Municipal Councils Return Next Week
Municipal councils will begin returning next week with a backlog of local problems to tackle, from stalled projects and rubbish-bag charges to property owners seeking a clear right to challenge changes to long-held planning classifications.
The Northern Municipal Council will resume meetings on September 14, with Vice-Chair Zaina Jassim saying delayed works, municipal fees, building permits and land classifications will be among the first issues before members.
Ms Jassim told The Daily Tribune that the council would begin its fifth and final convening period by reviewing money allocated to municipal projects, including schemes held up during the recent hiatus caused by regional conditions.
‘We need to look again at the budgets allocated to municipal projects and reorder the priorities,’ she said.
The council will also study cutting rubbish-bag charges and allowing households to buy the bags themselves.
‘People should have the freedom to buy the rubbish bags directly,’ Ms Jassim said. ‘They should not be charged for them through municipal fees when there is no guarantee that the service will be provided in full and without interruption.’
Another proposal would make the road level a compulsory entry on building permits to help prevent later problems when a property and the adjoining road sit at different heights.
Ms Jassim is also calling for a clear appeals route when long-standing property classifications are changed by the Urban Planning and Development Authority.
She said complaints had come from residents in areas where the same classification had stood for 20 years or longer.
‘The existing classification is an acquired right for the property owner and should not simply be touched,’ she said. ‘If it is going to be changed, the citizen must have a say.’
Muharraq Municipal Council Chairman Abdulaziz Al Naar said members would meet on September 7, with abandoned homes high on the agenda.
About 240 abandoned houses lie across the second and fourth constituencies alone, he said.
Mr Al Naar said some cases had been held up because properties belonged to heirs unwilling to pay for repairs or upkeep.
‘Owners must be made to repair and maintain abandoned houses,’ he said, warning that neglected properties could put nearby residents at risk.
The Capital Trustees Board will convene on September 9, Chairman Saleh Tarrada said, while its committees return on September 6.
Mr Tarrada told The Daily Tribune that urgent requests would be dealt with first. The board also plans to discuss changes to municipal executive regulations and review replies received from government bodies during the 60-day recess.
Southern Municipal Council Chairman Abdullah Abdul Latif said his council would also return on September 9
Related Posts