To say that this session will go down in history, no.
A lot of routine deliberation and rather dull debates. On the other hand, when the majority is overwhelming, there can be no suspense. As for the opposition, by definition in the minority, what can they do to exercise their role other than oppose?
Apparently, even President Estrosi, usually quite responsive to criticism, understood that it’s better to loosen the reins… to have calm debates where everyone plays their role.
And that’s no bad thing!
The central (actually final) point of the morning was the discussion on the budget allocations for lines 2 and 3 which, according to the opposition, could “hide” cost overruns, the game of “pluses and minuses” creating doubt.
In fact, in such a complex project, certain expenses turn out to be less than expected (that’s the case for land and construction of the work, others are more significant, like the waterproofing of the stations).
This assumption was formally denied by Philippe Pradal, who reaffirmed that the overall cost will be as planned: 721 million for line 2, 56 million for line 3.*
In response to critical interventions from the opposition (Allemand, Aral, Arnautu, Bettati), President Estrosi stigmatized the “political nature of the debate for a technical deliberation.”
In fact, this deliberation is presented as a simple reassignment modification in order to improve the readability in relation to the phasing of the works and the integration of line 3’s AP into that of L2.
But Patrick Allemand has another take: “It reflects your unrestrained taste for provocation. Which local will you convince that the entirety of the project, given the encountered setbacks, won’t cost an extra cent since you end up with the same total to the nearest euro.
More facetious Philippe Pradal, the numbers wizard according to Patrick Allemand, provided another explanation: “the opposition so wants this tramway to derail before even being put into service…”
In the end, who tells the truth and who manipulates it as they see fit? In the end, there will indeed be an assessment to say it… Too late, you might say?
Another point of some importance among those discussed in the morning, the deliberation concerning the metropolitan PLU. It’s simply about opening the procedure; the deliberation process will conclude in April 2019 after a public inquiry in 49 municipalities.
The opportunity for the environmentalist Fabrice Decoupigny to make his voice heard in defense of sustainable development and for some mayors of the upper region concerned with creating conditions to avoid too large a gap in living conditions and public services between these areas and the coastal area.
Also the opportunity to reaffirm that the agricultural lands of the Var plain will not be sacrificed for urbanization and that there will be no additional shopping centers but merely a densification of local shops.
For Christian Tordo, president of this commission and also president of EPA Plaine du Var, this plan is based “on a development project consistent with the demographic evolution perspective […] with the required density not leading to excessive space consumption.”
The last major topic addressed concerns the connection of the Mathis road exit to highway A8, a structuring axis since it will eventually serve the Grand Arénas district, the Nice Airport multimodal hub, the new SNCF station, and the connection of tram line 2.
A complex file that requires the intervention of SNCF for the relocation of the relay post and with Escota for the direct link to the highway.
A feasibility study will be launched to examine the two-phase execution of this project with partial funding from the State and other stakeholders of this project estimated at nearly 100 million euros. Execution time: first phase in 2023, second phase, indeterminate.
It’s on this timetable that Paul Cuturello (PS) pointed: “Considering the time elapsed since its launch, nearly 10 years, this file will soon be considered archaeological.”
And showing some irony…
“On May 21, 2008, nine and a half years ago, the mayor of Nice at the time stated about this project that there would be a “public debate in September” and that “the new exit could be operational in 2012.”
On December 11, 2011, the deputy in charge of works set the “start of work before March 2014.”
In February 2013, the mayor at the time stated that “work will start in the second half of 2014” and that “it is expected to be operational in 2016.”
In January 2014, the mayor at the time indicated a new schedule: “in 2016 the first part will be put into service, and in 2017 we will have the tram.”
In February 2016, the mayor of Nice unveiled a new timetable: “mid-2017 to 2019”
What to say? Castigat ridendo mores – says Horace (Ars poetica) alias Paul Cuturello.
The minor points:
(i) all the municipalities of the metropolis will be able to associate with the Enedis contract for energy distribution, more favorable, after their withdrawal from the SDEG union council
(ii) a plan (the second) to prevent environmental noise will be launched after mapping will allow a diagnosis. It foresees a consultation with infrastructure managers to coordinate interventions and behaviors. According to recorded results, the PPBE 1 plan showed that 50,000 people generally benefited from an improvement in their sound environment (limit 68 decibels). PPBE 2 aims for 20,000 more people.
(iii) a steering committee, chaired by the ardent defender of the condition and rights of repatriates Agnés Rampal, will ensure the efficiency of administrative actions to facilitate training and integration into public service for the children of Harkis.
On this occasion, there was a standoff between Christian Estrosi and Madame Arnautu regarding the primacy of their support for repatriates and auxiliaries, each claiming their quarter of nobility for the cause.
A wish
The announcement of the closure of medical beds at the Saint Martin de Vésubie hospital,
moreover without consultation with elected officials, stirred up the rural world which sees it as a hindrance to nearby public service.
The assembly is requesting, by this wish, the immediate suspension of this decision.
