Town Council

18 December 2008 at 14:00

in the council chamber of Hafnarborg

Meeting 1603

Secretary

Gudmundur Benediktsson City lawyer

General presentations
- SB040377 – Minutes of the Planning and Building Officer
  
  Lagðar fram fundargerðir frá afgreiðslufundum skipulags- og byggingarfulltrúa frá 03.12.2008 og 10.12.2008.%0DA-hluti fundargerðanna fer til samþykktar bæjarstjórnar.
  
  The Town Council unanimously approved the A-part of the minutes with 11 votes.;
- 0805300 – Krýsuvík, detailed plan for an observatory
  
  7. liður úr fundargerð SBH frá 16.des.sl.%0DTekin fyrir að nýju deiliskipulag svæðis fyrir stjörnuathugunarstöð í Krýsuvík samkvæmt tillögu Stjörnuskoðunarfélags Seltjarnarness og deiliskipulagsuppdrætti Landmótunar dags. 03.10.2008. Áður lagt fram svar Krýsuvíkursamtakanna 12.08.2008. Áður lögð fram fyrirspurn skipulags- og byggingarsviðs til Skipulagsstofnunar dags. 15.08.2008 og svar Skipulagsstofnunar dags. 26.08.2008. Tillagan var auglýst skv. 25. grein skipulags- og byggingarlaga 17.11.2008 og var umsagnarfrestur til 04.12.2008. Engin athugasemd barst. Erindið var til umfjöllunar á afgreiðslufundi skipulags- og byggingarfulltrúa 10.12.2008, sem vísaði því til skipulags- og byggingarráðs.%0D %0DSkipulags- og byggingarráð samþykkir deiliskipulagstillöguna og að málinu verði lokið skv. 25. grein skipulags- og byggingarlaga nr. 73/1997. Skipulags- og byggingarráð gerir eftirfarandi tilögu til bæjarstjórnar:%0D“Bæjarstjórn Hafnarfjarðar samþykkir tillögu að deiliskipulagi svæðis umhverfis stjörnuathugunarstöð í Krýsuvík dags. 03.10.2008 og að málinu verði lokið skv. 25. grein skipulags- og byggingarlaga nr. 73/1997.“%0D
  
  <DIV>Gísli Ó. Valdimarsson tók til máls. </DIV><DIV>Tillaga skipulags- og byggingarráðs að deiliskipulagi umhverfis stjörnuathugunarstöð í Krýsuvík var samþykkt samhljóða með 11 atkv. </DIV>
- 0711139 – Personnel matters
  
  4. liður úr fundargerð BÆJH frá 16. des. sl.%0DBæjarráð samþykkir að leggja til við bæjarstjórn:%0DBæjarstjórn Hafnarfjarðar samþykkir eftirfarandi tillögu með fyrirvara um samþykki nýrra kjarasamninga við starfsmenn í leikskólum:%0D%0D“Varðandi starfsmenn í leikskólum sem er gert að matast með nemendum í hádegi og fengu á tímabilinu 1. janúar 2008 til 30. nóvember 2008 greiddar 30 mínútur á dag í yfirvinnu hafi þeir ekki valið styttri vinnutíma á móti, sbr. 3. lið samþykktar bæjarstjórnar frá 27.11.2007. %0D%0DBæjarstjórn samþykkir að við gildistöku nýs kjarasamnings við viðkomandi stéttarfélög verði tryggt að krónutala launa framangreindra starfsmanna, að teknu tilliti til starfshlutfalls, miðað við 30. nóvember 2008 lækki ekki á tímabilinu 1. desember 2008 til 31. ágúst 2009. Með krónutölu launa er átt við dagvinnulaun auk 10 yfirvinnutíma vegna matartímans, önnur tilfallandi yfirvinna fellur ekki undir samþykktina. Verði lækkun á krónutölu verður það bætt með tveimur eingreiðslum þann 1. apríl 2009 fyrir tímabilið 1. desember 2008 til 31. mars 2009 og 31. ágúst 2009 fyrir tímabilið 1. apríl til 31. ágúst 2009.“ %0D
  
  Lúðvík Geirsson took the floor. Then Haraldur Þór Ólason and Lúðvík Geirsson. Haraldur Þór Ólason made an intervention to which the speaker replied. Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir took the floor. Then Lúðvík Geirsson.
  The town council approved the town board's proposal with 8 votes in favour and 3 abstentions.
  Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir explained the vote of the Independence Party representatives with the following statement:
  „Councillors of the Independence Party are abstaining as they believe it would have been more appropriate to review the council's pay structure in in a wider context, e.g. among the town's key managers, or proposals for targeted efficiency improvements in the administration had been more clearly laid out, before it was decided to grant a pay rise to one group of council employees.“
  Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir
  Haraldur Þór Ólason
  Almar Grímsson
  
  A recess was taken.
  
