From a group of neighbors of Santa Maria de L'Avall, we want to convey our concern about how the upcoming extraordinary assembly is being managed and, in general, about the recent actions of the Board of Delegates.

We remind you that the Board members are neighbors who represent us all and that, as such, they must act with transparency, guarantee participation, and respect the rights of all owners.

Incidents detected in the assembly call

Since the announcement of the extraordinary assembly, a series of events have occurred that have generated confusion and unease among many neighbors:

  • Last-minute changes to the assembly date, initially scheduled for February 1st and subsequently moved to February 8th.
  • Confusing information disseminated via WhatsApp groups, such as the alleged decision to send electronic notifications, a decision that does not appear in the minutes of any assembly.
  • Requests for email address confirmation, with the risk that some owners may not receive the notification if their data is incorrect.
  • Mention of registration lists or prior accreditation to be able to vote, without a clear and formal explanation of the procedure existing.
  • Notifications received in an irregular and chaotic manner: as of January 28th, several neighbors have still not received any official communication.
  • Introduction of a new vote delegation system, based on codes and names, without sufficient prior information.
  • Capacity limitations, which could prevent the attendance of all owners.
  • An agenda that does not allow for real debate on alternatives, assigning clearly insufficient time to this key point.

Lack of transparency and risk of invalidity of decisions

We consider that this way of proceeding, characterized by capacity restrictions, difficulties in notification, unclear voting systems, and poor data management, violates the participation and voting rights of the owners.

These circumstances could invalidate any decision adopted at the assembly or, worse, prevent a serene and profound debate on a matter of great importance for the majority of neighbors: the solution to sewage treatment in Santa Maria de L'Avall.

City Council position and viable alternatives

After the meeting held with the Mayor and the City Council, we understand that the will of the council does not correspond to the haste or the method being followed by the Board. The City Council has expressed its support for studying alternatives with more time and rigor, which are:

  • Lower cost.
  • More ecological.
  • Compatible with the Catalan Water Agency (ACA).
  • Adapted to the topography and economic viability of the urbanization.
  • Aligned with European regulations, which currently do not mandate immediate execution, allowing things to be done right.

Our request to the City Council was to carry out a serious and complete study, a commitment that was assumed after a meeting with the ACA. We also consider that the safest option would be for the City Council itself to assume, once the solution is defined, the contracting of the final project, since it is the one who must authorize, endorse, and tender it.

In this way, future problems derived from defaults or complex situations on occupied plots, banking entities, etc., which would end up affecting all neighbors, would be avoided.

The council has also conveyed to us that this is a long process, which must be addressed with majority agreements and taking into account the rest of the pending urbanizations, as well as possible adaptations of ordinances and legal aspects. They committed to asking the Provincial Council for a study to see the viability of possible alternative solutions to sewerage.

Proposals for a participatory and transparent process

Given this situation, we believe that a decision of this magnitude cannot be made with limited or biased information. We propose:

  • Prioritize the participation of all owners.
  • Guarantee a clear and sufficient presentation of all alternatives, with the explicit support of the City Council.
  • Establish clear and accessible voting rules for everyone.
  • Facilitate voting in a suitable space or in the common area of the urbanization, even for more than one day, so that all neighbors entitled to vote can do so.
  • Evaluate the creation of neighborhood commissions to study the different technical, economic, and legal aspects before bringing a final decision to the assembly.

Next steps

We will formally request that the assembly agenda be adjusted to the true concerns of the neighbors and allow for a real and constructive debate. Depending on the Board's response, we will assess the next steps to take.

Our goal is not to block decisions, but to make them right, with transparency, participation, and thinking about the general interest of Santa Maria de L'Avall.