Electoral Support Programme

Electoral Support Programme

Citizens nearby - multi-store garage in Ohrid

This initiative will monitor the implementation of the electoral promise related to the construction of a multi-store garage in municipality of Ohrid and the level of citizen participation and inclusion in the process of urban planning. This will enable the public to get better insight in the current developments, the dynamics and the remaining activities of the local self-government regarding this issue. Community mobilization activities will include: meeting with relevant representatives of the local self-government and requesting the feasibility study for construction of the garage to be shared; public outreach and presentation of the findings on the local media and similar.

The subject matter of the local monitoring is the construction of a multi-store garage in Ohrid.

Implementer
Association for multicultural integration - Inclusion Ohrid
Location
Ohrid
Budget
300000 denars
Status
Active

MONITORING MATRIX

November 2022

December 2022

January 2023

February 2023

March 2023

April 2023

May 2023

June 2023

  • I. Status of the monitored item
      Monitoring criteria Status Brief description and comments Source of information
      1 Implementation
      1.1 A decision has been reached to start the implementation of the monitored item Nо A decision has not yet been reached to start the implementation process. Mayor of the municipality of Ohrid, Head of the urban planning department, Secretary of the Municipality of Ohrid
      1.2 A procurement process is being/has been carried out related to the monitored item Nо There have been no new procurements during March concerning the project. Head of the urban planning sector, Secretary of the municipality of Ohrid, Mayor of the municipality of Ohrid.
      1.3 Informative meetings and gatherings with stakeholders have been held Nо The municipality has not held meetings with stakeholders, but Inclusion, the organization which monitors the issue, has so far held meetings with several stakeholders. Inclusion, the organization which monitors the issue
      1.4 An implementation plan has been prepared for implementation of the monitored item Nо It has not a prepared plan for project implementation. Head of the urban planning sector
      1.5 Necessary prerequisites to start with the implementation have been provided (e.g. permits, preparatory activities, staff, etc.) Nо The Mayor of Ohrid responds to media questions regarding received conservation approval for a multi-storey garage / 02.13.2022. Urbanism, architects from "Institute and Muzeum" and the secretary are mentioned too for providing the necessary documentation. Through a conversation on 03/20/2023, the secretary of the municipality of Ohrid pointed out this documentation remains stuck in the institutions' competencies, thus new remarks about the project are constantly being pointed out, while the "Institure and Muzeum" says that the request is sent back to the project developer with a list of remarks, and then an expert team decides on these remarks.
      1.6 The municipality is implementing specific activities from the implementation plan Yes A conversation with officials from the Municipality of Ohrid suggests that were carried out specific activities to implement the election promise, but they are not yet visible. - From the urban planning sector, planning to develop a draft project. A feasibility study has been developed; Media text https://tvm.mk/news/ohrid/katnata-garaza-zaglavena-vo-birokratska-lavirint/ - https://e-nabavki.gov.mk/PublicAccess/home.aspx#/dossie-notifications-for-bid/68e52470-70f2-4edc-897b-933e3590dbeb (as a pre-requisite for preparing a draft project)
      1.7 Initial results from implementation of the monitored item are visible Nо There are no visible initial results from the implementation of the project. Visible in field+ Media text https://tvm.mk/news/ohrid/katnata-garaza-zaglavena-vo-birokratska-lavirint/ https://www.ohridnews.com/so-izgradbata-na-katnata-garazha-%d1%9ce-se-reshat-dolgogodishnite-problemi-so-soobra%d1%9ca%d1%98niot-metezh-vo-ohrid / https://kurir.mk/republika/opstini/javna-rasprava-za-potrebata-od-katna-garazha-vo-ohrid/?fbclid=IwAR3-wJ7IlJwWsg-XSA3MQKMM-zRXFaVLKOxFLluOfjHUlLbIggfgsDE5LHE https://lider.mk/javna-rasprava-za-potrebata-od-katna-garaza-vo-ohrid/?fbclid=IwAR384yZnrctVjZfncqSO-AqTQzZHV_BiWSorBgyjdAeqAQ5SRdF7x-9oyO8 https://ohridpress.com.mk/?p=172361&fbclid=IwAR1kLn_CmzHwOxKvw8sqlbuXF9GABKkl-L3CwStBa6224yBhizWjFYMm1zI https://www.webohrid.com/javna-debata-na-tema-katna-garaza-nova-moznost-za-ohrid/?fbclid=IwAR1VhpxuHLeIX8zPDhaKsg86H-7QqXi-K7S74ZYPYO55ErzvaPV_qOc5hEk
      2 Stagnation
      2.1 Lack of funds in the municipal budget N/A - Partially. Covering the lack of funds with a public-private partnership, as per the Feasibility Study. - In the budget, only funds are provided for the arrangement of construction land - The mayor of Ohrid - construction with deferred payment - Feasibility study; -Mayor of Ohrid municipality; -Secretary of the Municipality of Ohrid; - Whereas on 31.03.2023, the head of urban planning, at the public debate organized by "Inclusion" to a question of the opposition political party, did not give a specific answer if the funds will be covered by a public-private partnership, although according to Feasibility it is envisaged that way.
      2.2 Lack of one/some of the basic prerequisites Yes Unresolved property-legal relations and other irregularities. A series of remarks made by the Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage. Mayor and Head of Urbanism Department, Architect from "Institute and Museum". The Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage has returned the project after the remarks made (work is underway to correct them, according to the local self-government).
      2.3 The implementation of the monitored item is no longer a priority Nо About the priority of the election promise, Inclusion spoke with the mayor of Ohrid municipality, the secretary of Ohrid municipality, urbanism, Councilors from the council of Ohrid municipality, the director of PE "Biljanini Izvori"... The program of VMRO-DPMNE for the local elections of 2021 (https://vmro-dpmne.org.mk/%d0%bb%d0%be%d0%ba%d0%b0%d0%bb%d0%bd%d0%b0-%d1%81%d0%b0%d0%bc%d0%be%d1%83%d0%bf%d1%80%d0%b0%d0%b2%d0%b0?fbclid=IwAR26NRVyn3b6Dcw03fs1ENwKibRSg7lL7EGNnIXzEi0toNcd_egXMWSyd-A) Mayor of Ohrid. The mayor points out that the multi-store garage stands out through the meetings with citizens as the top 3 priority solutions for the municipality of Ohrid, the councilors of the Council of the Municipality of Ohrid, who are in opposition, as well as the head of the urban planning sector, point out the same thing through a conversation with the implementers of the initiative, about the importance of this project via conversation from 20.03.2023 with the mobilizer and the president of "Inclusion", the secretary of the municipality of Ohrid, Mr. Aleksandar Kiteski, points out the importance of parking lots and the capacity of parking spaces available to the public enterprise of parking lots at the municipality of Ohrid we also talked with the director of PE "Biljanini Izvori", Mr. Teodor Andonoski, while at the public debate implemented on 31.03.2023, the present citizens point out that the election promise is a priority that is already overdue by all previous management structures of the local self-government.
      2.4 Halted due to an inspection, investigation, etc. Nо The project has not been cancelled due to those reasons. The Municipality of Ohrid suggests that the election promise has not been cancelled and is working on it.
      2.5 The reasons for the stagnation of the implementation of the activity are unknown Yes There is no public information about the reasons for stagnation, although we can conclude from the discussions that the obstacles are administrative, property and legal relations at the location itself. Mobilizers from the Inclusion organization

