News, Sandefjord municipality | Some of the city’s most important cases were decided

News, Sandefjord municipality | Some of the city’s most important cases were decided – Read the summaries here!

These are some of the cases:

Annual accounts and annual report.
Future ownership in Sandefjord Bredbånd.
Area regulation Håsken.
Tivoli plot – final report for the feasibility study.
Open kindergarten in Sandefjord.
Age-friendly Sandefjord second-hand shop.

■ See the entire agenda for the municipal council here.

This is what Sandefjords Blad has written about the topics in advance:

Questions about the “big school” on Vesterøya

The municipal council was opened in the usual way, with questions from the elected representatives. Before Thursday’s proceedings, there were several interpellations from the local politicians, in addition to a citizen’s question from Mette Lundby.

Lundby asked questions regarding the public health coordinator’s involvement during the treatment process of the new “big school” on Vesterøya.

Mayor Bjørn Ole Gleditsch (H) received questions from the politicians in the municipal council about boat ramps, activity offers in the city centre, land boundaries, guidelines for cultural events, the city’s historic buildings and case processing time in the municipality.

After the question round, there was a break before the evening’s matters will come up for consideration.

Sandefjord Bredbånd’s future is decided

The first case out was area regulation by Håsken. The case was recommended to be postponed by the municipal director. The local politicians unanimously agreed to the recommendation and the case is postponed as it will be sent back to the administration.

With them, the matter will be assessed again, then with input from the local politicians who sit on various committees in the municipality.

Soon after, one of the evening’s biggest matters is up for consideration, namely the sale of Sandefjord Bredbånd.

The mayor himself took the floor first. He submitted a joint proposal from the Høyre, Sp and Frp; which states that the municipality’s minimum price for the company will be increased from NOK 1 billion to NOK 1.1 billion. The price has been set NOK 200 million higher than the municipal director’s recommended minimum price.

The municipal director will also be able to seek help to optimize the price.

(The article continues below the picture)

Shortly afterwards, Aps Bjørn Orerød took the floor. He put forward another proposal.

The proposal states that the municipality shall consider a sale. The proposal will not bind the municipality to a sale, but will allow the director of the municipality and the administration to use the funds necessary to find the best buyer, price and time to sell.

The municipality will then be able to make a choice whether they want to sell or not.

SV and Rødt put forward a joint proposal to keep companies in municipal ownership.

The parties believe that as important an infrastructure as the internet is, it is an advantage that it is owned by the municipality. In addition, they emphasized the financial security of keeping the company, rather than putting a sale sum into a fund.

The proposal from Rødt and SV failed when it received only three votes. The minority was Øverbye, SV; Wikran Larsen, Rødt and Mentzoni, KrF.

Furthermore, there was a point-by-point vote. The local politicians concluded that 100 percent of Sandefjord Bredbånd should be sold.

Decision to sell Sandefjord Broadband:

On Thursday evening, the municipal council adopted the following:

Sandefjord municipality is starting a process to sell 100 percent of the shares in Sandefjord Bredbånd AS.
The buyer is required to continue a service and operations office in Sandefjord for five years with corresponding staffing and service level.
The municipal director is given a mandate to carry out the sale within a minimum price of NOK 1.1 billion. The municipal director is also given a mandate to bring in the necessary sales assistance to optimize the price, as well as legal assistance in preparations for and execution of sales.
During the sales process, the board of directors is continuously informed about progress.
A final agreement with a possible buyer is presented to the municipal council for approval.
The municipal director is asked to come back with a separate file with proposals for the management of, and regulations for, any sales surplus in a separate fund.

Source: Sandefjord municipality

Wants an energy park

In the evening, the issue of Torp Øst came up in the municipal council. The municipality wishes to be able to establish jobs on the property they bought back in 2006.

There was broad agreement that it is time for the municipality to benefit from the area by the airport.

– The cohort that was born when the property was bought is ready for next year, said future Conservative group leader, Henriette Elnan Steinsholt (H).

In addition to the business area and airport, the elected representatives want a future-oriented energy park in the area.

