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Andris Rāviņš: “In the development of any city, more important than completing one task or another is pragmatic and thoughtful action that allows the area to grow in a balanced way across all sectors. And, in my opinion, it is precisely stable, understandable, predictable, and continuous development year after year that is Jelgava’s strong suit. On a daily basis, we usually don’t think about how each of our actions together creates strong foundations for Jelgava. Therefore, in the upcoming – our city’s 760th anniversary – year, we will keep in mind that Jelgava’s stability and strength depend on each of us, who does their job every day. Yes, there have been plenty of challenges this year, but despite them, we have implemented significant projects that offer new opportunities to the people of Jelgava in education, sports, and social fields. At the end of the year, we launched a large-scale project for the development of entrepreneurship – the creation of the Zemgale Industrial Park. And that’s just one of the important tasks we will need to carry out. Therefore, on the path of the city’s development, even in the new year, Jelgava will greatly benefit from the contribution of each Jelgavian, so that, with satisfaction for what has been achieved, we can all celebrate our city’s 760th birthday together in May,” emphasizes Andris Rāviņš, Chairman of the Jelgava City Council.

This year began with clear goals but, at the same time, a tense situation in the city’s budget. “An unequal redistribution of the personal income tax between the state and municipalities, the sharply increased loan interest rates, and a series of amendments to the Local Government Law made by the state, which imposed additional functions without providing funding – all of this resulted in the challenge of finding an additional 7.7 million euros in the budget at the beginning of the year. However, our priorities for balancing the budget were clear – we needed to act in such a way that the reduction would not affect the quality of services provided to residents and would not hinder the implementation of development projects,” describes A. Rāviņš.

Did the tense financial situation delay the ongoing work?

Thanks to pragmatic planning, I can proudly say that we completed all the projects that were initiated during the previous EU funding period. In February, the reconstructed social services center on Zirgu Street began its operations, continuing to host several departments of the Social Affairs Administration and offering new social services to residents. In May, we opened the registry office in the renovated building on Pasta Street 32. In July, the new recreation area on the Lielupe Riverbank – the reconstructed Pilssala Street with its landscaped surroundings, including various sports and leisure zones – was ready for the public. In September, we opened the most modern water tourism and sports center in Latvia on Pilssala, and a modern school stadium for the students of the Central Primary School.

This year, we are continuing the reconstruction of the bypass section on Miera Street. At the same time, we have already submitted documents to the Ministry of Transport for co-financing the next section to complete the city’s important transit road.

What major projects can we highlight for the next period?

There are several, but the most significant project for the coming years, both territorially and financially, is the development of the Zemgale Industrial Park. Street reconstruction has already begun on Atmodas, Lapskalna, Slokas streets, and Meiju road, with new sections being built to connect Atmodas Street with the Dobele highway. By next fall, the infrastructure of these four streets, totaling 4.16 kilometers, will be fully reconstructed, which is a significant gain for the city environment for every resident. However, its main goal is the creation of a new industrial park in the city to develop business, attract investments, and create new jobs. The total cost of the project is 23.9 million euros, and nearly as ambitious is the planned volume of private investment once the park is created.

What is the interest of entrepreneurs in the industrial park area?

Increasing interest is confirmed by the investor applications we have already received – one involves a renewable energy investment project with the introduction of smart solutions, with the cooperation agreement expected to be signed by the end of the year. Another company is planning to develop a wood processing plant. We must acknowledge that the tense global economic situation and high international competition are serious challenges, so from the municipality’s side, we are doing everything necessary to create favorable conditions for entrepreneurs. The priority is to reduce bureaucratic burdens for entrepreneurs. Moreover, we have achieved that land for building rights can be granted to entrepreneurs not for 30 years, but for at least 70 years, with the right of first refusal. We are also seeing high added value in the nearby Kaigu Swamp area, where the construction of a wind farm has begun. This gives us confidence about future energy provision, benefiting both local businesses and the city.

Have we seen benefits from the large-scale reconstruction of Neretas, Prohorova, Garozas streets, and the section of Rubeņu Road?

By continuing several years of targeted work in this industrial zone, we have this year built two new street sections, totaling 510 meters, which Jelgava residents have named Bruģa and Gala streets. There has been a positive response from the business sector as well – the number of jobs in the Lielupe Industrial Park has grown from the initial 20 to 250 as new companies have entered the area. The potential for further growth is still high. Another significant project this year in this area is the construction of the ASNS Ingredient pea protein isolate plant, which is expected to create about 90 new jobs and open the door for other food production companies using pea protein isolate in their products. This clearly demonstrates that investments lead to results. Next year, we will continue with the construction of another new street section in this area.

