Carlos César announced that the Government of the Azores will award the construction works of Block C of the Horta Hospital by the end of this month or in early February.
The President of the Government made the decision known during the meeting of the Council of the Government with the President of the Horta City Hall, João Castro, at the last of a series meetings held with the nine municipalities from the islands where the regional secretaries are headquartered, which are not covered by the Government’s annual statutory visits.
As the President of the Government stated, this work – which includes physical therapy services, outpatient consultation and obstetrics inpatient – will be carried out in the area where the current block is located, which will be demolished and its cost is estimated between 13 and 14 million Euros.
In addition to the construction of Block C, due to start in July, the Government has decided to proceed immediately with the awarding of the Addiction Centre, a support and consultation institution with intervention in the area of dependences, such as drugs or alcohol, Carlos César estimates that this centre may start its operation in the last quarter of 2011.
Another important decision was announced during the meeting held with the Horta City Hall, which concerns the presentation of a proposal – though already accepted by the Port and Maritime Transport Institute (IPTM) – to install the archipelago’s coastal VTS system on the island of Faial.
This is a system that comprises a set of stations from NATO’s naval radio network, thus being “an installation of significant visibility in this international context,” stressed Carlos César.
Furthermore, the Government has decided to anticipate the start of the first phase of the works of the Horta Basic Education School, an investment with an estimated budget of eight million Euros. The respective public call for tenders will be launched in coming weeks.
The President of the Government stated that the first phase will cover the building for the administrative services and a block of classrooms whilst the second phase will include the sports area and the current middle school block, adding that he expected the works to be in progress by mid-2011.
The construction of a Waste Processing Centre is another public call for tender to be launched on the island of Faial. In this context, Carlos César explained that it was necessary to adjust some technical details in the existing project, but this call for tenders would take place in the first semester, perhaps as early as March.
In a partnership with the City Hall, the Government will carry out the project to renew the seaside road. Moreover, Carlos César announced that the second phase of the renewal works of the Horta bay will be completed by mid-2012, particularly the fisheries centre, the vessel parking area the and redevelopment of the Praça Manuel de Arriaga. According to information previously released, these works should start in the beginning of the next legislature.
Emphasising the positive balance of these meetings for the Government – which have allowed “to correct aspects of its performance as well as to take new initiatives” – Carlos César announced other governmental decisions at the meeting with the Horta City Hall, such as the drafting of a construction project for a new slaughterhouse on a terrain to be transferred by the municipality, given that the current unit no longer meets the requirements and, consequently, its renewal is not advantageous.
Interventions in some roads of the rural and forest roads network on the island of Faial, in the water supply to the villages of Feteira, Castelo Branco and Flamengos as well as in the electrification of farms were other measures taken by the Government in the agricultural sector.
In the area of sports, the Government will install, in a partnership with the City Hall, synthetic grass on the field of the Atlético Clube, or of Sporting, or even on both, after the conduction of a study on the actual needs.
The creation of a day nursery in the city of Horta with a capacity for 50 to 70 children; the support to occupational activities for the unemployed; the completion of the museographic project for the “Casa Manuel de Arriaga” (Manuel de Arriaga House), which Carlos César expect to be opened this year; and the construction of car park near the Sporting premises were other decision taken at this meeting of the Council of the Government with the President of the Horta City Hall, João Castro.