The president of the Community Daniel Gibbs held last Saturday, his first press conference since the passage of Irma. In the preamble, he praised the government's “listening” and “the notable advances” obtained during his trip to the 3rd Inter Ministerial Meeting (RIM) last week in Paris.
The President announced that he would assume his responsibilities, as President of the Collectivity, and put in place clear and effective measures to rebuild the territory, on the basis of state support mechanisms and with the means available to the community .
Community economic recovery plan: the Phoenix Plan
For more than a month, the Collectivity has continued to act first on the ground for the distribution of food, the mucking and cleaning of the island, for which the Collectivity has already spent nearly 6 million d euros paid to local businesses, the rehabilitation of schools or even support for victims through the solidarity and families pole.
Crucial decisions were also taken in the first weeks (EC deliberation of September 22, 2017) among which the exemption from the property tax which nevertheless represents a revenue of 9 million euros for public finances.
These projects were carried out with the greatest professionalism by the agents and elected officials of the Collectivity, however themselves affected, far from television cameras and any political recovery.
The President reaffirmed that "it is up to us Saint-Martinois to redress our country".
"Act, quickly and well and shake up the procedures" as President Macron had committed when he came. President Gibbs endorsed the instruction and announced that he too would be breaking the rules locally.
The President will present his recovery plan to the next Territorial Council, the “Phoenix Plan”, which revolves around 4 components:
• Reconstruction
• Economic recovery
• The success of our children and young people
• Support for Saint-Martinois
The main lines:
On the "Reconstruction" component, our objectives are threefold:
Simplification with the elimination of the obligation to file a building permit within the framework of reconstruction sites until October 1, 2018. It will suffice to file a prior declaration of work. Instruction times will thus be greatly reduced.
Mastery because the community has the responsibility to guarantee the safety of our fellow citizens. As such, among the next decisions of the Executive Council and the Territorial Council, the town planning code will be modified in order to authorize the collectivity to postpone deciding on town planning permits while waiting to refine our knowledge of post IRMA risks for certain reconstruction projects. The redevelopment of these sectors will be redesigned, notably Sandy-Ground or Quartier d'Orléans, without forgetting the other coastal sectors. While ensuring the security of our population. This work will be done in consultation with the inhabitants.
Modernity: 3rd objective for the reconstruction of Saint-Martin. Reconstruction involves the realization of ambitious, concerted projects adapted to our environment. Thus the Grand Marigot, the redevelopment of Grand Case or the development of new housing sectors must be accelerated to meet our new reality.
In summary, reconstruction is authorized, but in the sectors most exposed to risks, the reconstruction of housing will be studied on a case-by-case basis. Economic activities, in particular hotels and restaurants in the private sector, can rebuild their buildings, taking maximum account of the safety of property and people. On the beaches, light and removable constructions will be needed. This is meticulous work for which our teams will listen to the owners individually.
Regarding the "Economic Recovery" component, 3 objectives:
Business support, Development, Diversification.
Support for businesses in the Collectivity is real. In a particularly tense context for public finances, I still decided to grant funds to our companies to help them restart.
Saint-Martin has an envelope of 24 million from European funds for the reconstruction of Saint-Martin. The President has decided to make part of these funds available to businesses in our territory. He will come back to the allocation procedures in greater detail in the coming days.
In addition, 16 million euros from the solidarity fund will be devoted to training and return to work. The President will be in Guyana at the end of the month, where he will request additional funds from the European Commission.
Development 2nd objective for Economic Recovery. Before the Irma events, the majority presented their tourism strategy for the next ten years. At the next Territorial Council, the strategy for tourism development and reconstruction 2017-2027 will be presented and proposed to the assembly for a vote.
True project of territory, this document was updated to give a direction to the Community and the professionals of tourism in this context of reconstruction.
Diversification is the third objective of Economic Recovery. This period of reconstruction is an opportunity to strengthen the position of certain sectors, in particular that of construction and construction. The ravages of climatic phenomena prove to us that we have so much to do in the sector of the green economy and energy transition.
3rd part of our "Phoenix plan": "Success", especially for the youngest so that a new ideal, a new societal approach can be reborn.
Among the measures, that of adapting education to the particularities of Saint-Martin is a priority. Organic law offers us this possibility, it is time to seize it. Just like the place of sport for the success of our children, training and access to employment for young people in Saint Martin.
Finally, the 4th component, Accompaniment of Saint-Martinois, will endeavor to rethink our social policy by reaching out to those who need it, without assistantship, in a process of proximity and development of infrastructure especially for people dependent.
The Collectivity has worked in recent weeks for the future of the territory while managing the "post-Irma" emergency. The “Phoenix Plan” is much more than a reconstruction project. It is a plan to rebuild a society that knows how to be reborn from chaos.
The President will come back to this in detail. Go to the Territorial Council on November 9 for the first applications.
_AF
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The weakness of this mayor president clown does not surprise me .... As long as unemployment is reduced we accept all compromises ... It is obvious that Saint Martin will be a phoenix that will go back to ashes and that unscrupulous investors will rebuild each time with sea sand and virtual materials and employment. Saint Barth and Sint Maartens do not make the same mistakes because they build over the long term. The Beaupertuis and the Flemings kill each other for crumbs of land because they have brâdé the rest to investors. While in ST Barth and Sint Maarten, the land belongs to local families and if we rebuild, it does not benefit foreign profiteers who do not know how to respect the principle of the coastal law. But Daniel Gibs is he Saint Martinois?