by VS
The Committee for the San Michele Garden, represented by spokespeople Paola Pani and Marco Vilevich, has delivered a resounding message to the Trieste City Council. Presenting a petition containing 1,089 signatures, the committee urges the allocation of necessary resources in the 2024-2026 budget. Their plea extends to scheduling both routine and extraordinary maintenance interventions vital for ensuring the safety of children and adults who frequent the garden.
In a city meeting held in November, the Andandes association revealed its inability to sustain activities and sign a new concession. For years, the municipality has neglected regular maintenance, including pruning and mowing, leaving the association feeling abandoned. The concession, established in 1999 through participatory planning, was a pact between the institution and citizens. However, recent years have seen the municipality shirking its responsibilities.
The castle playground has been broken for over a year, with paving collecting water that turns into muddy sludge when it rains—a situation demanding replacement. Numerous staircase steps are damaged, water leaks plague the kitchen, and the Orti alley serves as an open sewer despite being a potential barrier-free access point. Two fountains are in disrepair, the lunette on the stairs is precarious, and the companies responsible for hedge trimming and greenery maintenance no longer adhere to a regular schedule (currently performed only once a year).
The petition calls for reestablishing ties with the Andandes association to renegotiate terms for the new concession. It emphasizes the necessity for regular scheduling of pruning and mowing, arguing that such responsibilities should remain with the municipality since citizens bear the burden of taxes. Additionally, the petition urges the city to consistently plan and budget for extraordinary maintenance as part of its responsibilities and include it in the works plan.
