The citizens' initiative signed by about 3.000 Nikšić residents was rejected by the votes of the ruling majority that the Program of temporary buildings on the territory of the municipality of Nikšić, for the period 2024-2029. year, on Trg slobode and Njegoševa street, they provide closed catering terraces in addition to catering facilities.
Councilors of the "European Team for Nikšić" coalition and independent councilor Nikola Vukotić voted for the initiative. They believed that the existing terraces that closed the passage to citizens should be adapted, and that their closure would endanger a large number of catering facilities, and therefore families.
"Immediately before the beginning of the session, the representative of the initiator of the initiative, lawyer Filip Kažić, submitted in electronic form a submission with attachments, along with a proposal for the location of a restaurant terrace next to the restaurant facility 'Galerija' and a proposal for the arrangement of pedestrian crossings in the continuation of Sloboda Square towards Njegoševa Street, with the statement that all caterers from the center of Nikšić are ready to reach a compromise solution, that is, to separate their catering terraces from catering facilities in the same way", said at the beginning of the session the President of the Municipal Assembly (SO) Nikšić, Nemanja Vuković.
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Mirjana Nikolić, a spatial planner, pointed out that earlier they had a meeting with restaurateurs who were not in favor of a compromise, but insisted that some of the built closed terraces should not be demolished, and that others should be allowed to have them.
"The draft of the Program for temporary facilities will be held at a public hearing and all remarks and suggestions will be taken into account. It is not our goal to reduce the quality of catering establishments with the program, but, unfortunately, our catering establishments have moved to those closed terraces and these establishments have become, what you now call spaces without sun", said Nikolić, who is a member of the expert team for creation of the Program of temporary facilities.
She explained that the draft of the program did not envisage closed catering terraces, because they believed that the emphasis should be placed on the pedestrian zone, on public areas that should be accessible to everyone, not only those who pay for the use of these public areas, as well as that terraces with metal structures are disruptive view of the city center.
According to her, catering establishments outside the first city zone will also be treated with the new program.
The head of the club of councilors "European team for Nikšić" (DPS), Boris Muratović, asked whether by rejecting the citizen's initiative, restaurateurs from the first zone are discriminated against restaurateurs from other parts of the city where closed terraces are allowed, and that the same application should be made for all catering establishments in Nikšić.
Muratović pointed out that the terraces that have been built allow enough space for free movement, and that those that are not allowed can be adjusted by the owners of catering establishments. He also believes that the local government is not behaving like a good manager, because if it is known that a square meter of an open terrace is paid around 15 euros, there would be a new price list for closed terraces and in this way the local government would provide additional filling of the budget.
He reminded that the current local government did not react when the construction of terraces began in the city center and that they are reacting now, after some restaurateurs invested tens of thousands of euros. He pointed out that the economic consequences must also be taken into account, because a large number of fellow citizens work in catering facilities, and the closure of the terraces will threaten their existence, as some owners may be forced to close the catering facilities.
"You have to think about the consequences. You talk about the development of tourism in Nikšić, and you want to close the city center... We all know who was squinting while these terraces were being built, and now you suddenly remembered to put things in order," Muratović said.
DPS member Rajko Perović believes that a compromise can be found, and that everything is done in accordance with the law. He pointed out that he was the only one to warn about the terrace problem when their construction had just started, but that no one listened to him. He asked where were the inspections and the Municipal Police when the owners in other parts of the city were building as they wanted and said that the selectivity was not good.
DPS councilor Slobodanka Roganović pointed out that it is a unique case to vote for a citizens' initiative on a document that is in the drafting stage and that it is "an obvious example and confirmation of the immaturity, ignorance and incompetence of the competent authorities to resolve the issue of the initiated initiative signed by 3.000 citizens".
"If we ignore all the closed terraces before the reconstruction of the city square, which was reconstructed by the previous government and created a space that is the heart of the city, we find that a certain number of terraces were built in the previous three years. The construction of a closed terrace is not a sabotage project of our restaurateurs that is completed in one night, but lasts for days, where the Municipal Police does not react during construction, but after the work is completed, the municipal inspection appears and writes reports. Another proof of inaction and prioritizing repression over prevention," Roganović pointed out.
The president of the SO Nikšić, Nemanja Vuković, said that the competent working body was against the citizens' initiative, as well as that the representative of the "European Team for Nikšić" coalition also voted against the initiative.
He wondered if the representatives of the former authorities in Nikšić "got amnesia" so they don't remember that some closed catering terraces were built during their rule, and that they then favored certain caterers, while now, according to him, there are no favorites.
"You are in 2019, when you were in power and had a one-party parliament that adopted a program of temporary buildings that does not foresee the construction of closed catering terraces. And that program was valid until the beginning of August this year," said Vuković.
Member of the New Serbian Democracy, Nikola Goranović, said that he is against the closed terraces in the center of Nikšić because they spoil the appearance of that part of the city, and that traffic should be banned in the Freedom Square area.
Independent councilor Nikola Vukotić, who is also a restaurateur, pointed out that he is not in favor of legalizing the existing terraces as they are, but he is in favor of closed terraces with a favorable architectural solution and freed pedestrian zones.
He also said that the economic aspect should be taken into account, because a large number of people work in the hospitality industry, so he suggested that the Municipality find a compromise solution with the restaurateurs.
"We are here at the service of the citizens and we should protect everyone's interests," said Vukotić.
SD member Nikola Zirojević said that the terraces in the city center are the lifeblood of Nikšić and that the city center lives thanks to these terraces, but also that a large number of workers work in catering facilities and that, with their eventual closure, they would be left "without white bread". .
"The question arises whether the intention is to close the city center," asked Zirojević. The citizen's initiative suggested that in Trg slobode and in Njegoševa street, in addition to catering establishments, closed catering terraces should be provided, which, as stated in the initiative, would make it easier to move around the city center. Closed catering terraces, the initiative states, would enable the valorization of Freedom Square and Njegoševa Street, and the Municipality of Nikšić would be able to collect communal tax throughout the year, and not only when the weather is nice (which happens in the case of open terraces).
Perović: And my mom could speak from the pulpit
DPS member Rajko Perović believed that Mirjana Nikolić, who was authorized by the President of the Municipality Marko Kovačević to explain the citizens' initiative, has no legal right to do so, but that it should be done by the President of the Municipality, the responsible secretary, the chief administrator or the chief architect.
"The lady is a processor. The law does not recognize her. The law knows her as well as my mother. Then my mom could also come to speak from the podium and defend the proposal. She also has an initiative regarding pensions. She has the same right as these proponents who do not know the law on local self-government and state administration. We convinced the Municipality that everyone is a proponent. The institution should be protected - this is the largest legislative chamber in the municipality," Perović pointed out and asked for a 15-minute break to go pick up his mother.
Vuković explained that Kovačević was absent from the session for health reasons, and that Mirjana Nikolić would explain the initiative on behalf of the Municipality, as well as that a person who is not authorized by the proponent cannot participate in the work of the Municipal Assembly.
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