Municipal Council

General presentations

• 2303286 – Appointment of senior executives pursuant to Article 56 of the Municipal Government Act No. 138 of 2011 and Article 80 of the Statute of the Municipality of Hafnarfjörður No. 240 of 2021

  Draft terms of reference for the selection panel were presented.

  The majority appoints the following representatives:
  Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir.
  Valdimar Víðisson.

  The minority appoints the following representatives:
  Gudmundur Arni Stefansson.

  The town council unanimously approves the draft terms of reference for the selection committee, together with the appointments of representatives.

• 2206176 – Terms of reference for councils and committees 2022-2024, review

  Point 9 from the minutes of the Education Committee meeting of 8th March.
  A revised terms of reference for the Sports and Leisure Committee was presented.

  Approved and referred to the town council for approval.

  The town council unanimously approves the present terms of reference.

• 2108512 – Hverfisgata 22, detailed plan

  Item 6 from the minutes of the Planning and Building Committee of 9th March.
  At the planning and building officer's meeting on 22 February 2023, a proposal from Borghildur Þórisdóttir regarding an amendment to the detailed plan was considered and referred to the Planning and Building Committee. The proposal provides for the reconstruction/renovation of the house, the demolition of two side/rear buildings on the plot, and the construction of single-storey buildings in their place. Conditions regarding a parish hall and a footpath are to be removed.

  The Planning and Building Committee agrees to advertise an amendment to the detailed plan for the town centre, Hraun West, for the plot at 22 Hverfisgata, and refers it to the Borough Council for approval.

  The town council unanimously approves the decision of the planning and building committee.

• 2207373 – Framework agreement between the state and local authorities on increasing the supply of housing 2023-2032 and a joint vision and strategy for housing

  The Social Democratic Party's proposal on objectives and priorities.

  Árni Rúnar Þorvaldsson speaks and puts forward the following motion:

  The Hafnarfjörður Town Council instructs the Town Board to finalise an agreement with the Housing and Infrastructure Agency on the basis of the Ministry of Transport's framework agreement, Housing and Infrastructure Authority and the Association of Icelandic Local Authorities on the Housing Plan for Iceland 2023-2032, in accordance with the following contractual objectives. The contract shall be presented by 2 April 2023.

  Hafnarfjörður's contract objectives:

  1. Affordable housing. A target will be set for the proportion of general housing and other housing to be built on a not-for-profit basis, e.g. for students, older people and disabled people, but also young people and first-time buyers who qualify for shared ownership, should on average reach 30% in Hafnarfjörður.
  2. 51% of the 3,000 flats will be social housing owned by Hafnarfjörður. Hafnarfjörður's policy will be to ensure, through agreements with developers and through an ownership policy and funding of start-up grants to the Hafnarfjörður Housing Office, that 5% of new homes become social housing owned by the Municipality of Hafnarfjörður.
  3. An initiative will be launched to eliminate the waiting lists for specialised residential facilities for disabled people in Hafnarfjörður. It is clear that the prerequisite for this is to secure full funding for the development and operation of the relevant residential units through agreements with the state.
  4. Support for infrastructure development and its financing. It is important that the state supports housing development within municipalities, e.g. through direct support and/or by providing secure access to loan finance for infrastructure development on favourable terms, e.g. for the development of affordable housing near public transport, thereby supporting the transport agreement.

  In response, Valdimar Víðisson stands up and moves that the proposal before them be rejected.

  Árni Rúnar replies to the objection.

  Guðmundur Árni Stefánsson speaks. Valdimar Víðisson replies, to which Guðmundur Árni responds.

  Then Jón Ingi Hákonarson takes the floor. Guðmundur Árni replies. Jón Ingi responds to the reply. Then Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir replies. Also Hildur Rós Guðbjargardóttir and Árni Rúnar.

  Guðmundur Árni speaks for the second time. In reply, Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir speaks, to which Guðmundur Árni responds.

  Árni Rúnar speaks for the second time.

  The Chair then puts the motion to adjourn that has just been made to the vote. The motion is carried with 6 votes in favour from representatives of the Independence Party and the Progressive Party. Representatives of the Social Democratic Alliance vote against, while the representative of the Reform Party abstains.

  Valdimar Víðisson makes the following reservation:

  The proposal is rejected as the matter is under preparation and in the normal course of administrative proceedings within the City of Hafnarfjörður, in consultation with HMS.

