The Formentera Council convened today its December plenary session, where support came for a proposed ordinance on terraces and other arrangements that occupy public spaces. The administration's land, tourism and trade secretary Alejandra Ferrer says the measure will include changes such as new articles to remove procedural obstacles and facilitate patrols.

Aiming to strike a balance between the use restaurants, hotels and other businesses make of public spaces in pursuing their professional activity, and the broader public interest, the rule change seeks to ensure a minimum level of disturbance whenever businesses occupy the public thoroughfare, considering that “public interests should always trump private ones” as its gold standard. Of particular note is a provision holding that any establishment wishing to set up a terrace must also open at least May 15 to October 15

One particular provision, that establishments with terraces must also open at least May 15 to October 15, is part of a bid to encourage shopping in the off-season and offer support to businesses that are open longer. The measure was backed by senior councillors and members of the PSOE and saw the abstention of the PP and Compromís.

The green light was given to a proposed jobs catalogue (or Catàleg de Llocs de Treball) for the Formentera Council. Vanessa Parellada, the administration's head of human resources, pledged ongoing work and talks with public servants' legal reps would lead to a new jobs estimate equipped with administrative guidelines on employment. The measure got backing from all the parties except the PP, whose members abstained.

Rule on vehicle ingress to Formentera
Plenary members were united in their support of an emergency measure to regulate the vehicles that enter Formentera. As part of the measure, the Council will urge the regional government in Palma to urgently create a legal mechanism to limit the cars arriving on the island.

Speaking after the plenary session, CiF president Jaume Ferrer said that, as with the proposed relocation of Formentera passengers' Eivissa ferry landing, the administration would back whatever course of action is decided by the island's coalition of community leaders, the Consell d'Entitats.

Mobility secretary Rafael González reminded his associates that the journey towards regulating vehicle entry to the island began two years ago, and called to mind a meeting of the advisory body back in September 2014, when it voted to enlist the Formentera Council in brokering a fix. As a result, a plenary agreement was reached and the issue was included among 14 others proposed at the start of the legislative session. González assured that since then the administration has been working with the regional government to author a proposal.