Rapport de séance du 12 décembre 2024
Review and outlook: Amended budget 2024 and budget 2025
Agenda items:
1. Approval of the agenda
Approval
2. Communications from the Board of Mayor and Aldermen
3. Construction of a forest hangar at the place called "am Melacksbësch"
Approval of the cost estimate
4. Holiday activities
Determination of tariffs
5. Regulations on subsidies
Municipal regulations on the granting of a subsidy for reusable sanitary nappies, approval
6. Convention with “Solina Aarbechtshëllef”
Approval
7. Renovation of canal sections Rue de la Gare - Leudelange railway station
Approval of the cost estimate
8 a) Amended budget 2024
Discussion and voting
8 b) Budget 2025
Discussion and voting
9. Approval of a notarial deed
Approval of acquisition deed, plot no. 1101/8193
10. Acquisition of a plot of land
Approval of pre-sale contract, plot no. 1708/5123
11. Flood protection installations
Approval of the convention, parcel 99/5584
12. Correspondence, questions to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen
13. Regulation on public recreational areas
Amendment
14. Municipal advisory committees (in closed session)
a) Appointment of a member of the Equal Opportunities Committee
b) Appointment of a member of the Cultural Committee
15. Personnel issue (in closed session)
Request for dismissal of an official in salary grade A-2, sub-group science and technology
16. Personnel issue (in closed session)
Provisional appointment of an official in salary grade B-1, subgroup administration
17. Personnel issue
Provisional appointment of an official in salary grade D-1, municipal agent
Present:
Lou Linster (Mayor), Vanessa Demoling-Baldassarri (alderwoman), Jean-Pierre Roemen (alderman),
Patrick Calmus, Denise Conrardy-Copette (as from agenda item 3.), Nathalie Entringer, Marcel Jakobs, Sandrine Pompidou (Councillors)
Marc Thill (municipal secretary)
Absent (excused): Councillor Philippe Wilmes
1. Approval of the agenda
Approval
The agenda is approved unanimously.
2. Communications from the Board of Mayor and Aldermen
Mayor Lou Linster opens the last Municipal Council Meeting of the year with the news that Leudelange has passed the latest Nature Pact audit and has now "Bronze" certification. He congratulates Councillor Nathalie Entringer in her capacity as President of the Nature Pact Committee and her team, the responsible alderman Jean-Pierre Roemen as well as Marta Cordeiro and Mark Thomas from the municipality's Service écologique.
In 2025, Lou Linster continues, there will once again be holiday activities during the two weeks in which the Maison Relais is closed. This time there will be more lead time than last year and more children and more age categories can be accommodated.
3. Construction of a forest hangar at the place called "am Melacksbësch"
Approval of the cost estimate
According to the Mayor, the construction of a communal forestry hangar is a project that was not on the election programme but is essential for the realisation of the "Shared Space" in the town centre: the forestry workers of the municipalities of Dippach, Reckingen-Mess and Leudelange are currently housed in the hangars on the Place de Lavoir. In order for this square to be remodelled as part of the Shared Space, a new workplace must be found for the employees. The location of the current recycling park in Melacksbësch, which is not compliant and will soon make way for a new facility in the Am Bann activity zone, offered itself as a suitable solution. According to Lou Linster, this also meets with the approval of the forestry administration, as the hangar will then be located in the immediate vicinity of the forests and forest paths of the municipalities involved instead of in the centre of the village. Marc Schmit from the municipality's technical service then informed the Councillors in detail about the project: the new hangar, the design of which was based on a similar functional building in the municipalities of Bertrange and Strassen, will be easily accessible for the forestry vehicles and will offer the workers adequate conditions for their work. The timber-clad building will have changing rooms and sanitary facilities. Mayor Linster notes that the hangar will offer considerably more space than the current hangars. A convention yet to be concluded with the municipalities of Reckange and Dippach provides for jointly shared operating costs, with Leudelange and Dippach each bearing 45 per cent of the costs and Reckange 10 per cent. This also corresponds to the proportional share of the forest areas to be managed, which are owned by the respective municipality. The costs for water and electricity will also be shared in future, which, as the Mayor emphasises, has not been the case to date, meaning that the municipality of Leudelange has had to bear these costs alone.