The Labor Party’s Bjørn Orerød again raised his proposal to change the wording of the decision. He believes it will open the way for greater progress in the establishment.

The local politicians alternatively voted for Orerød’s amendment in point number five. It didn’t get enough votes.

Thus, the board’s recommendation was adopted.

The decision on Torp Øst:

The municipal council passed the following Thursday evening:

The municipal director is asked to implement an area plan for Torp. The plan will take care of future land needs for Torp Airport and the land for the business area Torp Øst.
In the further work on the study of the commercial area at Torp Øst, the areas are set aside for the following purposes: A: The business area with mixed purposes. B: Airport. C: Temporary and or future-oriented energy park.
The administration is asked to obtain advice from professional groups that have experience and special expertise in the development of business areas.
The State Administrator in Vestfold and Telemark is being asked to extend the restrictions for regulation of the Torp regional business area by four years.
The chairmanship asks the administration to make arrangements for private actors to contribute to infrastructure investments – in exchange for buying parts of the area. The administration comes back with a case outlining alternative solutions.

(The article continues below the picture)

Shop or warehouse?

At the Kastet recycling station, there has been talk of starting a second-hand shop. This has started a debate as questions have been raised about the financial aspects, if the shop is to be owned by the municipality.

The idea first came in an interview from Anne Strømøy (H) in autumn 2021.

Now it has become a political matter and after assessment by the administration, price tags with amounts in the millions have arrived. This has caused local politicians to look for alternatives.

The politicians also discussed whether the municipality should step in and become a competitor against other thrift stores in the city.

Anne Strømøy then put forward her proposal to ask Fønix and other players who are already on the market if they want to run a second-hand shop at Kastet.

Orerød (Ap) became aware of this proposal. He believes the idea originates from the Labor Party during the chairmanship.

– I feel the Conservative Party always ends up with the proposals, even when they originally come from others. In this matter, Ap proposed to involve Fønix. Now the Conservative Party ends up with that proposal again. I’m getting a little tired of that, says Orerød.

After an electronic group meeting, Orerød announced that the Labor Party would support Strømøy’s proposal.

Decision on second-hand shop at Kastet:

On Thursday evening, the municipal council adopted the following:

Work continues with the aim of establishing a second-hand shop.
The municipal director is asked to enter into dialogue with Fønix or others who might be relevant with a view to running such an offer in Sandefjord.
If you are not successful in finding other players to build and run a store, the matter will be considered politically.

Have laid the framework for the Tivoli plot

Despite the fact that the meeting was in overtime, none of the local politicians were asleep when the Tivoli plot was to be discussed and decided.

The case has been going on for a lifetime and several expressed their joy that something would finally be decided.

In the debate, there were several arguments for and against development of the central square in the center of Sandefjord.

Cathrine Andersen (Frp) stood by what she said in the chairmanship. She believes the municipality has other matters and areas that are in greater need of funding than the cultural school and library in the city centre.

In addition, she does not think that the Tivoli plot is the right area for education.

Karin Virik (independent) expressed her desire to include the Bathing Park in the future planning.

Tor Steinar Mathiassen thought this was too much, as the future work on the Tivoli site will be extensive.

The case in itself does not decide anything for the Tivoli plot, but sets the framework for the future work.

In great excitement, the vote was taken in the municipal council hall.

The elected representatives voted on the board’s recommendation, and after several decades the issue of the Tivoli plot has finally been decided.

Tivolitomta’s decision:

This is how the elected representatives in Sandefjord voted:

The final report from the feasibility study for the Tivoli plot is taken for information: Adopted against 5 votes.
Main move 3 should provide guidance for further planning work: Adopted against 6 votes.

Karin Virik’s proposal to include the Bathing Park received 8 votes, and was therefore not adopted.

The elected representatives went for “main action 3”. It says that Folketshus, which is located at Hvaltorget, is considered to be developed for other city center purposes. While the Tivoli plot, with a car park, is being regulated and developed into a library and cultural school as part of a new center for experience, education, learning and play.