(Hai Fe) - The trainees of the Bnei Akiva youth movement, full of motivation and good will, decided to embark on a social action for the visitors of the Nahal Saadia reserve. They organized themselves, brought wood, tools and began to build benches that would be placed for the benefit of the travelers.
The activity progressed and the area was filled with energies of doing and giving. Several benches were already in place, ready for use, and the campers were excited for the continuation of the project. But then, just when the hands were inclined to another blessed act, Haifa municipality inspectors arrived and stopped everything.
Activities of Bnei Akiva trainees in the field ► Watch
According to the inspectors, placing benches in public space requires municipal approval and the fulfillment of strict standards requirements, which guarantee safety and stability, as well as compatibility with the environment. The campers had to stop the activity and even dismantle the benches that had already been placed, with a heavy heart and with a sense of disappointment.
The Haifa Municipality responded: "The Municipality of Haifa cherishes and appreciates social and educational initiatives, such as the activities of youth movement trainees, which operate from the values of contributing to the community and improving the public space. At the same time, it is important to clarify that the authority to place street furniture, including benches, in the public space - and especially in ecologically sensitive places such as a river Saadia - exclusively given to the municipality. In this case, benches were placed in the public space without any Coordination or prior approval from the municipality.
Beyond that, benches and pieces of furniture placed in the public space are obliged to meet strict standard requirements concerning safety, stability and their compatibility with the environment, with the aim of ensuring public peace and the preservation of the ecological space. Since these benches did not pass appropriate tests and a municipal permit was not obtained for them, the activists were required to remove them from the place."
I don't know what the article is about, but safety/stability/adaptability to the environment: really, but just like the roads and sidewalks in Haifa!!
Instead of the municipality contributing to this welcome activity of the youth, sending experts to build safety benches (important!), and also publicizing this great act, our municipality simply stops the activity. Municipality of Haifa, Yahav, - the stupidity can be corrected!!!
If someone was sitting there and got cut by a nail/fell because the bench wasn't stable, who would be responsible?
It's a shame that Haifa cities are not that efficient, it's a mess and pollution of Nahal Saadia. Good and blessed morning to everyone.
It's a shame that the Haifa municipality is not that effective, it's about the dirt and pollution of Nahal Saadia (and other places) and is in a hurry to act against good citizens and not against serial lawbreakers and criminals
Haifa? Or a dream? Of course he dreamed
It is not the first time that the Haifa municipality destroys what volunteers are preparing in Nahal Saadia.
They also did the same to the beautiful sign they made voluntarily... right?
I wonder what they have against this nature reserve?
How did an inspector get there so quickly?
Try to complain and call to monitor something.. takes days if anything.
I wonder if the municipality supports volunteering. There are ways to channel the volunteering so that the result meets the requirements of environmental protection and safety.
Blessed giving don't stop. And I hope that this time they will do it in coordination with the Haifa municipality and then it will have a bigger echo.
The municipality is of course right, it is not clear who thinks that the public space is open to every whim. Whether it's benches, pirate stickers, graffiti, a shade gazebo, or any other initiative by residents / artists / youth movements, it needs to be regulated. The public space belongs to everyone and there is a municipal authority that regulates what will happen there. If the campers did not check in advance if they are allowed to place benches then the problem is with them.
It's a lack of education. Nowhere in the world do residents do justice for themselves.
And by the way, the municipality should be called to also regulate all kinds of illegal "cheap corners" that are produced inside Huadiot, pirate commemorative sites and pirate paths and to stop the destruction of Huadiot. Initiatives are nice, as long as they are approved and coordinated for the benefit of all residents, including the participation of the public, including the approval of the authorities. Do not do anything in the public space without permission - it does not belong only to you.
It can be a good lesson in youth movements to distinguish between private space and public space. Including protests that take over the public space in a pirate manner and harm it and the residents.
It is true that they will check the equipment of the boys, if it is not correct that the Arya will initiate the assembly of its own equipment, apparently there is a need for this corner for benches and tables
Finally a mature and relevant response. Not whining like the other comments.
So instead of disassembling and disappointing the campers, send a safety engineer to confirm the benches instead (of course if they are in good condition) and don't cause them to lose heart and also reduce their motivation to help the environment and the community.
It is true that the municipality is free to send an engineer at any given moment. I will also build a bench next to the house and ask for municipal approval later
I very much agree with you
So instead of thinking that the public place is their mother's - let them make a responsible, legal and mature move and apply in advance to get permits. Here it does not mean looting the territories or Givat, I do what I want in Samaria.