Lakefront Kiosk Closure Highlights Public Sector Mismanagement

The sixth “washing machine” is out of service and threatens to remain so for who knows how many months. Of course, we’re not talking about a malfunction in some industrial laundry in the city, but rather the forced closure of one of the curious round structures in Piazza Catena.

These are the kiosks that the Municipality, on the project of architect Winkler, had installed this spring a short distance from the lake, and which the public, inspired by the portholes that serve as a roof, quickly dubbed “washing machines”.

The functions and occupation of the kiosks

Three are prominently occupied by the historic operators of the old “gabbiette” souvenir stalls, two serve as the ticket office for Navigarda, and the sixth, precisely, remains melancholically somewhat aside and inaccessible, with its shutters lowered.

And it is this “washing machine”, ironically, that had been loudly requested to the Municipality in addition to the others, leading to the quick and hurried modification of both the budget for its purchase (an additional 45 million lira) and the project for housing all the new structures.

Proposals and agreements with operators

It was the hoteliers of the historic center (well represented also by two city councilors: Bassetti and Gentilini) who rightly pointed out to the Council that the kiosk operation was the unmissable opportunity to set up a “tourist information point” in the square.

And their proposal was immediately proposed (we are talking about last autumn) by Apt, which through President Meneghelli, and also with a written commitment letter, had guaranteed to contribute to the project with a fund for the purchase, with the rent fee (for maintenance), and with management.

The plan was to place a kind secretary inside the washing machine, with the specific task of explaining to tourists whether there were free rooms in hotels, translating the unmissable opportunities into their native languages, and satisfying all their needs.

Problems and obstacles to implementation

The Municipality had trusted Meneghelli (proceeding to integrate the purchase order with the manufacturing company), and the operators left the meeting satisfied.

But when the sixth washing machine arrived and was installed in its place, problems began. The president of Apt—who perhaps had overestimated the financial capacity of the organization—backtracked and, in a written letter, informed that his entity would provide the multilingual employee but not an extra lira.

At this point, the Council felt blatantly fooled and, once the invoice was paid to the suppliers (they couldn’t have told them to come and retrieve the washing machine because of a misunderstanding!), it made no further moves, promising to give the keys to the structure to Apt only after securing the guarantee that at least the rent—4 million lire per year—would be paid.

Current situation and opinions

The matter remains at this stage, with hoteliers furious: also because, given the situation, they had declared themselves willing to manage the washing machine on their own, but the proposal was never realized.

The result is evident to all tourists and Rivanians. The kiosk is unused and stands pitifully at the end of the row of busy “colleagues”: yet another monument to the amateurism of the “public” sector and to the damage caused by the dominance of chatter and futility over the desire to solve a real and felt problem.