  Lúðvík Geirsson made the following statement:
  „The town councillors of the Social Democratic Alliance and the Left-wing Green Party emphasise that it is ensured that with the new collective agreement for nursery school staff, employees will not suffer a direct pay cut that would have occurred in various cases during the term of the new agreement.
  Other arrangements regarding salary adjustments will primarily affect those on higher and the highest salaries within the municipal administration, and these will be dealt with in conjunction with the budget during the second reading.
  It is noteworthy that the town councillors of the Independence Party do not consider it right to defend the terms that nursery school staff have had, secured by special unanimous resolutions of the town council at the beginning of this year.“
  Ludvík Geirsson
  Ellý Erlingsdóttir
  Guðmundur Rúnar Árnason
  Margrét Gauja Magnúsdóttir
  Guðfinna Guðmundsdóttir
  Eyjólfur Sæmundsson
  Gísli Ó. Valdimarsson
  Jón Páll Hallgrímsson
  
  Break.

;

Minutes

0809080 – Minutes 2008, for presentation to the Town Council

Fundargerð skipulags- og byggingaráðs frá 16. des. sl.%0Da. Fundargerð umhverfisnefndar/Staðardagskrá 21 frá 10. des. sl.%0DFundargerðir bæjarráðs frá 9.og 16. des. sl.%0Da. Fundargerð hafnarstjórnar frá 4.des. sl.%0Db. Fundargerð miðbæjarnefndar frá 9.des. sl.%0DFundargerðir framkvæmdaráðs frá 15.des. sl.%0DFundargerð fræðsluráðs frá 16. des. sl.%0DFundargerð fjölskylduráðs frá 16. des. sl.

No one spoke up.;

Plans and annual accounts

0810239 – Budget of the Municipality of Hafnarfjörður for 2009 and three-year plan for 2010-2012

7. liður úr fundargerð BÆJH frá 16. des. sl.%0DLögð fram drög að fjárhagsáætlun ársins 2009 og þriggja ára áætlun 2010-2012. Fjármálastjóri mætti til fundarins og gerði gein fyrir áætluninni.%0DEinnig gerð grein fyrir afgreiðslu einstakra ráða á áætluninni.%0DÁ fundinum verða lagðar fram fundargerðir samráðshóps bæjarráðs frá 8. okt. sjá sérstakan dagskrárlið í lok fundargerðar.%0DBæjarráð samþykkir að vísa fjárhagsáætlun 2009 og þriggja ára áætlun 2010-2012 til fyrri umræðu í bæjarstjórn.

<DIV>%0D<DIV>%0D<DIV>%0D<DIV>%0D<DIV>%0D<DIV>Lúðvík Geirsson tók til máls. Lagði hann fram greinargerð með fjárhagsáætluninni fyrir árið 2009 og þriggja ára áætlun fyrir árin 2010-2012.</DIV>%0D<DIV>Þá Jón Páll Hallgrímsson, Haraldur Þór Ólason, Lúðvík Geirsson, Haraldur Þór Ólason og Lúðvík Geirsson.</DIV>%0D<DIV> </DIV>%0D<DIV>Bæjarstjórn samþykkti samhljóða með 11 atkv. að vísa framlögðu frumvarpi að fjárhagsáætlun Hafnarfjaðarkaupstaðar fyrir árið 2009 og þriggja ára áætlun fyrir árin 2010-2012 um rekstur, framkvæmdir og fjármál til síðari umræðu og afgreiðslu í bæjarstjórn sem fram fer miðvikudaginn 7. janúar nk.</DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV>

0812010 – Imposition of council tax 2009 - second reading.

At its meeting on 9 December, the town council agreed to refer the proposal for the imposition of council tax for 2009 to a later discussion.

Ludwig Geirsson took the floor. He put forward the following amendment: “In order to address newly-emerged information regarding a 5% reduction in the property valuation of multi-unit properties and other uncertainty concerning the final outcome of the property valuation, it is proposed that the Municipality of Hafnarfjörður utilises the maximum authority for the imposition of council tax in Article 13.28%, subject to the approval by the Althingi of the aforementioned bill in this regard.“

Lúðvík Geirsson

Ellý Erlingsdóttir

Guðmundur Rúnar Árnason

Guðfinna Guðmundsdóttir

Margrét Gauja Magnúsdóttir

Eyjólfur Sæmundsson

Gísli Ó. Vladimarsson

Haraldur Þór Ólason was next to speak. Then Lúðvík Geirsson. Haraldur Þór Ólason replied, to which the speaker responded. Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir then spoke. Then Lúðvík Geirsson. Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir interjected, to which the speaker responded. Roll call on the amendment:

Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir ——–No

Almar Grímsson ————–No

Eyjólfur Sæmundsson ——-Yes

Guðfinnna Guðmundsd. —-Yes

Guðmundur Rúnar ———–Yes

Gísli Ósvaldur —————–Yes

Haraldur Þór ——————-No

Jón Páll ————————-Yes

Lúðvík Geirsson —————Yes, referring to her minutes entry below.

Margrét Gauja —————–Yes

Ellý Erlingsdóttir —————Yes

The amendment was therefore approved by 8 votes to 3.