  Árni Rúnar Þorvaldsson makes the following reservation:

  Councillors of the Social Democratic Alliance express their disappointment with the majority's position. For the second time in six weeks, the majority—the Progressive Party and the Independence Party—have failed to approve the finalisation of a framework agreement with the Housing and Building Authority and the Ministry of Transport. First by rejecting such a proposal and now at this meeting with a dismissal – a dismissal of a proposal based on the approved housing plan for Hafnarfjörður. This is an incomprehensible position.

  At the same time as cross-party cooperation is taking place in the Reykjavík City Council on these very same issues, it is old-fashioned ways of working that prevail among the coalition parties in the Hafnarfjörður Town Council, where the majority parties cannot bring themselves to approve a proposal from their coalition partners, even when the chairman of the town council, the leader of the Progressive Party, states from the speaker's desk that he is in principle in agreement with it. The majority then resorts to rejecting the motion without any justification being presented for it during the debate.

• 2202571 – 2 Vikingastræti, change to the local plan

  Item 10 from the minutes of the Planning and Building Committee of 26 January.
  A proposal for a change to the detailed plan for the plot at 2 Viking Street was presented for information.

  The Planning and Building Committee agrees to advertise the proposal for the detailed plan for 2 Viking Street and refers it to the Borough Council for approval.

  Guðmundur Árni Stefánsson speaks. Orri Björnsson also speaks.

  The town council unanimously approves the decision of the planning and building committee.

• 2302625 – Night bus

  A motion from the Social Democratic Alliance was put forward.

  „The Hafnarfjörður Town Council agrees to reach an agreement with Strætó to immediately commence a return night bus service between Hafnarfjörður and Reykjavík. The cost, according to an assessment, will be a maximum of 10 million króna per year. The cost will be met by an amendment to the 2023 budget of the City of Hafnarfjörður, where the collection of service charges from Garðabær for the reception of sewage will be approximately 30 million króna per year, instead of the 12 million króna that has been the case. The Mayor will be tasked with finalising a revised agreement accordingly.“

  Guðmundur Árni Stefánsson speaks. Jón Ingi Hákonarson replies.

  Kristín Thoroddsen then takes the floor and proposes that the motion be referred back. Guðmundur Árni rises in reply, to which Kristín responds. Guðmundur Árni rises in reply a second time.

  Speakers: Árni Rúnar Þorvaldsson and Stefán Már Gunnlaugsson.

  Guðmundur Árni speaks for the second time. In reply, Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir speaks, to which Guðmundur Árni responds.

  Stefán Már speaks for the second time. Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir rises in reply, to which Stefán Már responds. Then Guðmundur Árni also rises in reply, to which Stefán Már responds.

  Árni Rúnar speaks for the second time.

  The Chair then puts the motion to defer to the vote. The motion is carried with 6 votes in favour from representatives of the Independence Party and the Progressive Party. Representatives of the Social Democratic Alliance and the Reform Party vote against the deferral.

  Kristín Thoroddsen makes the following reservation:

  The proposal is referred back as the matter is still under consideration. The majority of the town council knows that a night bus is a good service, but it was discontinued by the Strætó board last year due to significant operational difficulties for the Strætó regional partnership, as part of cost-saving measures. The service was introduced at the time, in part, at the behest of the current majority party in the Hafnarfjörður town council. There are strong intentions to look into the matter further with neighbouring municipalities and to obtain information on the experience with the night bus service in Reykjavík since the city reintroduced it. But when Strætó's operations have been as heavy as they have been, the allocation of funds and when it is justifiable to add to the service must be carefully considered. Regarding the service charges for sewerage in Garðabær, it should be noted that that agreement was terminated six months ago.

  Hildur Rós Guðbjargardóttir makes the following statement:

  The majority of the Independence and Progressive parties has now finally revealed its opposition, by rejecting the proposal to improve services for residents, namely the Social Democratic Party's proposal to restart the night bus service between Hafnarfjörður and the capital. It is a significant disappointment that the coalition of the Progressive and Independence parties cannot see fit to stand with the residents, their road safety, and a robust public transport system.

  Jón Ingi Hákonarson makes the following statement:

  Viðreisn supports the idea of a night bus service running between Reykjavík and Hafnarfjörður and urges the majority to explore every avenue to make this idea a reality as soon as possible by securing the necessary funding and holding discussions with representatives from Garðabær and Kópavogur.
  The proposal by the Social Democratic Alliance to charge Garðabær an additional fee of almost twenty million for sewerage services is in stark contrast to good governance. The sewerage service's income is meant to cover its own running costs and nothing else. This proposal is in stark contrast to the discussions that took place regarding the calculation of property taxes. It is not acceptable to use the income of B-section companies to pay for the costs of the A-section.
  If the Sewerage Authority's income increases due to a service contract with Garðabær, it is only right to reduce sewerage charges accordingly for households in Hafnarfjörður.
  Viðreisn emphasises transparency and consistency when it comes to income and expenditure.
  The representative of Viðreisn supports a night bus service, but not the Social Democratic Party's proposal, and would therefore have liked to vote on it.

