 euros for 1 meg, 12 euros for 2 meg and 19 euros for 3 meg. I queried if this was the cheapest we could do it and once I saw the figures I was convinced we could not do it any cheaper without losing money. It was explained to me that this would just cover the costs to the Town Hall of each additional line that would be needed. There are a number of options to connect to the system but the best by far is the Airmax Nano station M5 aerials which at this moment only he Town Hall can get at a reduced cost price. These arerials ensure that even in the event of a power cut they do not stick. That is because they have to be coded before erection and connect directly to the main aerial not the repeater stations. The man who has been doing it for the Spanish has 3 of these aerials left but I am sure he will be getting more as people gain confidence in the system.
5. I then provided Candido with a list of suggested ideas from yourselves regarding small projects which we thought were worth considering. He perused them and agreed that all were valid suggestions and would go into the pot for consideration. One of these was the erection of a safety mirror at the junction of the Zurgena to Lubrin road where there is the junction for Palaces. He said that in fact the Diputacion were going to put in a roundabout there but the Junta had stopped them. Apparently one road is the Diputacion's and the other is the Juntas'. He then said something about "Espana!" he agreed to look at siting some sort of safety mirror there. Another on the list involved lighting in the Cuesta de los Pinos area and he asked what the situation was. I told him that 2 years ago I had canvassed all the residents and provided Anthonio with a map where we felt that strategic lighting would be beneficial. He asked if I still had the map as Anthonio will not be doing aything like that and it could be considered. I told him I didn't but could do another map. I will do that in the next few days and then this can also be considered. Whilst on the subject of lighting I said I had had a number of complaints about the lighting in Los Menchones not being connected. He said that this should be done in the next few weeks as an electrician had recently checked it all out. There was also a couple of requests for sleeping policemen in La Alfoquia main road past Mo's cafe and on the road from Cucador to Llanos del Peral.
6. I had another few messages about people worried about the granting of a licence to the Gun Club. I checked and the paperwork has not even started its progress and once that starts it has to be sent for inclusion in the official Boletin and then 4 weeks have to pass. It is during this time that conditions or objections can be lodged I will try and keep an eye out for this paperwork and/or you can ask your solicitor to have the Town Hall advise them of when this paperwork starts.
As some of you know I was a wee bit annoyed last week at the latest non meeting. For over a year now Candido has kept saying we must have a meeting with the other councillors, on a regular basis, but, apart from a few occasions, these have not happened and the same occurred again last week and I was not best pleased. I let him know my feelings and he asked me to see him today. I called in at the Town Hall about 11.45am today and spent about an hour and a half where I was able to make my complaints well understood.Candido explained that the reason the meeting did not take place again last week was because so many of the other councillors could not make it. I told him that my feelings were that we should still have the meetings with or without those who could not attend. , not for the first time, told him that she we should be doing more to resolve issues and tackle things more efficiently. He completely agreed but wanted to explain that one of he problems was the fact that a number of the councillors who had responsibilities were not dealing with them which meant that he had to take them on an he was sinking under the weight of all the differing bits of work. We then had a lengthy discussion about how we could try and improve this and we will see if this has any effect.
I could see that he was deeply involved in apiece of work and asked what it was. He explained that he has a few days left with which to work out what monies are left for any projects about the villages which can be considered for this years or next years budget. He encouraged me (and by virtue of that fact yourselves) to make any suggestions to enhance the villages. I promised to return to him by Wednesday with any suggestions. So folks if you have anything (not including roads) that you consider would be a worthwhile and not too expensive project which the council could consider please let me know and I will make sure they are at least put on the list for discussion.
As he explained that this piece of work was very urgent I decided not to raise the other 12 issues I had for discussion until next week.
I did however think appropriate to ask about three of the most pressing issues.
1. I had been aware that residents of the Socribo houses who have had a real nightmare over their connections to the utilities and who have had to purchase their own transformer but who have been told by their builders that they have nowhere to place the transformer. The Town Hall have some time ago informed Socribo that they could place it on a the piece of waste land behind the pool bar and Socribo had even gone so far as to dig the ditch for the cabling. I realise that some residents had hoped to use this piece of land for a petanque court but obviously the siting of the transformer is of greater ncessity.
2. I asked about, the longest outstanding issue I have, which was the supply of water to two houses between Cuesta de los Pinos and Cucador. He said he thought that that had been resolved as I had not raised it recently. I told him that I had got so fed up raising the issue that I had almost given up on it. He promised to revisit this issue and so I will be contacting the people involved. He also said as a general statement that Galasa were now connecting people who have building licences and whose houses are over 4 years old and therefore able to obtain a Certificate of Antiquity. This is at least a move in the right direction.
3. I asked about whether there were any more developements regarding the court cases and he informed me that at the end of July the last of the outstanding cases in the La Alfoquia had been won by the Town Hall. This effectively means that all the cases for the La Alfoquia area have now been ruled upon by the Court in Almeria and in every case found in favour of the Town Hall.
4. I also asked about the case involving himself and he said that that was not moving at the moment as he had denounced the judge presiding over his case for a breach of procedure.
5. I then asked about the thing which I am getting most fed up waiting, the inventory. he explained that he was as exasperated as me waiting for this piece of work and has given Salvadore until Monday to complete it. He then went to explain how, from his perspective, this was most important because he wants to finalise our version of the pGOU and wants to include the inventory thereby almost presenting the Junta with a fait accompli. He had heard of some inventories being binned by the regional authorities and so he is from next week to try and tie the inventory very tightly into the PGOU. I reminded him that he had promised I could see this inventory, to satisfy myself that all properties were incorporated. He agreed with that and said that I may be able to help in the final stages and before submission.
I decided to leave all the other issues for another time and let him get on with the budgets. The above seemed to be the most important at the moment. Those of you who have other issues not dealt with above, have not been forgotten there are still on my list.
As usual any queries email jiminysimpson@gmail.com or 661147554.
Another delay. We should have had a meeting today but it has been postponed with the promise that I can see candido Monday as he will be in the office all day sorting out budgets.
