WHO’S WHO IN FUERTEVENTURA
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Domingo Curbelo Morales – Councillor for Energy, Transports, Youth, Housing, Presidency and Relations with the Press for the Ayuntamiento of Puerto del Rosario
“Our greatest challenge is to create the municipal Institute for ground development and housing” FMHOY - Fuerteventura We are meeting with the Councillor for Energy, Transports, Youth, Housing, Presidency and Relations with the Press for the Ayuntamiento of Puerto del Rosario, Domingo Curbelo Morales. It is the first time that we meet him and we would like to find out about his career until he went into politics. This is your first term, tell us about your path until you took on this position at the ayuntamiento. I worked at the airport for 12 years, until I decided to take a different path. I have been with the PSOE for seven years, and I have always liked the idea of serving the population in a public or administrative position. I started at the ayuntamiento of Puerto del Rosario as an aid to the mayor, in August 2020. Later, two councillors resigned for personal reasons, and as I was number 7 on the lists, I was offered to take over their sectors, in addition to being an aid to the mayor. This is how I became a councillor. Although you already knew about the administration, what is the reality of working as a councillor? I really enjoy it, I feel proud of being able to help others. We know that the administration has its delays, and it doesn’t go as fast as we would like, but we can’t spend public funds without the appropriate procedures and requests. We have to find ways of carrying out what needs to be done, and I don’t usually take “no” for an answer. What would you like to achieve in your sectors before the end of the term? It is a difficult time because there is very little time left, and there will be even less when we start the campaigns. However, I am trying to push through the projects that are underway or about to be completed so that few remain pending as possible. Regarding Transports, we carried out a socio-economic survey so that the nine taxi licences we have been granted, can be extended, and for them all to be for adapted vehicles. We have also created a transport table, which didn’t exist, and is currently in the hands of the legal department so that we can present it to a plenary session, in September, at the latest. Regarding the Youth sector, we were able to help financially a few neighbourhood associations, although the budgets were low. We also relaunched the Lebrancho Rock Festival, which was created 20 years ago and had lost some of its Heavy Rock essence. Moreover, after not being able to organise it for three years, it was tough, but we managed to get a legendary lineup in rock culture. The feedback was very good, and we are happy to have relaunched it. Furthermore, the first “Electronic-sports” video game tournament, that took place in the multipurpose centre of El Charco, in July, was a success. We have also presented the Strategic Youth Plan, which is an initiative that I took over from the previous councillor because I believe that once something has been presented, it has to be executed. What can you tell us about the important Housing sector? Puerto del Rosario’s ayuntamiento hadn’t purchased any completed homes for the past 20 years. With what was left from the 2021 budgets, we dedicated € 750
000 to acquireeight homes that can temporarily solve very serious eviction cases. We want to prevent the terrible situations that we have experienced, which we can solve temporarily and we want the population to be aware that they can get support from the ayuntamiento. One of our other greatest challenges is to create the municipal Institute for ground development and housing. The Housing law dates back to 2004, and maybe Covid brought something good amongst all the bad. Indeed, since 2020, the Canarian Government has modified this decree, so that local ayuntamientos, through institutions, can become a direct link with the Canarian Government, and this is why we are creating the Institute for Ground Development and Housing. We are also taking advantage of this situation, together with the councillor Chano Franquis, to speed up the build of social housing, with 80 homes, that we so desperately need. 58 of them will be in Don Quijote Street and the others in El Matorral. The contracts have already been allocated and the build should start during the last trimester. Is there anything else you would like to add? Regarding the Energy sector, we are still giving out help for photovoltaic energy, for both individuals and businesses. Out of the €50 000 budget, most of it is paid out to individuals as they have presented most of the projects, but applications can still be handed in until September 15th. I still have my position as an aid for the mayor, like a lightning rod that receives the pressure from all the sectors and the daily situations that come up.