• 2210415 – Opening of the Bláfjallavegur

  For discussion.

  Stefán Már Gunnlaugsson speaks. Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir replies, to which Stefán Már responds.

  Jón Ingi Hákonarson speaks and puts forward the following motion:

  Viðreisn proposes that the Bláfjallavegur be opened to private car traffic until the Road Administration's construction work on the road begins.

  Then Gudmundur Árni Stefánsson takes the floor.

  President Kristinn Andersen proposes that the proposal made by the representative of Viðreisn be referred to the mayor.

  Gudmundur Árni speaks a second time. Also Stefán Már. Jón Ingi Hákonarson replies.

  Jón Ingi Hákonarson speaks a second time and puts forward the following amended motion:

  The Progressive Party proposes that the Bláfjallavegur be opened to private car traffic until the Road Administration's road improvement works begin, and that the mayor be tasked with following up on the matter through formal discussions with the relevant parties.

  The proposal is unanimously approved.

  Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir makes the following statement:

  The original matter concerning the opening of the Bláfjallavegur is in a reasonable state of progress, but last autumn the undersigned requested assistance from the SSH office to push the matter forward. This has led to the Road Administration putting out a tender for the preliminary design of the improved road, and the bids received for the project are now being reviewed. The now-approved motion instructs the mayor to explore the possibility of opening the road to private vehicles before those improvement works begin.

  Stefán Már Gunnlaugsson makes the following reservation:

  The Hafnarfjörður Town Council's motion to open the Bláfjallavegur was unanimously passed on 26 October, at the instigation of the Social Democratic councillor. The preliminary design for the road has begun. This work must be accelerated as much as possible. A proposal from the Social Democrats in autumn 2022 provided for heavy goods vehicles to be banned. The proposal from Viðreisn is in the same spirit. Therefore, the Social Democratic representatives support it.

• 1709249 – Bylaws of the Municipality of Hafnarfjörður

  Item 1 from the municipal council's minutes of 1st March.
  Point 2 from the minutes of the Presidential Committee of 27 February.
  For processing.

  Drafts of the amended resolution on the governance of the municipality were referred to the previous discussion in the town council.

  Sigrún Sverrisdóttir, First Vice-President, takes the chair.

  Kristinn Andersen speaks. Árni Rúnar Þorvaldsson replies, to which Kristinn responds. Árni then replies a second time, to which Kristinn responds a second time.

  The Town Council agrees to refer the pending amendments to the Town Council's constitution to a second reading.

  Valdimar Víðisson, 2nd Vice President, takes over the chair.

  Kristinn Andersen speaks and then resumes the chair.

  The town council unanimously approves the proposed amendments to the council's constitution.

Minutes

• 2301126 – Minutes 2023, for presentation to the Town Council

  Minutes of the Environment and Operations Committee from 8th March.
  a. Minutes of the board meetings of SORPU bs. from 24 January and 14 February.
  b. Minutes of the Strætó bs. board meeting of 24 February.
  Minutes of the Family Council from 7th March.
  Minutes of the Planning and Building Committee from 9th March.
  Minutes of the Town Council from 9th March.
  a. Minutes of the Harbour Board meeting of 21 February.
  b. Minutes of the Health Committee of Garðabær, Hafnarfjörður, Kópavogur, Mosfellsbær and Seltjarnarnes from 6 March.
  c. Minutes of the Culture and Tourism Committee from 1st March.
  d. Minutes of the board meeting of the Association of Icelandic Municipalities from 28 February.
  Minutes of the SSH board meetings of 3 and 20 February.
  Minutes of the board meetings of SORPU bs. from 24 January and 14 February.
  g. Minutes of the Strætó bs. board meeting of 24 January.
  Minutes of the Education Committee from 8th March.
  Minutes of the Sports and Leisure Committee from 28th February.
  Minutes of the Presidential Commission from 13 March.

  Stefán Már Gunnlaugsson speaks under item 4 of the Education Committee's minutes.

  Árni Rúnar Þorvaldsson makes a point under the minutes of the Family Council.

  Stefán Már speaks under item 4 of the Town Council's minutes. Guðmundur Árni Stefánsson speaks under the same item. Valdimar Víðisson responds.