Changes in road traffic, new accommodation for refugees, fees for municipal services: The city council must and wants to inform the public about these and many other topics in good time. This is also required by law. Section 20 of the municipal code for Baden-Württemberg (opens in a new tab) states the following: “In the case of important plans and projects of the municipality that are of direct spatial or developmental significance or have a lasting impact on the economic, social and cultural well-being of its inhabitants, the inhabitants should be informed as early as possible about the basis as well as the objectives, purposes and effects.” But what exactly is “as early as possible”?
Procedure using a concrete example
The search for new accommodation for refugees is a typical example. Because it is clear that the city administration is legally obliged to accommodate people. And also wants to accommodate them out of a humanitarian responsibility. As soon as it is necessary to create new places - and this is currently the case all the time - various departments of the city administration examine the local conditions and look for options. The real estate office checks its own existing municipal buildings for suitability for accommodation and contacts owners or operators of other properties, such as hotels or apartment buildings. The Office for Urban Planning and Housing examines available areas for container sites or modular buildings. Only when all other options have been exhausted do gymnasiums and sports halls remain as the absolute last alternative for emergency accommodation.
When searching for vacant areas, vacant existing buildings and other options, the property management department naturally also follows up suggestions and offers from the public. District councils are just as active here as residents or companies who report unused spaces and vacant hotel beds. On a smaller scale and also very helpful, private individuals rent out their apartments and houses to refugees via the city of Stuttgart. You can find out what you need to bear in mind on the page “Renting out property for refugees”.
Following this initial assessment, the next step is for the individual municipal departments in the “Accommodation for refugees” task force to look at the options and the various aspects of concrete implementation, such as the building law department on building law, the fire department on fire protection, the environmental protection department on species protection if necessary and the social welfare department on social compatibility. If an option could be considered, it is pursued further and specified, for example in the form of a feasibility study for a location with modular buildings. The city then obtains the local view and asks the responsible body for advice: the district councils consider the proposals and cast their vote. It is important to note that the decision made is to be seen as a recommendation for the municipal council and has no binding effect. Only the main bodies of the city, i.e. the municipal council and the Lord Mayor, are authorized to make decisions.
Using committee meetings as a source of information
Everyone can find out much earlier. This is because both the meetings of the district advisory councils and those of the municipal council are open to the public unless there are objective reasons why they should not be held in public. All residents of a city have the opportunity to attend and thus gain an impression of the situation.
Communication with residents
In order to communicate the municipal council’s decision to the general public, the city administration uses numerous channels: the official gazette, social media and this newsletter as its own media as well as press releases, which can then be taken up for reporting in regional and national daily newspapers, television and many more.
As it is very important to the city administration to involve residents in as many ways as possible, detailed questions about the specific design will of course be examined on site and - if possible - implemented. This includes the arrangement of the modules in relation to neighboring buildings and the search for alternative areas, for example for sports facilities. The aim is to find out more about the legitimate interests, including through the district councillors, to balance them out and ultimately make decisions that represent the common good.