Municipal Council

General presentations

• 1107225 – Home-based childcare

  The town council agrees to transfer the „Home-based childcare“ service from social services to the education office.

• 11023019 – Leave Committee for Housewives in Hafnarfjörður, grant application 2011

  A submission from the Law Society Ltd., on behalf of the Housewives' Leave Committee, dated 18 July 2011, is presented, in which a statutory payment to the committee for the year 2011 is demanded.

  The Town Council agrees to refer the matter to the City of Hafnarfjörður's solicitor for further review.

• 1104347 – Loan refinancing

  Gerður Guðjónsdóttir, Finance Director, attended the meeting and gave an update on the situation.

• 1012140 – Tariff 2011

  The following resolution of the Education Committee, dated 4 July, is submitted for confirmation: “The price of lunch in primary schools will increase from 300 kr. to 350 kr. from the next school year.$line$Meals and afternoon snacks in nurseries to increase by 10% from 1 August next.$line$The Education Committee agrees to postpone a decision on changing nursery fees until a decision has been made on the equalisation of costs in nurseries and the parents“ contribution for childminders."$line$$line$$line$

  The Town Council, acting on behalf of the Town Board, confirms the decision of the Education Committee of 4th July. The 2 representatives of the Independence Party abstain, citing the booking of the Independence Party's representative at the education board meeting of 4 July.

• Review of land prices, working group

  To be taken up again.

  Eyjólfur Sæmundsson and Sigurbergur Árnason, representatives on the working group for the review of land prices, attended the meeting and presented the draft recommendations of the working group. Ólafur Ingi Tómasson, a representative on the working group, was unable to attend the meeting.

• 1108014 – Budget 2012-2014, submission

  A letter from the Ministry of the Interior, dated 2 August, was presented regarding the submission of the three-year financial plan for 2012-2014.

  The Town Council adopts the following resolution regarding the letter from the Ministry of the Interior: “The Town Council of Hafnarfjörður regrets the letter from the Ministry of the Interior concerning the submission of the three-year plan for 2012-2014. The letter implies that the City of Hafnarfjörður has not completed the preparation of this plan. The three-year plan was approved by the City Council in December 2010. It was sent to the Ministry on 7 January and a printed copy was delivered on 1 March. $line$ $line$ The fact of the matter is that it has been problematic to read electronic data from Hafnarfjörður's computer systems into the ministry's database. The Finance Manager of Hafnarfjörður has been in regular contact with the ministry regarding this, as Hafnarfjörður is at the forefront of electronic accounting. $line$ $line$B The Town Council requests that the Ministry confirms that the City of Hafnarfjörður has submitted a three-year plan, as required by law.“

• 1006305 – Cleaning services for the City of Hafnarfjörður

  The minutes of the meeting held on 7 July were presented, concerning the opening of tenders for the tender „Cleaning at 3 Institutions of the City of Hafnarfjörður 2011“. Jón Bergsveinsson from the Property Association attended the meeting.

  The Town Council accepts the lowest bidder's offer, Sólarræstingar ehf., registration no. 710102-2360, amounting to kr. 3,587,869 per month, and instructs Fasteignafélag to enter into a contract with the company in accordance with the tender conditions.

• 0812160 – The Straumsvík Aluminium Smelter.

  The mayor reported on talks with Rio Tinto Alcan.

