Kirkop council's agenda

Kirkop Council is pleased to provide Mr Francis Zammit (The Sunday Times, January 21) with some information regarding works it carried out and paid in 2006.

1. Infrastructural works on the Primary Health Care Centre and the Youth Academy Centre. As in Kirkop the community badly needs a youth centre, the local council worked very hard on the building of a Youth Academy, which caters for the needs of young people. Also, the works on the Primary Health Care Centre were almost completed by the end of December. Both centres will be open to the community in the very near future. These projects are being financed by the local council.

2. Kirkop council, in a joint venture with the Ministry of Infrastructure, has completed the embellishment of St Leonard's church parvis and St Leonard square in record time to the satisfaction of all Kirkop residents. Works were done by government employees, and the local council contributed Lm11,000 to cover one-third of the project's cost.

3. The council did much more than road markings, as Mr Zammit stated. In fact, it had several difficult meetings with both the ADT and ATP to ensure safety and better traffic management in our locality. Eventually, the council managed to secure better traffic management to the satisfaction of all residents.

4. Mr Zammit seems to have forgotten to mention the installation of the CCTV cameras, which were a necessary investment for the locality after the spate of thefts and vandalism that were demoralising the residents.

5. Mr Zammit wrote that we have two secretaries in the council. In fact, the council employs only one secretary and two clerks. Each employee has his/her duty to fulfil and lately the workload has increased tremendously. Besides their duties as clerks, both clerks are committed to contribute towards the social work development, which is so needed in our locality. Social development is on the top of the local council's Agenda.

6. The local council organised various computer courses for residents. Over 130 participants followed these courses in the social centre. Moreover, most of them did not pay while others had their participation fees subsidised. Also, the council offered free private lessons to children in primary schoolks who will be sitting for this year's junior lyceum entrance examinations. The local council has contributed in various ways to promote activities for Kirkop pupils attending primary school and to extend the library's opening hours.

7. Every week, throughout the year, the council organised a meeting/outing/activity for senior citizens.

8. The council supported and helped all the societies of the locality in various ways.

9. Mr Zammit seems to be unaware that the premises of the local council are sub-standard besides having the smallest of all local councils'. Building a new administration building is a necessity. It will be in harmony with the locality's environs and Kirkop residents deserve to have decent local council offices.

10. "As regards the large area behind the church..." Mr Zammit was referring to Pjazza Zerniq, which is indeed in a very poor state. All councillors agree that the site should be upgraded and embellished but the main problem is that the land was expropriated and its owner was not given any compensation.

When this issue is settled, the local council will find ways and means to transform the site into an impressive landscaping project. In the near future, the council will be building public toilets on this site - an application has been already filed with MEPA.

It is a pity that whenever public meetings are held by the local council, very few people attend - Mr Zammit happens to be one who never attends.