Olomouc is changing the financing of pavement repairs. The new system is supposed to be fairer

Almost every resident of Olomouc knows the feeling when you can feel the roots growing through the pavement or a raised tile under your feet. This can now change thanks to the amendment of the so-called “sidewalk” system. The Olomouc city districts will receive 450,000 crowns for beautification this year as well. However, due to the implementation of the amendment, some districts will receive more money, especially for acute infrastructure repairs. The change is intended to equalize the redistribution of money adequately between larger and smaller city districts. Parts whose applications are not selected will not lose money.

In previous years, Olomouc districts received money for repairs, all the same amount, namely 350,000 crowns for beautification and 150,000 for repairing sidewalks. This year, the city management decided to change the system, as it believes that some districts will not fully use the money received for sidewalk repairs. “The system needed to be repaired, because some parts of the city have more sidewalks in a state of disrepair, others may not have anything to repair anymore and would not use the sidewalk fee,” Deputy Mayor Viktor Tichák (ProOlomouc and Pirates) explained to the city’s website.

How to divide money fairly?

Naturally, neighborhoods are not all the same size. It is therefore important to think about whether the uniform amounts are sufficient even for those parts whose infrastructure wears out faster due to greater movement of people, or on the contrary, whether it is not unnecessarily large for those that are smaller. “We thought about different options for coefficients according to the length of sidewalks and the number of inhabitants. As a result, however, small parts like Radíkov or Topolany would get nothing, and large parts, on the contrary, would get a lot. For example, Nové Sady and Povel, even though they are large in terms of area and population, they are not the city districts that need the money for repairs the most.” added Tichák for the Olomouc Report. Thanks to the new system, they will be able to use the allocated 150 thousand differently.

Tichák claims that the city is trying to achieve balance and justice between the city districts through the amendment. “A lot of urban investment goes to large urban areas, where the infrastructure changes often, and for a long time the small peripheral village areas draw attention to this, and this new small financial package for beautification will balance these differences,” he added.

There are a total of seven projects that will be credited with a larger amount for repairs. Projects were selected by the city on the basis of requests from city district commissions and an expert assessment of the seriousness of the state of the infrastructure. Among the approved projects where repair work is already underway are, for example, sidewalks in Řezáčova Street in Lazce, Mánesov in Nový Sady, or Husov. The city management chose the number seven on purpose. According to Tichák, in previous years, 4,050,000 crowns from the public service budget were distributed between the city districts from technical services. The mentioned amount was based on 150 thousand crowns, divided between 27 city districts. The same amount remained in the new system, only it is not divisible by twenty-seven, but only by seven.

Several city districts applied for the selection of larger projects, some with more proposals. “There were projects that unfortunately didn’t get done because the city districts, for example, submitted a request to repair sidewalks, which were assessed by experts from the investment department to last at least another year,” Tichák explained the situation. He added that city districts whose project for major repairs was not approved can still use the allocated 450,000 crowns to repair at least part of the sidewalks, or they can use it for other repairs within the city infrastructure, they have a free hand in this regard.

In small and large urban areas, the changes are welcome

In the smallest part of Olomouc, Topolany, they welcome the change in the system. Due to the small area and small population, the sidewalks are repaired quickly and do not wear out as often. “Previously, it was only possible to pay for sidewalks from the sidewalk fee, which we, as a small part of the city, were not able to take full advantage of.” described for the Olomoucky Report the chairman of the commission of the Topolany district, Roman Koutek. In Topolany this year, only part of the money will be used for sidewalks, which will go towards paving the driveway at the local school. They will be able to use the rest in other ways.

Due to their large area and larger population, large urban districts had more reason to submit an application to a competition for a larger project. In Nové Sady, they decided that the sidewalk on Mánesova Street needed to be repaired, and the city noticed the poor condition of the street and approved the project. “I welcome the change, also because we won one of the bigger projects listed. We will now be provided with roughly 600,000 crowns for repairs, which under normal circumstances would have to be spread over four years, which is one entire election period.” Stanislav Hampl, chairman of the commission of the Nové Sady district, praises the change for the Olomoucky Report.

The money can be used in other ways, but it must be spent

Sidewalk fees do not have to be strictly used to repair sidewalks. A number of city districts invest the allocated funds in other points of infrastructure, often in the maintenance of greenery, statues or playgrounds and public spaces. No matter how the city districts use it, it is necessary to spend the provided amount on their projects during this year. It is not possible to transfer money to the next period. “That money is listed as a city budget item and at the end of the year it goes back to the city,” added Tichák.

In addition to the representatives in the commissions of the city districts, the people of Olomouc themselves can participate in the changes. For example, the project to repair Mánesová in Nový Sady was the initiative of residents of this district, who sent their suggestions by e-mail or came directly to the committee’s meeting. The city motivates the citizens of Olomouc to participate in the public discussion within the meetings of the individual commissions of the city districts. They can then interpret their ideas to the city council. The dates of meetings of individual city districts are published by the city on its website.