One of the main objectives of the absolute majority government of Badalona chaired by Xavier Garcia Albiol, apart from security, is the fight against dirt and incivility. To do this, the next plenary session will approve the modification of the civility ordinance that will toughen the most serious behaviors. Aware that the City Council is obliged to provide services, the government also emphasizes that “citizens must also behave civilly.”
Albiol has focused on incivility, both in that which occurs on a large scale, such as the uncontrolled dumping of construction or bulky debris in streets and forest areas, as well as that which involves failing to comply with the limit of alcohol sales between 22 00 and 0800 hours, as some of the so-called convenience establishments usually do. To this end, the ordinance is toughened to the maximum extent permitted by the Local Regime Bases Law.
“The last reform of the civility ordinance was carried out in 2012” during the PP’s mandate, recalls the mayor, who finds it incomprehensible that the cleaning contract has expired, which means that “we are providing a deficient service.” To partially alleviate this lack, the current government has contributed 1.5 million that allow “the most sensitive services to be covered” until the new award is put out to tender, which is scheduled for the second half of 2024.
Although the agents of the Urban Guard, both plainclothes and uniformed units, will be able to sanction any uncivil behavior, the government wants to influence large-scale dumping “as construction vans usually do” by throwing debris on the road. public or families who “change the dining room and leave all the furniture on the street.” These cases are the ones that attract the most attention and are also the ones most punished with fines of between 600 and 3,000 euros.
“We want residents to be aware that they cannot put down their junk whenever they want” and recalled that there is a municipal service on demand for the collection of bulky items. A separate case is the fact of people, often homeless, who search inside the garbage and leave waste around the containers, which is why they also point out that the cleaning of these areas will be reinforced.
Along these lines, Albiol explained that he has detected this type of uncivil behavior among drivers who offer themselves as pirate transporters, who work without a contract and then abandon furniture and waste on public roads. In this case, the person responsible will be the people who hire these illegal workers who can be located through the data found in the rubble.
The municipal government has also assured that the different cases will be taken into account. Thus, in those areas where there are no containers in the vicinity, it will be more permissive. In this sense, Garcia Albiol announced the purchase of 500 new containers “since there were none” in stock. On the other hand, he explained that if a neighbor provides a photograph of an uncivil act, it can also be useful evidence to punish the offender.
The so-called individual incivility, that of the neighbor who constantly leaves the garbage bag outside the container or in an inappropriate place, will also see the punishment increased, which could mean a fine of between 60 and 600 euros depending on the severity or recidivism. If neighbors leave mattresses or furniture on the street, it could cost them between 900 and 3,000 euros.
On the other hand, those popularly known as convenience establishments, which usually open until the early hours of the morning and sell alcohol, generating problems with drinking, noise and coexistence, will also be a focus of surveillance. In this sense, businesses that sell alcoholic beverages after 10:00 p.m. may be fined between 600 and 3,000 euros. In this case, if the store is a repeat offender, a file may be opened to seal the premises and, if the offense is more serious, close it permanently.
In the case of alcohol sales, Albiol was very critical of previous governments. “It is prohibited to sell alcohol, but we cannot sanction because there is no ordinance in this regard,” which he judged to be “a joke” on the part of the four-party government that preceded him. In conclusion, the mayor was convinced that “I am sure that in a few months we will have eradicated incivility.”