  • II. Transparency and accountability of the municipality related to the monitored item
      Monitoring criteria Status Brief description and comments Source of information
      1 Information about the status of the monitored item is available on the municipality's website and social network Nо There is no information available on the website of the municipality regarding the project's status. website of the municipality of Ohrid (https://ohrid.gov.mk/)
      2 Information about the status of the project is obtained through a Request for Access to Public InformationInformation about the status of the monitored item is obtained through a Request for Access to Public Information Yes Up to this moment, the mobilizers from Inclusion and the project team have submitted an official request to the municipality of Ohrid to obtain the feasibility study for the multi-store garage and submitted promptly and other informational meetings. We have submitted an official request for receiving a feasibility study under archive number 122/2 2022. In this case, under No. 03-16243/1 of 22.11.2022, we are provided with a CD with an electronic version of a feasibility study on the justification for building a multi-store garage in Ohrid with tax. No. 03-186/19 from March 2019 made by the Institute for Testing Materials and Development of New Technologies "Skopje" AD Skopje.
      3 Information about the status of the monitored item is shared with stakeholders by municipal officials (via e.g. interviews, focus group discussions, meeting requests etc.) Yes Information about the status of the promise is made available from competent persons in the municipality. In March, the mobilisers again requested a meeting with the Sector of Urbanism, but the municipality did not answer this request. Secretary of the Municipality of Ohrid Director of PE "Biljanini Izvori" - parking lots Previously, meetings were held with the head of urban planning and the mayor of the municipality of Ohrid.
      4 There is practice of informal information sharing by the municipality with affected citizens (e.g. via informal discussions etc.) Yes Yes. The mayor responded positively to our request and discussed the problems of the municipality, specifically this promise. Citizens, NGOs, stakeholders. https://tvm.mk/news/ohrid/ohrigjani-najaktivno-debatiraat-udobno-doma/?fbclid=IwAR3-wJ7IlJwWsg-XSA3MQKMM-zRXFaVLKOxFLluOfjHUlLbIggfgsDE5LHE

