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Business leaders
and concerned citizens from throughout the township were invited to attend
the first mayoral meeting to discuss crucial problems affecting the area,
and develop ways to solve those problems.
Held in town hall, more than 100
people were on hand to discuss such topics as biological cleaning, tourism
development and the general improvement of the township.
Chairing the
meeting, Mayor Yiorgos Nikolakakis led it off by declaring that everyone
must start thinking about the solutions to these serious problems because
when the final countdown begins, it will be too late.
“A clean and
healthy environment is a must and not just in our daily private lives,” the
mayor said. “It will also contribute
to tourism and township development. We need to work on our biological
cleaning.”
According to the
mayor, the eastern part of the township has already completed a biological
study and is ready to be implemented by a contracting company. However, now
a study for the western part of the township needs to be undertaken.
“Also, our water
network is very old in parts and ancient in others,” he said. “We must drill
more wells and obtain water from the Aposelemi dam.”
Mayor Nikolakakis
also hit upon the fact that Iraklionites, as well as people from other parts
of Greece
and around the world, seem to like our township.
“They like the
expanse of our shore and the beauty of our inner villages, so they build
their homes and many new businesses here,” he said. “However, we must seek a
balanced development of both our agro- and urban-worlds.”
Discussing the
critical issue of tourism, he said the township offers at least 12,000 beds,
but a two-month high season is just not enough.
“One way to
further develop our tourism is to develop
social tourism,” the mayor said.
“In other words, tourism for the aged, unemployed, handicapped,
disadvantaged children. But how can we develop it? Perhaps the small hotel
units together with the tourist apartments should co-operate together to
offer proper venues for these groups. Surely there are steps to be taken to
expand our tourist season to the off months by offering tourist packages
designed for these groups.”
Councilman
Yiorgos Hirakakis, who is also
president of the township’s Committee for Tourism Development, suggested
everyone put pressure on their members of parliament to enroll the Gouves Township
in a funding program to get on with the development of a biological cleaning
system for the township.
Councilman
Hirakakis
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“Also, our
visitors want cleaner streets, better beaches, better sidewalks, information
kiosks in strategic places and, certainly, more policing,” he said. “We need
to develop agro-tourism, improve our beaches and develop the old American
base.”
Vice Mayor
Yiorgos Merambeliotakis urged for a joint effort from the area’s hoteliers
together with local government to press for necessary funds for a working
biological cleaning system in the entire township, and for much needed
revamping to bring this township up to par with contemporary tourist
destinations.
General Platakis makes his point
Emanuil Platakis,
a retired general who is now a tourist-apartment owner, suggested that
the biological cleaning system on the old American base be upgraded.
“It was built and
maintained by the Americans to service 5,000 people, and left inactive and
gathering rust since they left,” he said. “It should be patched up, dusted
and restructured to service 10,000 people.”
Apparently that
particular biological cleaning system was a good one from the get-go and,
according to information Mr. Platakis has received, the system can be
modified.
Adam Somaras,
owner of the Erato Hotel in Gournes, spoke about the terrible noise
pollution from the national road which attacks the area because there are no
trees along the newly re-structured highway to absorb the noise.
“Also, we need
more police and we also must have the proper signage on the highway,” he
said. “Tourists don’t know how to find Gournes or Kokkini from the new
highway so we lose passing-by traffic. And, of course, an internet site is a
definite must so that we may show our goods and wares.”
At that point,
Alfredos Efthymiou, manager of the Gouves Bay Hotel, interjected: “A sudden
tourism growth will bring a Malia situation to our township because we don’t
have adequate policing.”
Vice Mayor
Merambeliotakis responded that
“adequate policing during the season is a given at this point . . . we are
working towards a permanent police force on the old American base.”
He further
announced that the township expects to implement recycling in about a month
which will contribute to a cleaner
image for the demos.
Mayor Nikolakakis,
in response to General Platakis’ earlier statement, pointed out that the
biological cleaning system on base does not belong to the township but to
the ΚΕΔ
(Public Properties Service Co.), so the township is not free to touch it.
“Regardless,” he
said, “a proper biological cleaning system for the entire township will be
fully operational in five years.”
Mr. Minathakis,
manager of the Creta Sun Hotel, spoke of the importance of a patrolling
ambulance for our beaches. He pointed out that “hundreds of beach-goers
should not have to watch a heart-attack victim for one hour before an
ambulance arrives. At the very least, it is not good tourist public
relations.”
Manusos
Nikakis, owner of Manusos Taverna in Kokkini Hani,
said the township’s beachfront is “fragmented, not cared for and
presents an un-appealing picture to our visitors. The demos must take steps
to develop an attractive plan involving the entire beachfront while working
towards uniting the western with the eastern fronts and not allow different
contracting companies to develop proposals for building up small pieces
while other beach areas are allowed to rot.”
Everyone felt the meeting
was extremely beneficial, and Mayor Nikolakakis said he was appreciative of
the people’s input and suggested that these meetings be held every two
months.
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