Lake Garda Municipalities Path Toward Waste Service Privatization and Collaboration

Since January 1, 1999, two additional municipalities from the Brescia hinterland along Lake Garda have joined the increasingly consolidated group of Municipalities utilizing the Urban Solid Waste Collection Service provided by the Azienda Speciale Consorzio Garda Uno. Desenzano and Padenghe, in fact, through specific resolutions of their respective City Councils, have decided to entrust their services to the Consortium, of which they are members as active shareholders and are represented in the General Assembly.

In just over a year, the municipalities participating in this service have increased from the initial 3 (Salò, Gardone Riviera, Toscolano) in autumn 1997, to 8 by January 1, 1998, reaching 10 with the new entries. Currently, the municipalities affiliated with the Consortium, after the recent entry of Calvagese della Riviera, number 19, while the workers involved at the Company approach one hundred units.

Involvement of the Lake Garda Municipal Administrations

It has become inevitable for the Lake Garda Municipal Administrations to participate in the services offered by the Municipal Company of Garda. This was also supported by the Provincial Councillor for Ecology and Environment, Elisetti, during the recent General Assembly.

During the meeting, he invited some representatives of the member municipalities to use the services managed by Garda Uno. Notably, the Desenzano City Council, on the proposal of the current majority, resolved to transfer its RSU Service to the Municipal Company.

Almost all representatives, from both the majority and the minority, supported the proposal. The F.I. group leader, Emanuele Giustacchini, stated that he was “convinced and in favor of approving the draft agreement”.

The reasons given were numerous. “From a strategic perspective, Garda Uno’s choice seems the most appropriate politically. Desenzano represents a significant share of shareholders. In our opinion,”

affirmed Giustacchini, “it is more necessary than ever to create a pole among the municipalities of Garda, a Company that opposes in a decisive manner the A.S.M., which operates almost in a monopoly situation in the management of many services within the province of Brescia. It is not a matter of waging war on A.S.M., which remains a good company, but whose profits benefit the City of Brescia”.

Positions of Other Political Forces and Strategic Considerations

For the Minority Advisory Group of the D.S., the Group Leader Giancarlo Menegato, stated that he “voted convincingly in favor of this transfer, because this choice fits into the strategic lines outlined over the years, also with the fundamental contribution of the Rocca Administration. These lines envisage the growth of the Garda Municipal Company to manage in an integrated manner services such as aqueducts, sewers, waste collection, energy, etc.”.

To further strengthen this strategy, Menegato concluded by saying that “we hope that the current majority will act as soon as possible, including for the aqueduct service to be transferred to the Garda Uno Company.”

Also, the Lega Nord for the Independence of Padania, represented by its Group Leader Rino Polloni, expressed a favorable opinion. “My group understands the need and necessity of transferring the Urban Nettezza Service to the Special Company, as it would initiate the privatization process. This is a process our movement has always supported,” said Polloni.

According to him, the limited time available to the offices perhaps required more time, but “following further guarantees expressed by Mayor Felice Anelli and the relevant Councillor in the matter, we approved the Agreement in question, taking note of the commitments made,” concludes Polloni.