Kaladze Presents New Municipal Inspectorate
On Tuesday, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze presented the new Municipal Inspectorate, formerly called the Municipal Department for Supervision, which is responsible for monitoring the city for administrative violations.
During the presentation of the new Inspectorate, Kaladze recognized the challenges and problems facing the city, and the necessity of regulatory enforcement to maintain order. The Municipal Inspectorate, said Kaladze, is one of the strongest avenues through which Tbilisi will continue to evolve into a modern, well-organized European city.
The functions and obligations of the rebranded service include: controlling ongoing construction projects and unauthorized construction on buildings with cultural heritage status; detecting violations of permit conditions; protecting safety norms; ensuring the proper permits are obtained for construction, supervising construction facilities, and building technical supervision; identifying and eliminating unauthorized street trade and cleaning rules; ensuring that no trees are cut down without the proper permits, and monitoring for noise violations.
"All this in general is necessary to regulate the look of the capital, to solve ecological problems, to secure safety and other standards. Citizens often report vandalism of or littering on city property, violations of cultural heritage monuments, and violations of norms established for construction. Our involvement gives us a 24-hour stimulus, and also obliges us not to abandon our hopes and to protect the city – every district, street, yard and family,” said Kaladze. He continued, "When I was elected mayor, this department consisted of about 147 employees, had outdated vehicles and technical equipment. Now we are presenting the Municipal Inspectorate of Tbilisi City Hall, with increased power and functionality, equipped with new technical capabilities, and with twice the number of employees. This service is on the frontlines of colossal work and their effectiveness depends on the support of Tbilisi.”
Kaladze also mentioned the legislative amendments that were implemented to strengthen the Inspectorate’s functions. He thanked the Parliament of Georgia and the City Council for supporting the amendments initiated by Tbilisi City Hall. Before the new amendments, he said, “the number of offenses was quite high. The penalties were so low, that people would rather pay the fine than avoid the offense.” Fines for construction violations and relating to safety rules, street trade, outdoor advertising, and vandalism have now been increased. In the past year, nearly 1,000 fines have been issued, amounting to 10 million GEL.
Mayor Kaladze wished the Municipal Inspectorate staff success in their future activities.
The new Municipal Inspectorate service is headed by Giorgi Bagrationi. “Our employees continue to work around the clock to answer the important challenges that the city faces today. The service will continue to be updated in the future as needed to achieve important functions, increase human resources, and add equipment,” said Bagrationi.
By Samantha Guthrie
Photo: Tbilisi City Hall