The Alicante City Council is trying to improve the image of the city, punished in recent surveys as one of the dirtiest in Spain, and to do so it intends to modernize the cleaning ordinance that governs the municipality. And given the need to apply sanctions and correct unhygienic behavior, the municipal government has decided to open a public consultation prior to the development of the new standard that will govern public spaces and waste management.
The agreement was approved by the Government Board yesterday, Tuesday, and contemplates developing this citizen participation action for a month. Those interested will be able to respond through the municipal website to a questionnaire prepared from a technical report in which, according to municipal sources, it is proposed to “draft regulations that adapt to the new services, strengthen inspection and establish the sanctioning regime.” ”.
But what do you ask the neighbors? There are 18 questions, for each of which four answers are proposed. In general, it is about citizens answering whether the behavior that is formulated should be sanctioned in any case, should be allowed, or can be acted upon in some way.
Speaking of street cleaning, in Alicante, as in most cities, dog droppings are a recurring issue. Failure to collect defecation has long been punished with fines, although in practice hardly any sanctions are imposed, but in recent times neighborhood complaints have been growing regarding urination in buildings and transit areas.
Aware of this, and before including sanctioning measures in the new ordinance, the neighborhood survey asks "Do you think it is necessary to force pet owners to dilute their pet's urine with water, carry a bottle for this purpose and prevent them from doing so?" in certain places?” The answers that the City Council proposes are “Yes, I very much agree, it would reduce the impact of dirt; I don't agree, pets should only urinate in reserved spaces; Or I don't agree, pets can urinate wherever they want.”
It is surprising that the council consults residents on some issues that it is understood should already be regulated, such as the obligation for bars and businesses to separate organic waste from packaging and other waste. It is assumed that in this case the answers will be mostly affirmative. But there are other issues that seem a priori more controversial, such as whether "should smoking be prohibited on the beach to prevent cigarette butts from being thrown into the sand?", a measure that has been taken in some municipalities, but does not apply in Alicante.
Another aspect that can give rise to controversy is the one that refers to the graffiti and graffiti that appear on the facades and exterior elements of the buildings. Because the City Council asks the neighbors if these "should be eliminated by their owners, whether public or private, so as not to spoil the image of the public road and this must be established in the Municipal Ordinance." And the neighbors are asked to respond if they “strongly agree, anyone who does not do so should be fined; I agree but those who do not do so should not be fined; It is not necessary to regulate this matter, it should be left to the discretion of the owners; or in disagreement, the person who must keep the public space clean is the City Council.”