  • III. Citizen participation in decision-making related to the monitored item
      Monitoring criteria Status Brief description and comments Source of information
      1 The municipality has involved the citizens in decision-making related to the monitored item Nо The municipality did not involve its citizens in the decisions regarding the monitored issue, but the municipality of Ohrid has a mechanism in place for citizen involvement in the decision-making processes, such as through open days, public sessions, etc. https://powerinfo.mk/%d0%be%d1%82%d0%b2%d0%be%d1%80%d0%b5%d0%bd%d0%b8-%d0%b4%d0%b5%d0%bd%d0%be%d0%b2%d0%b8-%d0%bd%d0%b0-%d0%be%d0%bf%d1%88%d1%82%d0%b8%d0%bd%d0%b0-%d0%be%d1%85%d1%80%d0%b8%d0%b4-%d0%b7%d0%b0-%d0%bf%d1%80/
      2 Citizens have filed an initiative for participation in decision-making related to the monitored item Nо The citizens have not submitted an initiative to participate in the decision-making processes regarding the monitored issue, although the issue was often discussed at public tribunes and meetings with the citizens. The mayor of the municipality of Ohrid. Citizens.
      3 Citizens participate in the implementation of the monitored item with their input and resources Nо The monitored issue represents a capital investment for the municipality, for which various financial sources have been established, and the citizens have not participated by dispensing their contributions and resources. The financial sources for the project (https://ohrid.gov.mk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Sluzben_glasnik_2021_17.pdf)
      4 Mechanisms utilized by the municipality to ensure citizen participation, specifically as related to the monitored item:
      4.1 Public gatherings, debates and forums Nо No, has not organized a public meeting, debate or forum on this issue. On 31.03.2023, "Inclusion" organizes a public debate on the topic: "Multi-store garage - a new opportunity for Ohrid" within the project: "Citizens nearby - multi-store garage in Ohrid' The municipality does not have the practice of frequently organizing public debates, gatherings or forums on such critical issues for citizens. The public debate is implemented by the Association for Multicultural Integration "Inclusion", where representatives of the local self-government, experts from the field, the civil sector, representatives of political parties, representatives of political youth, architects and all interested citizens had the opportunity to actively discuss and pose questions of the authorities on this issue, among other things, the participants of the public debate could follow the presentation of the urban analysis of the feasibility study for the multi-store garage (SWOT analysis) as well as the comparative analysis with other multi-store garages in the country and the region, prepared by "Collective" ARCHIDE." Ljupco Taneski, a representative from the municipality of Ohrid, spoke about the importance of the program determination and implementation of the multi-store garage project in Ohrid, and Zhivka Angeloska, a member of the council of the Ohrid municipality from the ranks of SDSM, spoke about the prospects for the multi-story garage. About the garage and the challenges for the cultural heritage of Ohrid, Goran Patchev, an employee of the NU Institute and Museum - Ohrid, spoke at the public debate, while Mitko Kuzmanoski spoke as an interested party, as a citizen and as a representative of the Ecological Society "ECO LAG" - Ohrid. https://www.ohridnews.com/so-izgradbata-na-katnata-garazha-%d1%9ce-se-reshat-dolgogodishnite-problemi-so-soobra%d1%9ca%d1%98niot-metezh-vo-ohrid/
      4.2 Possibility for e-participation via mobile apps, website(s), electronic templates, etc. Yes The section - report a problem on the website of the municipality of Ohrid (https://ohrid.gov.mk/%d0%ba%d0%be%d0%bd%d1%82%d0%b0%d0%ba%d1%82/)
      4.3 Open days of the municipality Yes The municipality has established a mechanism for open municipal days, however, there is no available information on whether this issue was raised during these events. Media announcement for municipal open days (https://www.ohridnews.com/otvoreni-denovi-na-opshtina-ohrid-za-predlozheniot-bu-et-za-2023-godina/)
      4.4 Citizen initiatives Nо There is no information on other civic initiatives on this matter. The citizens have not submit an initiative to participate in the decisions relating to the monitored issue, although the issue was often discussed at tribunes and meetings with citizens. Website of the municipality (https://ohrid.gov.mk/) The mayor of the municipality of Ohrid