The problems of ice cream cones continue in Sibiu. This time, two ice cream merchants on Pietonala Nicolae Bălcescu participated in the Local Council meeting where they presented themselves as being unjustified by the Public Sanitation Service, Environmental Protection and Public Domain Administration. The mayor of Sibiu, Astrid Fodor, provided an answer to clarify the problem faced by the two merchants.
The ice cream cones of a merchant on Pietonala Nicolae Bălcescu were removed by Sibiu City Hall, after he was left without authorization. (DETAILS HERE)
The same trader, Marius Mațiu, was present on Tuesday at the City Council where he presented his problem. “I own a space for rent, on Nicolae Bălcescu, at no. 1-3. In 2023 we received permission to occupy the public domain on a seasonal terrace, in front of the space on Nicolae Bălcescu, in order to have two tons of ice cream. In short, in the year 2024, following the request to occupy the space on the public domain, I received an answer that this opinion can no longer be issued until 28.02. 2024, and on the 29th to raise the terrace as there is another request. I sent countless addresses to the Public Domain, through which I showed that in HCL010 at Article 7, which shows if there are many applicants for occupying the public domain for the location of the terrace, if the applicants do not agree, an auction must be organized. I had an audience with the director of the Public Domain Service, Popa Maria, and after the discussion with him, he indicated to me that we should make a request on the vacant land, on the right at no. 1-3”, said Matiu.
The merchant says he is wronged because he is not being given a place to sell his ice cream. “I requested and submitted documentation to receive a favorable opinion in front of the store “June” and the manager told me that he saw no reason not to approve it. I note that this place is also currently free. I applied with all the necessary documentation to occupy that place and it was rejected, one of the reasons being that I don’t have a storefront on the street. Given that there is room for everyone, I request that the law be applied and that I no longer be discriminated, discredited and persecuted, and that favorable approval be granted for occupying the terrace, especially since there is room for everyone. I invested all my agony. I have made investments, I have stock of goods”, said the ice cream trader.
“Similarly in 2023 I activated Bălcescu, at no. 39, on trade – frozen sale, and this year I received an unfavorable notice because there is a request for a terrace location, this is made by someone who does not have street frontage and is basically the mirror image for which I do not receive approval at no. .1-3. I submitted documentation for approval at no. 20 and there I was rejected on the grounds that this approval cannot be issued until a situation regarding a conflict of interests arising from the release of the operating agreement is clarified,” added Matiu.
The response of the director of the Public Service
Director of the Public Sanitation Service, Environmental Protection and Administration of the Public Domain Sibiu, Ioan Popa answered the merchant. “Regarding the case of the company MXM SRL, it made a request to occupy the public domain for the terrace in front of the space on Bălcescu, no. 1-3. The request was approved unfavorable because the space of the company MXM SRL does not have street frontage in Bălcescu, it is a very clear provision in HCL 110/2009. For the other situation, it is about another procedure for approving an ice cream stand, there was a committee to evaluate all the offers, it was an online procedure. The commission rejected his request. Next, after February 28, when the company’s notice expired, it was summoned to vacate the public domain, this was not done, a procedure was carried out to evict the company’s assets from the public domain. There were requests to the Court from the company to obtain a presidential ordinance, a request that was rejected. there is still the possibility of going to the Courts to oblige the service to give a favorable opinion. I mention that each request is analyzed punctually according to the documents and the situation of the applicant”, said Popa.
At the same time, the Mayor of Sibiu reproached the director of the Public Service that next time he should discuss either in writing or with the law in front of him so that there are no interpretations. “When you have discussions, either do not discuss and give the answer in writing, or with the law in front of you so that we are very clear because you see that it is stated that you said it is possible”, said the mayor of Sibiu.
“I didn’t come to argue”
The merchant Mțaiu insisted on asking why in other years Nicolae Bălcescu was given space and why this year it was not possible. “I didn’t come here to argue. I am not a man from the street, I am a man with ASE in Bucharest, with a master’s degree in economics. I’m not a golan. I didn’t come to cause a scandal, I just want the law to be respected. The director says that in Decision 010 something is said about street frontage, but there is no mention of street frontage. (…) Last year I had the right to be in the same place, from which they evicted me this year. I met the conditions, I stood in front of the space, and now on a free space next to me I can no longer meet, because I have no street frontage, but last year how did I meet?
Another ice cream merchant, same complaints
Paul Horobet is another ice cream merchant who says he is in a similar situation to his colleague, Matiu. “I have the same problem as my colleague. I have been a trader since 2011 on Nicolae Bălcescu Street. Together with my sister, I own an ice cream making laboratory and two work stations. I am coming before you and asking for help because since January 3rd I have been receiving responses from the Public Domain and I have received only negative responses. According to HCL 66/2023, on December 15, when there was registration for the street vendors’ stands, I registered on the city hall’s website, and on January 3 we had to submit the documents to the Public Domain. On January 2, I learned from another merchant that we have an appointment at the same time. I didn’t understand what was happening, and the next day when I went to deposit at the counter I found out that I was registered in the Hippodrome parking lots. Immediately after signing up, I found out that one of the merchants had 9 appointments on the correct list and was asking 2,500 euros for each appointment, he wanted to sell them. Then in despair of losing my point of work, I made a new request for terraces. We requested 200 square meters,” said merchant Paul Horobet.
Fodor: “We don’t talk about past years anymore”
The mayor of Sibiu came with a firm answer to the two merchants. “We are not talking about the past years. We are in 2024 when the leadership has changed and the leadership there has a different vision. It channels the normative acts that apparently have not been very carefully studied in the last two, three, four years. Mr. Director Popa proposed to study, together with his three lawyers, these normative acts. The Service was reorganized precisely with the idea of doing better and eliminating what was discussed before, for which it was not promoted in the draft decision”, said the Mayor of Sibiu, Astrid Fodor.
Read also: The first scandal of the year in Sibiu. Ice cream and corn merchants on Bălcescu accuse the City Hall of sabotage and tricks (video photo)
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