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Director and producer Elena Reimerytė’s “Spalvos” LRT program appeared on February 15 and soon spread on social media.
It was shared by many people, not skimping on their comments about the fact that the vegetation in Vilnius is not properly cared for or that centuries-old trees are not preserved.
The story of July 7
In his first show, while writing lrt.lt, its creators reviewed the situation in Vilnius: for the last ten years, the city has been increasingly discussing the reduction of mature trees and the change of parks.
“The program covers seven 120-year-olds from July who were injured during reconstruction. Citizens, municipality representatives and tree specialists from Lithuania and abroad will debate whether this July is not part of the country’s deepest problems for understand the role of trees in society ”, reads the presentation of the program.
You can see a shortened version of the program, more precisely a clipboard, in the “Colors” program on Facebook.
The program mainly talks about the seven surviving linden trees in Lukiškės Square, but does not skimp on criticism about other decisions of the Vilnius municipality regarding the preservation of old trees in the city, the attitude towards them and the frequent felling of healthy trees.
Photo of Sigismund Gedvila / 15min / Plaza Lukiškės
In addition to landscape specialists and public figures who are actively interested in preserving vegetation in the capital, Giedrė Čeponytė, the former head of the Vilnius Municipality Vegetation Department, was also interviewed.
He received the most criticism after the show: he said that he had not made decisions about the old trees in Lukiškės square, but that he was filmed showing with his finger which file should be cut “for composition”, confirming that he had cut the bushes or approving next to Gediminas avenue.
The mayor outlined the challenges and achievements
Facebook users who shared the recording of the program did not skimp on comments from these municipal staff and demanded responses from the mayor.
The latter stated that the programs were not seen and they would not see if the announcement was sufficient.
However, a few days later, over the weekend, R. Šimašius published a very extensive record about the trees and their condition in Vilnius.
“About the people, the city and the trees. Warning: a long read that can change your attitude. I will tell you a little about what is happening here in Vilnius with trees and vegetation. And then I will answer the questions that I have received lately. Kind, supportive, angry, in every way.
Especially after a TV show, where a municipal employee, a former head of the vegetation department, was shown speaking quite strangely on the show, both because of the show’s manners and, moreover, because of the editing curves. incident during the July harvest was “transferred” to my mandate, the year of the management of Lukišk plazas square, due to the assembly) “, states the mayor in his record.
Below, R. Šimašius described the problems that he supposedly inherited from the previous municipal authorities and whose solutions are still being sought, and boasted of the achievements, say, the number of trees planted in recent years.
Photo by Beatričė Bankauskaitė / Lukiškių Square, July 2020 in October
“From 2012 to 2015, only 380 trees were planted in Vilnius. From 2015 to 2017 almost 3 times more were planted in the summer, already 1253 new trees (although the finances of the municipality were in the well, but we still allocated funds for it). And now let’s see how much we sowed when the municipality stood up.
2017 1140 trees were damaged, in 2018. – 2850 trees, 2019 – 3405 trees, 2020 planted 2181 units. trees, 8417 pcs. shrubbery. In other words, in six years, to the extent that I am mayor, five digits of new trees have been planted. And this is 15-20 times more than 7 years ago! ”Wrote the mayor.
Defended the employee
In this post, he also commented in more detail on the aforementioned program.
“I appreciate both the comments of the municipal employee and the edition of the creative sample, presenting the information from a certain angle. But there are some nuances.
First of all, this man, even if he’s not a good speaker, doesn’t mean that his misplaced speech or laughter can somehow be ridden. If a person speaks or resents the events of 2006, I really do not understand why the response should be mounted as if the municipal employee was not resentful, but rejoiced, and the events seemed to have been three years ago instead of 15 years ago .
She is a great specialist, knows better than anyone about trees and their protection, and has contributed more to the protection of trees in Vilnius than anyone who invites her (I can’t believe it!) To deal with it.
Second, maybe this employee is not a great manager, she may not meet my requirements and pace (which is why she has been in charge of the vegetation department for half a year), but she is a great specialist, better than anyone. About trees and their protection The protection of trees in Vilnius has done more than anyone I invite (can’t believe it!) to deal with it. Because it was in the year before I was mayor, when the trees did not care about the authorities, that it was a man who lay on the cross against the felling of healthy trees,
Following this recording by R. Šimašius, there was a discussion both about the mayor’s statements and about the program.
The mayor was also asked to answer questions about July, but did not comment further.
E. Reimerytė, the creator of the program, also spoke in the comments, claiming that the municipal employee was interviewed as responsible for the vegetation, as stated on the municipal website.
“I officially requested that I wanted to talk about the July tail that is being discussed. When we talk about the queue, we talk about the whole history of that queue and the show didn’t even mention the mayor’s tenure, I don’t know why they associated it with that. I think you are dishonestly criticizing the montage because I made the show too long specifically to leave long questions and answers for as long as possible. The program did not criticize you as mayor, but it showed what the voices of public figures and specialists are like and what the person in charge of the trees says ”, wrote the creator of the program.
The mayor did not agree with the commented cables.
As E. Reimeryt saidė 15 minutesThe second issue is currently being prepared, but the mayor refused to participate in it.
For the first, he did not seek the mayor and did not ask for his comments, since he contacted the municipal employee in charge of the greenery directly and received his positive response.
Photo of Beatričė Bankauskaitė / Lukiškių Square
Advisor to the Mayor Karolis Vaitkevičius 15 minutes sent the mayor’s comment on this show and the linden trees in Lukiškės square themselves.
The advisor confirmed that the creators of “Colores” did not ask the mayor for the first program: The mayor, whenever possible, the agenda, agrees to participate in debates and programs in various formats, ensuring an equitable and objective audience of all parts ”.
July mayor cares
According to the mayor, mistakes were inevitable during the reconstruction of Lukiškės Square.
“Both the project and the process were not exemplary. It is important to note that these were the decisions of the then Government, the minimum planned area that must be covered with a hard surface (for representation). According to the mayor, such a hard surface was projected to be too large, it was repeatedly said. Public procurement that took place after the formation of the requirements must also be critically evaluated: the square must be designed in the process and solutions must be sought that meet the requirements set by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.
After the presentation of the preliminary projects, at the initiative of the mayor, the old July was preserved by the Gediminas avenue and the Vasario 16-osios street. The designers had planned to cut them, because the specialists already evaluated these Julys as dirty at that time, ”states the comment prepared by K.Vaitkevičius.
K. Vaitkevičius also claims that after saving the linden trees from logging, the city allocated additional resources for their revitalization: loosening the soil, bringing in new soil, extracting construction debris from under the roots, installing irrigation systems, systems to ensure Enough oxygen to the roots, fenced trees, to protect themselves from the salts in winter.
According to experts, the results of the work carried out should be seen in May-June, the forecasts are optimistic. Following this example, public procurement has already been launched to provide other mature urban trees in this way.
It is planned to allocate almost 20 thousand. euros.
Sigismund Gedvila / 15min photo / Lukiškės Square in the eastern fog
Judging by the current positions, the most difficult project was implemented: the square became more welcoming, more comfortable, loved by the citizens and guests of the city, new trees and vegetation were planted, and some mature trees were preserved ”, is the position of the Municipality.
However, the municipality criticizes the flash of dissatisfaction with the words spoken by G. Čeponytė.
“Not only has a wave of insults started in the Internet space, but also indirect threats against a specialist. Such statements go beyond the limits of discussion, but also of the law, ”said K. Vaitkevičius, adviser to the mayor.
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