City Council: Return to in-person meetings in the shadow of Kontoleontos' resignation

On Saturday 25 June at 3.00pm the regular meeting of the City Council, of the Municipality of Kythera, in the hall of the Municipal Council «Mayor Artemios Calligeros». The meeting was the first in person since the general lifting of restrictions on the transmission of the new Covid19 coronavirus but also the first after the resignation of the Councillor and head of the faction «We live here» of the minor opposition Dimitrios Kontoleontos.

The meeting was not attended by the Mayor of Kythera Efstratios Harhalakis, the deputy mayor Charalambos Sougianis and the councillors Evangelos Lourantos, Stelios Megalokonomos, Nikos Chrysafitis, Yannis Kalligeros, George Didimiotis and the resigned Dimitris Kontoleon.

The President started at the briefing stage and announced to the body that he had received on 22 June the resignation of Mr Kontoleontos. As Mr. Stathis said, he immediately called him and asked if he could intervene, and if there was any matter on which he could intervene so that Mr Kontoleon could withdraw his resignation. The latter replied to the President that his decision was irrevocable and that he would explain the reasons for his resignation in a public statement.

On the side of the opposition, Mr. Comte (without initially taking a position on the issue of Kontoleontos' resignation), informing the body on cleaning issues.

Mr. Cheeks who referred to topical issues, such as the problem of urban planning, the stagnation of the airport project, the stability of the Diakofti bridge, the work on the Diakofti port terminal building, the sewage system and the disposal of waste water. He also referred to his research on the issue of public works and thanked the president publicly for his contribution to the investigation of the relevant documents kept in the technical department, as he said «there was a difficulty in providing them to him». He also noted that he stood by his positions on what he had denounced at a previous meeting and reserved the right to take a new position on the matter in the future

Mr. Magoulas continued with the issue of the resignation of Mr. Kontoleontos characterizing it as the most important issue of the meeting. He said it is a bad thing that he resigned and whether it is true that his professional extermination is being planned. He referred to the the importance of the historic café Astron as part of Europe's Intangible Cultural Heritage. He pointed out that for a long time the Administration does not give permission to Urban to develop pedestrian facilities in the open air and reported to the body that «we are here to solve problems, not to create them». At the end of his statement he raised the general issue of the devaluation of culture in Kythera.

The floor was then taken by Councillor Manos Trifyllis who, before starting his statement, asked to read a text of the absent for business reasons Councillor George Didimiotis. The President responded positively and Mr Trifyllis read the text which was sharp in several places.

More specifically, in the text of Mr Didimiotis, reference is made to the Mayoralty of Harhalakis which is marked by a dark spot that will stay «permanent stain». Mr Didimiotis expresses his shame «for the decline in which you have led the political mores of our island». It states that forcing a councillor to resign shows who the Municipal Authority is: «You are the worst case scenario for the island. You have implemented practices that, even if attempted in the past by others, were frowned upon by the people.». And he goes on to say that threats are coming to the forefront. He also refers to everyone's responsibility in the matter and writes, addressing the majority, that «you consider yourselves the owners of the place and turn a blind eye to the theatre of the absurd». «The only one who is not responsible is our leader Dimitris Kontoleon who from the very first moment separated his professional from his political activity», he adds. He then asks for an explanation for the threat of a lockout of the store Urban in the midst of covid and for the blocking of the Technical Service for not implementing the decision of the Board of Directors on the tables. In his text he closes by calling the Municipal Authority «the worst case scenario for all our lives» and urges them to leave while it's still time.

At that point the Chairman of the Board expressed his disagreement with Mr. Didimiotis' letter regarding the characterization of the owners of the site and characterized unedited the term recalling «that we are all elected, opposition and opposition». 

Mr.Trifyllis immediately began his presentation by referring to the legislative framework for the operation of shops of sanitary interest and the extensions he has received until 30.09.2022 (previous deadline 31.03.2022) under which Mr.Kontoleon could have gotten a license for table seating. He stated that Mr. Kontoleon had filed a permit application as early as February 21, 2022 and yet by June 23, 2022 the City has not provided a solution.

He asked the City Council to provide a solution, overcoming personal conflicts and tensions. «We should intervene as a Board and instruct the Technical Service to implement the relevant decision».

The opposition replied the Deputy Mayor Panagiotis Zantiotis expressing regret for the resignation of Kontoleon and asked Mr Kontoleon to explain the reasons for his resignation.

Also the Deputy Mayor George Kominos commented on what Mr. Trifyllis said earlier that professionals should be supported.

The meeting concluded with the adoption of the agenda items. Watch the video and find out more.