The Hafnarfjörður Town Council approved by 8 votes. and the abstention of 3, that the levied municipal taxes for the year 2009, with the approved amendments, shall be as follows:

Income Tax ——————————————————————————13.28%

Property Taxes:

Property Tax

Residential – calculated on the total property valuation ————————0.24%

Public buildings – calculated on the total assessed value —————–1.32% *

Commercial premises – other premises – calculated on the total property valuation 1.60%

Stables - property tax on the total property valuation———————— 0.50%

*) subject to a decision by the government

Land lease

Residential property – calculated on the plot valuation—————————————-0.27%

Public buildings – calculated from the land valuation———————————1.00%

Commercial premises – calculated on the basis of the site's valuation—————————————1,00%

Ground rent for plots other than those specified above————————0.50%

Water charge

Calculated on the total property valuation———————————————–0.10%

Additional water charge ————————————————————–12 kr. per m3

Sewerage charge

Calculated on the total property valuation———————————————–0.14%

Refuse collection and disposal charge ——————————————–14,300

Miscellaneous service charges

Stables, Hlíðarþúfur 4-stall stable——————————————–51.141

Stables, Hlíðarþúfur 6-stall stable——————————————–78.163

Parking at Tjarnavelli ———————————————————2,850

Water and sewerage charges are levied on new properties when they are considered complete for assessment purposes. General due dates for property taxes in 2009 are ten, the 1st of each month from February to November, and the final due date is 30 days later. The due date for property taxes of less than 20,000 kr. is 1 February 2009. The due dates for property taxes levied on new properties during the year are the same as the number of general due dates remaining for that year when the levy is made.

The town council also approved the following proposal for the abolition of property tax for pensioners on old-age and disability pensions (75% disability) on their own home:

Individuals———————————————Gross income

100% exemption ———————————-0—- 2,057,000

80% deduction ——————————2,057,001 2,365,000

50% cancellation ——————————2,365,001 2,750,000

Married Couple's Gross Income

50% deduction ———————————–0—-2,882,000

80% deduction ——————————-2,882,001 3,223,000

50% cancellation ——————————-3,223,001 3,839,000

The Town Council agrees that the cancellation shall also apply to sewerage charges.

Income threshold is the 2008 annual income according to the 2009 tax return.

Further regulations concerning the implementation of the exemption from property tax and sewer charges shall be set by the town council on a case-by-case basis.

Haraldur Þór Ólason made the following statement:

“In recent years, councillors from the Independence Party have put forward proposals to lower council tax and property and water rates for residents, so that they can enjoy the boom and are on a level playing field with neighbouring municipalities where council tax and other levies are much lower.

The majority of the Social Democratic Party has always rejected such proposals and has chosen to keep charges at a maximum rather than exercise restraint in its operations. Furthermore, it has been criticised that the water charge in Hafnarfjörður has been much higher than necessary to cover operating costs, including capital costs and planned capital expenditure according to a long-term plan. The current reduction is an admission of excessive charging for water usage, as the town councillors of the Independence Party have pointed out in recent years. It is typical of the Social Democrats“ high-tax policy that Hafnarfjörður is the first municipality to raise its council tax above the 13.03% cap. This decision is being taken before the Althingi has ratified a bill which proposes to increase the cap by 0.25 percentage points. This is clear evidence of the serious financial situation in Hafnarfjörður, that this desperate measure is being taken before the bill has even become law.

Haraldur Þór Ólason sign.

Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir sign.

Almar Grímsson sign.

Lúðvík Geirsson made the following statement: “In the financial plan for 2009, the emphasis is placed on protecting basic services and the welfare of residents in Hafnarfjörður. To meet a significant fall in revenue following the societal banking and economic collapse, extensive rationalisation, savings and contraction in operations and projects will be undertaken, without affecting basic services and welfare.

General service charges will remain unchanged, which is effectively a reduction given inflation, and property taxes will be reduced by a 13.1% cut in the water tax. The increase in council tax, under the authority announced by the government, will be primarily to compensate for the loss of income the borough will suffer due to the reduction in the valuation of blocks of flats, but that information was not available until this morning, and it is not yet finalised what effect the final decision on property valuation will have on the town's total revenue from property taxes.

It is completely false, as is claimed in the councillors' booking, that Hafnarfjörður is the first municipality in the country to approve an increase in the property tax rate. That is completely untrue. Most municipalities in the country have already approved such an increase, including most of the largest municipalities and Hafnarfjörður's neighbouring municipalities."

Lúðvík Geirsson

Ellý Erlingsdóttir

Guðmundur Rúnar

Árnason Margrét

Gauja Magnúsdóttir

Guðfinna Guðmundsdóttir

Eyjólfur Sæmundsson

Gísli Ó. Valdimarsson

Jón Páll Hallgrímsson

;

Children's Prosperity

Customer service

Events

Map of the town

Licence to use

Minutes

Fee tables

Town Council

Secretary

General presentations

SB040377 – Minutes of the Planning and Building Officer

0805300 – Krýsuvík, detailed plan for an observatory

0711139 – Personnel matters

Minutes

0809080 – Minutes 2008, for presentation to the Town Council

Plans and annual accounts

0810239 – Budget of the Municipality of Hafnarfjörður for 2009 and three-year plan for 2010-2012

0812010 – Imposition of council tax 2009 - second reading.