Interview with the mayor of Karposh Bogoev: I did not hit the urban mafia!

I have received information that some investors are ready to do everything necessary to not be a candidate for mayor in the next elections, says Bogoev.

One of the most promising mayors in the country, Stefan Bogoev, talks about what he managed to do for the citizens in the past three years as the first man of Karposh, the urban plans to be implemented in the future, his possible candidacy for a second mayoral term.

This 2021 is an election year. What are the priorities you plan to work on in the Municipality of Karpos in the last months of your current term?

 - We have already adopted the Budget for 2021. It is realistic, it serves debts from the past, but we also allocate funds for important projects. Our priority this year is the protection of the environment. That is why with the City of Skopje we will continue the park along the Quay of Vardar (from the sports-climbing rock to the wells of Lepenec). We also plan 6 million denars for planting trees, grass areas and installing irrigation systems in the settlements. Subsidies for bicycles follow, as well as cleaning of illegal landfills. I insist that the reconstruction of the "Partizan" hall start and I received a guarantee from the director of the Agency for Youth and Sports Naumce Mojsoski that the tender will be announced soon. With the support of the World Bank, it will reconstruct the streets "Pariska", "Ivan Agovski", "Mirka Ginova", "Shakespeare" and "Gigo Mihajlovski", and we will renovate the sidewalk in Porta Vlae. With the support of the Government and the City of Skopje, the more capital projects will start: construction of a bridge from st. "Ljubljanska" (Karpos 4) through Vardar to the junction near Bardovci, as well as a roundabout at Krivi Dol. In the middle of the year, the project "Humanitarian Patrols" will start, which provides care for the elderly and infirm in their homes, we will support young people with scholarships (for talented students and athletes), and we will not forget people with disabilities. All in all, it will be a dynamic year in which projects for all generations are planned.

Urbanism is a problem that most affects the citizens. What are your plans in the area of ​​urban development of Karposh and what will you do to finally put order in this sector?

- In the past three years, we are really trying to provide planned urbanization for more humane living in Karposh. Considering the current situation and how we prevented the destruction of the urban core of the Municipality. We protected the park of "Bucharest" in Taftalidze, the part around the "Partizan" hall and the hall itself is permanently protected, which was deliberately left to collapse in order to satisfy the interests of the urban mafia. The attractive part along the Quay grows into a sports-recreational zone, we prevented a new urban crime in Taftalidze 1 (around GUC), we deleted two stamps for buildings from state land to leave space for park greenery and a building for state institutions… Today there is difference in the adoption of detailed urban plans. Surveys and presentations are really public, open and not organized on New Year's holidays, but each questionnaire is reviewed and it can make a difference. From the beginning of the mandate, I have been talking about planned and humane urbanization and expansion of Karposh to the periphery. We have already adopted a plan for the part of the Ilinden barracks for which there is already interest. We intend to direct urbanization there and that is the only way not to prevent development and to protect the urban core, which is already oversaturated with buildings.

Stefan Bogoev / Photo: Municipality of Karpos

In recent years, have you been under pressure from construction companies or perhaps from your immediate political environment for a "floor more" or some other concession in granting construction permits and adopting detailed urban plans?

 - If I say that there was no pressure, I will lie. There have been pressures, there are and, unfortunately, there will be. I have received information that some investors are ready to do everything necessary to not be a candidate for mayor in the next elections. Because their personal appetites and business interests are not fulfilled. Obviously, as mayor, I did not hit the urban mafia. However, Karpos is not a municipality run by the urban mafia, but by a mayor and councilors elected by the citizens in direct elections. Karposh is no longer a municipality in which investors enter "like cowboys" and order detailed urban plans. And I think that I sent this message unequivocally at the beginning of the mandate, but I am sending it now, in the last year of it. In no case has the right to invest according to what is valid, permissible and correct been and will not be endangered. It is normal for someone to be able to build on their own construction land, but according to laws, urban documents and without endangering the quality of life of those around him. Unfortunately, other practices were set before, but, as I said, it "does not work" now! I won the 2017 election with just over 21.000 votes. At no point do I intend to devalue the civic support received in an urban municipality such as Karposh just to satisfy someone's interests. And yes, those pressures are time consuming, they make it difficult to work in everyday life, but my conscience is clear. I do not carry baggage from the past, and I am not responsible for the achievements and the work in front of a few, but above all to the citizens, who voted for me, but also for those who voted for another candidate or did not go to the polls. Because I am the mayor of all citizens.