As the number of jobs increases, the issue of availability of housing becomes even more urgent.

Indeed, this is one of the reasons why the construction of low-rent housing with 116 apartments on Ganību Street was such a highly anticipated project. We are now seeing how the first building of the “Jelgavas īres nami” company, which uses modular construction, is taking shape. It is expected to be completed by next summer, with apartments available for rent in the fall. These apartments will be primarily available to qualified specialists moving to the city, as well as families who previously had no opportunity to register for rental apartments. We encourage eligible residents to apply to the municipality already.

We are also pleased with other projects that add to the city’s housing stock – the construction of apartments on Cukura Street, and the conversion of the building on Blaumaņa Street into a multi-apartment house. Moving forward, we will continue to seek opportunities to respond to demand with supply.

What is the progress on the Nameja Street kindergarten construction?

This year, with additional funding allocated, our project has been approved, meaning we can continue the work, and the kindergarten on Nameja Street will be built. The project is not simple, but the long-term benefits should be assessed – our goal is to create a development-friendly, modern, and well-equipped educational environment for 250 young Jelgava residents, which will be in demand for decades to come.

This year, we have completed significant work – the infrastructure on three street sections near the planned kindergarten: 2nd, 3rd line, and Nameja Street has been organized. A new Čiekuru Street has been built next to the kindergarten, a name that Jelgava residents chose in a vote. Thus, another city block has received a well-organized environment and infrastructure, fostering development in the private construction sector.

To support the city’s families and young residents, this year we also made other significant investments in infrastructure and support measures. At the “Sprīdītis” kindergarten, the premises were renovated, and a new group was opened. Thanks to the European Social Fund project implemented by the municipality, 320 children now have the opportunity to attend five private kindergartens without parental co-payment, and we have increased the municipality’s co-financing for private preschool institutions and nannies.

Several projects this year focused on mitigating climate change.

By signing the Covenant of Mayors in 2009, Jelgava committed to reducing CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030, and this year we continued to pursue this green course.

The impacts of climate change were strongly felt in the city this year, especially during the major floods at the end of July. Efforts to fully address the damage caused by the disaster are still ongoing. In November, we provided support to Jelgava residents whose properties were affected by the disaster, with a total payout of nearly 900,000 euros. The process of compensating for damages in multi-apartment buildings’ shared spaces is still ongoing. The damage to municipal infrastructure is measured in millions. While we fully understand the need to improve the stormwater management system in the city, we have already developed projects for this work several years ago, but until now, neither the state nor the EU funds have allocated money for these tasks. Finally, this process has started, and we are now launching projects with ready-made plans, aiming to invest more than 11 million euros in stormwater management projects in the city in the coming years. This will undoubtedly be one of the key tasks for the next few years – strengthening the city’s internal security.

Further work has been done to mitigate climate change – we continue modernizing street lighting in the city, having rebuilt lighting on 70 street sections, parks, and squares, reaching 70% of the city’s public lighting network. At the “Brakšķi” landfill, a biodegradable waste processing plant has been built, which, through efficient sorting, will help reduce the volume of waste sent to landfills in the long term and promote the return of resources to the economy. Next year, we plan to continue researching the use of green energy in the city’s vehicles – we will be testing a hydrogen-powered bus for a longer period, with its refueling station to be located in the “Gren” company area.

What are the municipality’s goals for the new year?

The main task is economic development, where growth is not possible without the improvement of infrastructure and the development of education, healthcare, and social sectors. This means implementing ongoing projects and starting new ones. We will continue improving the educational environment – by building a library and a modern stadium suitable for national defense lessons at Spīdola State Gymnasium. We will continue improving sports infrastructure in other schools as well. Special attention will be given to the city’s internal security – several projects aim to enhance the civil protection material base and ensure better responses in emergency situations. With the introduction of the participation budget, we will continue realizing the infrastructure development ideas of Jelgava residents on a broader scale.

In the context of global events, the most valuable thing now is the stable daily life we have achieved – facing challenges, we have become more united and skilled. Thank you to each Jelgava resident for their involvement, responsiveness, support, and interest!