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A message from the mayor after the turn of the month

I have decided to make it a regular feature to put together a few words at the end of each month to report on interesting projects underway within the municipality and to share the highs and lows of the month's challenges, ideas, visits and meetings. There is much to report, but with this I want to better inform residents and other stakeholders about the progress of matters and plans within the municipality.  

Summer is here in all its glory. A fantastic Seamen's Day weekend at Flensburg Harbour is behind us, the celebrations for the national day were a great success, and the Viking Festival at the Fjörukrá was, as always, well attended. Festivities like these are a treat for the whole family, and we thank our guests for coming, and all those involved in the planning and execution, for their contribution. Celebrations like these hold a special place in the hearts of Hafnarfjörður residents, and the experience will become part of the childhood memories for the children who come to experience something new and exciting.

We are all on the same great team.

A wide range of summer activities for children and young people are taking place across the town this summer, and at the Vinnuskóli, many energetic and hardworking individuals have started working to tidy up the town and look after the children's leisure activities. We take great care to keep our town as tidy as possible and have recently purchased a street sweeper, which will be used for cleaning projects in the town centre. Many residents with green fingers have lent a hand in their own neighbourhoods, but it is through the combined effort of residents and staff that the town will look tidy for all of us, as well as for any visitors who come to see us. This spring term, I have, along with a distinguished delegation, visited all the nurseries in Hafnarfjörður, and a similar visit was made to all of Hafnarfjörður's primary schools last year. The visits have been extremely useful, and a good dialogue has taken place. The City of Hafnarfjörður is a large employer which requires good organisation and cooperation, and during these visits we have emphasised the importance of talking to each other, communicating our ideas for service improvement, and aligning all the City's departments in every respect. We are all on the same great team! In May, we recognised staff who have reached 15 and 25 years of service for the second year in a row. In total, we honoured 45 individuals this time, who have collectively worked for the municipality for 1,316 years.

Roads lead in all directions – twinning and health promotion

On the town's anniversary on 1 June, the City of Hafnarfjörður welcomed representatives from five twin towns that form the Nordic Twin Town Chain. The City of Hafnarfjörður is proud of the cooperation, which has created a platform for discussion on the various projects of the municipalities. On this occasion, a signpost was unveiled, pointing to our sister cities around the world and showing the distance to each. The theme of the conference was 'Health-Promoting Community', and we took the opportunity to share our knowledge and experience of various health-promoting projects, gaining insight into the projects our partner cities are working on in the same field. This summer, the Suðurbæjarlaug will be open until 22:00 on all weekdays and until 21:00 on Sundays. Increased access to swimming pools is among the priorities of Hafnarfjörður's recent Health Strategy and its action plan, and is one of the measures to increase the well-being of its residents. This summer, it is therefore ideal to visit the swimming pools or any of the many outdoor gems that we have here in Hafnarfjörður. How about hiking up Helgafell, having a barbecue in Víðistaðatún, taking part in the Hafnarfjörður Scavenger Hunt, cycling along the Strandstígur, going for a swim or picking up a good book from the Library this summer? Also, entry to all our museums is free. Summer is also the time for summer holidays, although the life of the town never sleeps. I hope that the staff and residents of Hafnarfjörður return refreshed after a well-deserved break and enjoy the summer!
Attached is a summary of the news from May and what has happened so far in June for all our information:

• Do you have green fingers? This year, the City of Hafnarfjörður is offering family allotments that are open to all residents, regardless of age. A great opportunity for families and others to grow their own vegetables.
• A new care home ready in September 2018. The Municipality of Hafnarfjörður has entered into an agreement with Munck Íslandi for the construction of a new care home at Sólvangur. Four bids were received for the project, and Munck Íslandi's was the lowest.
• 45 awards for 1316 years of service. Long service awards for employees of the City of Hafnarfjörður were presented at a ceremony in Hafnarborg on 17 May. 45 individuals received an award, all of whom have in common that they have worked for the town for 25 years or more, totalling 1,316 years.
• 16% pay rise at the Work School. The wages of young people in the Hafnarfjörður Summer Job Scheme born in 2001, 2002 and 2003 will be increased by 16% in the summer of 2017. This increase is in addition to the 15% pay rise for summer school staff in the summer of 2016.
• A new handbook on early intervention. The Norðurberg Nursery School has published a handbook on early intervention in nursery school language stimulation. The handbook was recently presented at a special launch event at the school, attended by numerous guests. The handbook, 'Early Intervention in Language Stimulation for Preschool Children – Preparation for Reading', is the result of a development project at the nursery school that has been taking place over the past few years.
• A new concept for resident-run housing in Hafnarfjörður. At the June council meeting, draft founding statutes for a residents' co-operative housing association in the town were presented, which aims to lower rents, reduce overheads and increase the involvement and participation of the residents themselves.
• Address of the Valkyrie of Hafnarfjörður 2017. Eva Ágústa Aradóttir was the Poet Laureate of the town of Hafnarfjörður on National Day. Eva is the first trans woman to serve as poet laureate at a public celebration. Eva, a native of Hafnarfjörður, read a poem by Bryndís Björgvinsdóttir.
• About 200 young gundogs. Over 200 anglers aged 6-12 gathered at Flensborg Pier in Hafnarfjörður today, armed their tackle and competed to catch the most and strangest fish. Seven-year-old Mohammad El Said received a prize for catching the biggest fish, a whiting weighing just under 600g.
• Agreement with Specialisterne in Iceland. The Family Board of Hafnarfjörður renewed its agreement with Specialisterne in Iceland at its meeting on 2nd June. The aim of the agreement is to provide job training and conduct job assessments for disabled jobseekers. The collaboration has been successful and is an important link in the aim of increasing participation in the general labour market.
• Awards for effective management and multicultural work. Since 2008, the Education Committee of Hafnarfjörður municipality has awarded 1-3 accolades per year to individual school projects that are considered exemplary and characteristic of creative school work in Hafnarfjörður. This year, three schools received an award. Öldutúnsskóli and the Álfaberg nursery school for good staff morale and effective management, and Hvaleyrarskóli for educational and multicultural work in the school library.
• New summer opening at the South Bay Pool. From today, residents and visitors in Hafnarfjörður can enjoy a swim at the Suðurbær Pool until 22:00. The pool's summer opening hours are now in effect and will remain so until 13 August. The Suðurbær Pool will be open until 22:00 on all weekdays and until 21:00 on Sundays. Opening hours on Saturdays will remain unchanged.

Haraldur L. Haraldsson, Mayor of Hafnarfjörður