Some citizens' associations accused of non-transparency in the work of the municipal council and that citizens could not follow what was happening at the sessions. Is it so difficult nowadays to enable live streaming of sessions?

 - Every citizen or association can follow the online session of the Council through a video from the municipal premises in UC "Kuzman Josifoski - Pitu". In recent months they are held electronically and absolutely that there is an opportunity to be monitored by presence in municipal premises, under special protocols for protection against the virus. Broadcasting live sessions also means additional resources. However, it may be a good idea to make a unified solution for all municipalities, and why not a channel where the sessions of the Council would be broadcast (similar to those of the Assembly). I believe that ZELS can initiate something like this.

This year as well, you invited the citizens of Karpos to participate in the creation of the municipal budget for 2021. Were any of their suggestions and ideas accepted?

- Absolutely that some of the proposals are accepted. Through the survey questionnaires we had several requests for reconstruction of the sidewalk in Porta Vlae and the realization of this project starts this year. This citizen participation helps us to focus on the main problems and to rationalize the funds.

Stefan Bogoev / Photo: Municipality of Karpos

A year ago, a survey was conducted among the residents of Karposh 1 and 2 to regulate parking, but to date there has been no realization. Why is the agreement with "City Parking" still ongoing, where is the problem?

 - We conducted surveys to determine whether Karposh residents want zone parking or not. In Karposh 1 and Karposh 2 the dominant answers are - to introduce zone parking. I want to emphasize again that parking remains free for resident citizens up to three of their vehicles. And everyone who lives in more remote settlements or other municipalities would pay 30 denars per hour. However, the rulebook of the PE "City Parking" includes several benefits - lower prices, monthly tickets for honored guests and the like. But we will face other problems. Namely, in Karpos 1 there are mainly narrower, service, streets, and zone parking, marking places means clearing the sidewalks from vehicles, which will significantly reduce the parking capacity in certain neighborhoods (especially in Karpos 1 and "Mlechen") . Therefore, a new proposal is being prepared, which takes into account the specifics at the micro level, by neighborhoods, in order for resident citizens not to face a shortage of parking spaces. The solution must be functional and sustainable in the long run.

Which projects so far are you most satisfied with? Is there anything you wanted but failed to accomplish?

- I am most satisfied with the new sports-recreational and green center in Karpos 3, in the yard of the primary school "Lazo Trpovski". Here we have arranged a zone of 11.000 square meters. We have new greenery, sports fields, fitness and children's section. The construction of the Sports-Adrenaline Park is completed, which gives us an attractive zone, not only for the youth. The kindergarten "May Flower" in Taftalidze was reconstructed, and we raised the public hygiene to a higher level. We failed to start the construction of the regional pools in the primary schools, due to administrative and technical problems in the Ministry of Education and Science. I hope that this year we will have progress on this issue.

The election campaign will start unofficially in a month or two. Your name is mentioned as safe for Karposh. Will you "run" for a second term?

- Some of my colleagues, acquaintances and even friends are already sure that I will run again, having in mind the daily activities that I and the municipality undertake. But those who know me better know that neither I nor my team are campaigning. After all, the most successful campaign is everyday work. Probably in Macedonia, if it is noticed somewhere or in someone more intensive work, it is immediately assumed that it is because of his next function. It may be strange, maybe not, but I am free from the pressure whether I will run for mayor of Karposh, whether I will continue in another higher, lower position or similar. Yes, the decision will be made and announced in a timely manner. I know that I will bring it easily, because even when I ran for MP and when I ran for mayor, behind me stood an honest team of young and older citizens, members of SDSM, the coalition, not entities that need something to deliver and be indebted to them.

New attractive settlement near the barracks "Ilinden"

According to the Detailed Urban Plan, the Ilinden Barracks envisages the construction of residential buildings from the ground floor, five floors and an attic, with a height of 21 meters and 168.000 square meters of gross housing area. It is also planned to build a primary school and other business facilities - markets, playgrounds, pharmacies and the like. There are stamps for the needs of the Ministry of Defense, but also space provided for cultural institutions, park greenery, which further enhances the appearance of this developing settlement. So, a settlement is created, which in the right way meets the needs of the inhabitants and contributes to a higher quality of life. The Municipality of Karpos and the City of Skopje are ready to break through new infrastructure (streets, sewerage and water supply network), for the investors who will invest in this part of the municipality.

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