  A report from the Social Science Institute, dated 15 June 2011, on attitudes towards the Straumsvík aluminium smelter, environmental and employment issues in Hafnarfjörður.$line$$line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line$Line1“The City of Hafnarfjörður and Rio Tinto Alcan have, over the past few months, been in discussions about the company's position in the contemporary and future Hafnarfjörður community, following a request for these talks from the town council at a meeting last October. Both parties emphasise the importance of a broad consensus regarding the company's position in the community and its future plans, and intend to work together to ensure this is achieved.$line$MThe atmosphere in the discussions between the parties has been very good, and early on it was decided to survey the views and opinions of the town's residents on numerous aspects relating to the company's operations. Hafnarfjörður Municipality and Rio Tinto Alcan commissioned the Social Science Institute of the University of Iceland to conduct an extensive survey of the town's residents“ attitudes towards employment matters in a broad sense, as well as their views on the Straumsvík aluminium smelter and its future. To this end, the Social Science Institute conducted an extensive telephone survey, as well as a focus group study. $line$These studies revealed, among other things, that three out of every four residents of Hafnarfjörður consider it a positive thing for the town to have the aluminium smelter operating there, while fewer than one in ten consider it a negative. The same applies to attitudes towards the 20% expansion of the aluminium smelter that is currently underway. The main benefits of the company's presence are considered to be that it creates jobs and generates revenue for the municipal budget. When asked about several different options for the future of the aluminium smelter, a very small proportion of respondents say they want to reduce or stop production, just over 43% want production to cease after the production increase, and just over 47% want to increase production even further. The proportion of those who consider it acceptable to increase production capacity rises to around 66%, provided that strict conditions, particularly concerning the environment, are met. When asked directly how people would vote if a referendum on the aluminium smelter's expansion were held today, 59.51% say they would support the expansion, some of them conditional on certain criteria being met. The full research report is available on the websites of Hafnarfjörður Municipality and Alcan in Iceland.$line$AThe parties agree on the importance of maintaining a high level of consensus regarding the company's operations within the Hafnarfjörður community and express a strong desire to work together to ensure this is the case. In light of the survey's findings, the parties consider it premature to hold another vote on a possible expansion of the aluminium smelter. Rio Tinto Alcan believes it is possible to design an expansion option that better takes into account the views of the town's residents, as expressed in the survey, and would therefore enjoy broader support. Hafnarfjörður Municipality and Rio Tinto Alcan agree to continue discussions on the possibilities for the company's natural development in the town. On behalf of Hafnarfjörður Municipality, the party leaders in the town council have taken part in the discussions: Guðmundur Rúnar Árnason, Mayor, Guðrún Ágústa Guðmundsdóttir, Chair of the Municipal Council, and Valdimar Svavarsson, leader of the Independence Party. The Rio Tinto Alcan negotiating team included Rannveig Rist, CEO of Alcan in Iceland, Alexis Segal, Head of Communications for Rio Tinto Alcan in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and Ólafur Teitur Guðnason, Communications Manager for Alcan in Iceland, as well as Wolfgang Stiller, former Chairman of Alcan in Iceland, who also took part in the initial discussions."

• 1106181 – SSH Future Group: Employment Strategy

  A submission from SSH, dated 9 August 2011, regarding the preparation of a strategy for the capital region.

• 1107149 – Northern area major plan amendment

  To consider the following motion from the Planning and Building Committee of 9 August 2011: The Planning and Building Committee instructs the Department of Planning and Building to propose an amendment to the 2005 Master Plan of Hafnarfjörður. – 2025 with regard to the North Town, and to prepare a project description in accordance with Article 30 of the Planning Act No. 123/2010. The Planning and Building Committee makes the following proposal to the Town Council:“The Hafnarfjörður Town Council approves the preparation of a proposal to amend the Hafnarfjörður Master Plan 2005–2025 with regard to the North Town, and the preparation of a project description in accordance with Article 30 of the Planning Act No. 123/2010.“

  Anna Sofia Kristjánsdóttir, an architect in the Planning and Building Department, attended the meeting. The Town Council, acting on behalf of the Municipal Council, approved the proposal put forward by the Planning and Building Committee on 9 August.

Applications

• 1104027-1 – Vacant plots and prices 2011

  The minutes of the meeting of 8 August were presented, together with tenders for the following plots in Hafnarfjörður:$line$Hammersbraut 16, Skógarás 1 and Skógarás 3.$line$

  The Town Council requests a report from the Finance Director and the Planning and Building Department.

• 1105112 – Experimental building, site application

  Taken up again. A report from the Planning and Building Department dated 8 July 2011 was presented.

  The Town Council endorses the opinion of the Planning and Building Department and denies the request.

Grants

• Global Legacy volunteering, grant application

  A proposal from Sara Bjarnason, sent by email on 13 July 2011, requesting a grant for study and voluntary work abroad, is presented.

  The town council cannot comply with the request.

• 1107240 – Sigríður M Einarsdóttir, grant application

  An online application from Sigríður M Einarsdóttir, dated 21 July 2011, has been submitted requesting assistance with the establishment of a company.

  The town council cannot comply with the request.

• 1108057 – Hafnarfjörður swimming pools, admission fee

  A request from the Welfare Committee of the Student Council of the University of Iceland for a discount on admission fees to the swimming pools of Hafnarfjörður was presented.

  The town council cannot comply with the request.

Minutes

• 1101098 – Minutes 2011, for presentation to the town council.

  The following minutes were presented for information to the Town Council on behalf of the Borough Council: $line$Minutes of the Planning and Building Committee from 9 August. p.m.$line$Environment and Operations Committee from 20 July and 10 August p.m.$line$