President of the Municipality of Budva Nikola Jovanovic signed a contract before a notary with the company "Credit KB" from Kula, a businessman Branislava Kavaje about the purchase of 5.473 square meters, owned by that Serbian company, in the immediate vicinity of the Podostrog Monastery, where the local government plans to build a kindergarten.
This was confirmed to "Vijesti" by the local government.
The contract obliges the municipality to pay the Serbian company half a million euros by the end of the year. This purchase is one of the reasons for preparing a budget rebalance, in order to create opportunities for the money to be paid out from the city treasury.
Jovanović did this after the local parliament gave the green light for the sale to take place in late August. The ruling majority from the ranks of "Budva our city", the European Union and the Civic Movement URA with the support of the Democratic Party of Socialists assessed that it was a good move, while the opposition from the ranks of the Democrats, the coalition "For the Future of Budva" and the Movement for the City were unanimous that this was a dubious arrangement, that the construction of the kindergarten jeopardizes the monastery complex, and that the Municipality owns the plots, but also expressed doubts about how the land value assessments were made.
Jovanović was decisive at the assembly session that this was an extremely favorable arrangement and that a square meter of land was being purchased at an extremely favorable price of 93 euros, and that they had communicated with the Ministry of Education, because this particular plot of land met the key condition, that a location of at least 5.000 square meters was required for the construction of a kindergarten.
Jovanović then said that by purchasing the plot, the city government is fulfilling the election promises of the Platform for the Saving of Budva, which won him support for leading the city. Jovanović referred to the response of the Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, which confirmed that the construction of the kindergarten would not in any way endanger the cultural property.
The Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage has informed the Municipality that the construction of a kindergarten under the "Podostrog" monastery complex on the outskirts of the city will not endanger the cultural heritage.
"Regarding your request for defining guidelines for a kindergarten in Potkošljun in the municipality of Budva, within which you state the need to establish an educational institution - a kindergarten in this settlement of the municipality, after reviewing the documentation and the situation on the ground, it was concluded that the Podostrog Monastery has the status of a cultural asset in accordance with the Decision on placing it under protection of June 28, 1949," the Administration's response to the Municipality states.
The Administration emphasized that it is necessary to respect obligations.
"Plan the construction of the facility in such a way that its dimensions and materiality do not compete with the cultural property, or that it does not jeopardize the physical and visual accessibility of all segments of the cultural property. When preparing technical documentation for the construction of an educational facility, it is necessary to obtain conservation conditions from the Administration for the Protection of Cultural Property," the Administration concludes.
At the end of April this year, Jovanović sent the company "Credit KB" a "letter of intent to purchase plots of land for the construction of a kindergarten in the immediate vicinity of the Podmaine Monastery."
The Serbian company responded positively to this initiative.
"I am pleased to be able to participate in such a beautiful undertaking for your youngest fellow citizens and I inform you that I accept an offer below the market price to purchase the aforementioned plots from me in the amount of 500.000 euros," the company's response states.
Previously, as Jovanović's administration referred to, estimates of the value of the plot were made by two court appraisers.
Appraiser Aleksandar Rakočević estimated the value of the land at 834.330 euros, while another appraiser Andrija Zvicer The market value of this property is 960 thousand euros.
Councilor of Democratic Montenegro Dragana Kazanegra Stanišić She previously said that she considers this job compromising and corrupt, that children are used to influence councilors and put half a million euros in someone's pocket.
"This business is not clean. The way the Mayor of the Municipality and the owner corresponded is below par, who was so good that he lowered the price just for the kindergarten. He obviously feels a high level of social responsibility, which would be good if it were so... This is a company behind which a high-ranking official of the SNS of Serbia stands," said the Democratic councilor.
Leader of the Movement for the City Đorđe Zenović previously told "Vijesti" that the unurbanized plot directly borders the Podmaine monastery complex, which is protected and registered as a cultural monument of great importance (category II) by Decision No. 408 of June 28, 1949.
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