The regional governor of Ruse, Danail Kovachev, contested before the Administrative Court in the city the decision of the Municipal Council to determine the price for renting out the so-called a small buffer parking lot, located on “Bulgaria” Blvd., in the immediate vicinity of the recently built large parking lot. This was necessary after he once returned the previous decision for a new discussion of the Municipal Council, but the municipal councilors did not correct the indicated omissions. The main reason for appealing the decision before the Administrative Court is that it is illegal and was adopted in the incorrect exercise of the powers of the Municipal Council and contradictory reasons. The biggest problem, according to Kovachev, is that the property, which has about 75 parking spaces for heavy-duty vehicles, cannot be used as a parking lot on its own. This is due to the fact that the infrastructure in the area does not meet the legal requirements for the minimum width of the roadway and the arc of the turn. The road leading to the parking lot does not allow the safe passage of heavy goods vehicles and their passing at all.
For the construction of the facility, state funds in the amount of nearly BGN 3 million excluding VAT were used, allocated to the Municipality of Ruse by Resolution No. 376 of the Council of Ministers of November 5, 2021.
“The design and construction of the site and the adjacent road infrastructure were not carried out in full compliance, and a number of inaccuracies were made by the Municipality of Ruse, which are only to the detriment of the transport industry and lead to the literal impossibility of using the parking lot,” commented Kovachev.
His opinion is supported by the expert opinion of a design engineer with many years of experience in the field of road construction. The regional governor has sent a letter to Acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev and Deputy Prime Minister and Acting Minister of Finance Lyudmila Petkova, with which he familiarizes them with the details of how the allocated funds will be spent. According to Kovachev, we find ourselves in a situation where doubts arise as to the legality and transparency and impartiality of the competitive rental procedure organized by the Municipality of Ruse.
Another reason that led the regional governor to appeal to the Administrative Court is that the Municipality of Ruse carried out and paid a market valuation to a licensed appraiser, which, however, was not taken into account and instead the municipal councilors unarguably voted on unsubstantiated proposals for change in the price.
At the time of the vote, the site had not been completed with the intended movable objects. These are two sanitary mobile containers and a security pavilion, which at the time of the decision had not been placed and assessed accordingly. During the meetings of the Municipal Council held at the end of February and March, some of the municipal councilors asked questions about the mentioned objects and the unfinished construction of the parking lot, to which they did not receive answers from the Municipality of Ruse.
During today’s press conference with the media, Kovachev also commented on the environmental problems facing the city. He shared his impressions of the visit to a Linamar plant in Zaragoza, Spain, announcing that all the data from what he had seen had been provided to the experts of the Regional Environment and Water Inspection. During the meeting with the media, the preparation of the elections in the region was also commented on, with Kovachev pointing out that there are currently no problems and they are proceeding according to the schedule of the CEC and the instructions of the Council of Ministers.
Tags: regional governor Ruse Danail Kovachev contesting Administrative Court decision price renting municipal buffer parking lot
