Almería Provincial Council held yesterday morning the last plenary session of 2021. The session was held telematically in order to avoid risky situations in view of the increase in the number of coronavirus infections in the province. The President of the Provincial Council, Javier A. García, began the plenary session with some words of affection and support addressed to the deputy Carmen Navarro for the recent death of her father. He was joined by all the political groups.
In addition, the President wished the Corporation and the people of Almeria health for the new year and thanked all the employees of the Institution for their work throughout 2021 because “they have ensured that the Provincial Council has been there as a flagship institution supporting all municipalities, knowing what the concerns of the people of Almeria are in order to try to solve them. Part of the success of this house is due to them. I wish them health and that 2022 is full of good times and that we reach political understandings in favour of all the people of Almeria”.
The Corporation has unanimously approved the latest list of investments in Provincial Plans to continue improving and modernising infrastructures in the 103 municipalities and the smaller local entity of Fuente Victoria.
With the item launched at today’s plenary session, the Provincial Institution has processed more than 34 million euros in investments to increase and improve services throughout the province this year through the Provincial Plans. Specifically, the eleventh list of projects was approved this morning.
These new investments will allow Benahadux to carry out supply, drainage and paving works on different public roads; in Macael, a public parking building will be built in Calle San Fernando and, finally, in Antas, a bicycle and pedestrian lane network project will be undertaken in the municipality.
The vice-president of the Provincial Council and deputy for Development, Ángel Escobar, explained that the Provincial Plans are “one of the main tools available to the Almeria Provincial Council to achieve two of our most important objectives, which we shape with transversal actions from all areas: equal opportunities for Almeria residents, regardless of their municipality of residence, and that these opportunities and the improvement of services that the provincial institution promotes in all towns contribute to the establishment of the population”.
Improvements to hydraulic infrastructures
Another important point that was unanimously approved at the plenary session was a new boost to the Urban Water Infrastructure Plan (PIHU) with the aim of facilitating and speeding up the adhesion of the municipalities to this project of permanent improvement of the provincial infrastructures that have to do with water.
Today it was decided to extend by three months the period in which the municipalities must present the necessary documentation for the inclusion of the work. The initial deadline was until 1 July 2022 and, following today’s plenary session, this date has been extended to 1 October next year.
This Plan, designed for the period 2021-23, is aimed at the 100 municipalities with less than 50,000 inhabitants, which will be able to access the 3 million euros financed 100% by the Provincial Council for the execution of actions linked to the improvement of the Integral Water Cycle in the towns of the province. In other words, works to guarantee water supply, new wells and boreholes, as well as work on sanitation and urban wastewater collection.
The objectives are focused on improving and guaranteeing the supply of quality water to the people of Almeria; improving the efficiency of the supply networks by reducing leaks and possible breakdowns; as well as the extension and modernisation of sanitation systems. The conditions of the call for proposals establish a maximum execution period of 12 months for each of the actions. Each of the projects to be financed will have a minimum investment of 30,000 euros and a maximum of 250,000 euros.
For the Provincial Council, water infrastructures are a cornerstone of its political action. The Plan prior to the current one allocated 2.8 million euros in water since 2018. This project has enabled a total of 32 works to be carried out in municipalities in the regions of Los Vélez, Almanzora, Poniente, Levante, Alpujarra and Filabres – Alhamilla.
Promoting teleworking and digital administration
The Provincial Plenary has also approved the Regulatory Plan of the Diputación de Almería foreseen for the year 2022. It is a document that includes the regulatory framework that the Institution will implement over the next year and whose cardinal objectives are to optimise the attention provided to citizens, the improvement of services, the quality of the conditions of public employees and the agility in the relationship of Almeria’s citizens with the administration through the promotion of tools, technologies and digital resources.
Among the regulatory initiatives of the Provincial Council that will be modernised in 2022 are those for the provision of teleworking services, for the provision of electronic administration services and information and communication technologies to local authorities in the province, the Regulations on Suggestions and Complaints, Selection or the Career of Professional Progress, among others.
Energy efficiency
At the session that marked the end of the 2021 academic year, a motion was unanimously approved to carry out a study on energy efficiency in the Provincial Council’s public buildings. To this end, an analysis will be carried out to improve energy management in all provincial buildings to enable economic savings, reduce pollution and take measures to reinforce the energy efficiency of these spaces.