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After more than a year's delay, on 29 May 1997. The municipal council decided on the fate of sports properties and facilities. A municipal enterprise "Sports Properties" is established with the object of business management and maintenance of municipal sports sites declared public municipal property. These are: football stadium, two training grounds, indoor sports hall at the stadium, indoor swimming pool, ski-track in the district. Chepino, Yundola winter stadium, swimming pool and playground in Draginovo, playground in Sarnitsa, mineral beach in Ludgene and Chepino, alpine track and a large alpine track on Yundola, sports hall for wrestling in Sarnitsa.
An off-budget account "Physical Education, Sports and Tourism" is also created, which will raise funds from rentals of sports facilities, donations, advertising, funds from individuals and legal entities, etc. Until the establishment of the enterprise, the mined beach in Ludgene will be used for a fee by the Chepinets P.C. and the beach in Chepino by the current tenants, Iskar, Rakovsky. PC "Chepinets" will contribute to the extra-budgetary account 25%" of the ticket revenues, and "Iskar" will pay BGN 70,000 monthly rent.
The draft decision was supported by the committee created specifically for this to the Municipal Council, but the councillors voted after discussion. The head of Municipal Property and Privatization Department Mramor Polezhanski said that the municipality is legally obliged to protect its property, and if it turns out that there are violations in the creation of the municipal firm, the administration will take responsibility. According to Mayor G. Avramov thus puts an end to something that is not legal. He stressed that he does not want to liquidate the sport, that sports clubs work for the prosperity of the city, but that the problems are very complicated. The mayor divided the opinion of the sports clubs into two: that of the Chepinets Swimming Club, which has so far managed the "most appetizing piece of the pie" - the Mineral Beach in Ledgene and that of all the others.
In support of the mayor for the creation of the municipal firm spoke Ivan Lebanov. He spoke on behalf of the newly created Council of Club Presidents, in which they were invited, but no representatives of the Chepinets PK were present.
Another opinion was the adviser Nikola Minkov, who asked whether Sports Properties will solve the problems of sport: the company's revenues will be only from the two pools, all sites will want capital investment, and the state itself will swallow money for wages. Mr. Minkov also asked two questions to which he did not receive an answer: did the municipal administration make any financial calculations and why the municipal company Stroycom does not want to take over the management of the beaches.
A procedure for the establishment of the municipal company "Sports Properties" is forthcoming. If the only financial shoulder turns out to be the off-budget account, Sports Properties is unlikely to flow generous funds to the sport. Donations from the state are already unrealistic to rely on. And the ideas on how to raise more money in the extra-budgetary account so far are too vague and vulnerable - for example, the proposal of the Conference of Presidents to receive half the money from the privatization of the covered swimming pool is not well compliant with the law. Sponsors are also more likely to give money for a particular sport or competition, rather than pouring it into the general pool.
The optimistic forecast is that "Sports Properties" will protect municipal property and will provide funds for the development of sports in Velingrad. Pessimistic points out that "Sports Properties" will be an administrative hat and will solve the problems of those who will receive posts and salaries. Which of the two predictions will be justified also depends on who will take the position of manager of the firm.
Elena Baeva