According to the Mayor, Leudelange had not actively applied to realise this project on its municipal territory, but there was simply no suitable space available on the territories of the two partner municipalities.
The project for a new forestry hangar is approved by all Councillors.
4. Holiday activities
Determination of tariffs
Alderwoman Demoling-Baldassarri reported that the holiday activities held last summer had received very good feedback from the parents, children and educators involved. Unlike last year, however, it is no longer possible to pay the participation fee with Chèques-Service (Service vouchers); instead, this time the municipality was asked by the organiser to collect the fees due. According to the alderwoman, analyses had shown that the organisational costs per child would amount to between €350 and €489. However, the municipality is endeavouring to accommodate parents and therefore only charges €250/week per child (for two or more children registered in a household: €200 per child). For financially weaker households, the fee is €100 per child (for two or more children registered in a household: €50 per child).
The proposed tariffs are approved by all Councillors.
5. Regulations on subsidies
Municipal regulation on the granting of a subsidy for reusable sanitary nappies, approval
In addition to the municipal waste regulations voted on at the previous Municipal Council Meeting, a subsidy for the disposal of reusable sanitary nappies has been proposed on the initiative of Councillor Nathalie Entringer. It is envisaged that if this option is used, the municipality will reimburse households 75 per cent of the purchase costs once a year on presentation of the invoice.
In response to a corresponding question from Councillor Marcel Jakobs, the Mayor clarified that the right to the reduction of €75 on their waste bill granted to users of non-reusable nappies no longer applies if they make use of this aid.
The regulations are adopted unanimously.
6. Convention with Solina Aarbechtshëllef
Approval
Smaller jobs in the houses or flats of residents who have either reached the age of 60 or are dependent on assistance due to physical impairments will be carried out by Solina Aarbechtshëllef from the beginning of 2025 instead of the previous service provider Proactif.
A Solina gardening team will work three days a week for the Service Régie and, as a new citizen service on behalf of the municipality, will offer assistance with manual work and gardening on two days for the above-mentioned groups of people. The reduced rate is limited to 8 hours per person and per month; the full rate will be charged for any use beyond this. In future, citizens will no longer be invoiced by the municipality, but directly by Solina.
Councillor Marcel Jakobs welcomes the new gardening service for older citizens and asks whether the difference in rates is passed on to the municipality by the service provider. He is confirmed that this is indeed the case.
7. Renovation of canal sections Rue de la Gare - Leudelange railway station
Approval of the cost estimate
Michel Wodelet from the municipality's technical service explained to the Councillors that the sewer system in Rue de la Gare had flooded in basements in 2017 due to heavy rainfall. As a result, the sewers in Rue de Cessange, Rue de la Montée and Rue des Roses, including the junction with Rue de Bettembourg, were inspected, cleaned, repaired and sealed. Work is now underway to carry out the same renovation work in Rue de la Gare at house numbers 129 to 153, where the sewer is mechanically worn and leaking. However, residents living there are still being asked to take their own additional measures to prevent basement flooding.
Asked by Councillor Patrick Calmus about the start and duration of the work, Michel Wodelet replied that they were waiting for authorisation from the Ministry of the Interior, would then publish the invitation to tender and could then start the renovation in around five months, which in turn would take two to three months. The municipal employee assures us that the work will not cause any significant disruption to road traffic, apart from temporary traffic lights to keep the workers safe.
The sewer renovation, which will cost the municipality around €252,000, is unanimously approved.
8 a) Amended budget 2024
Discussion and voting
8 b) Budget 2025
Discussion and voting
Mayor Lou Linster provides the Councillors with information on the two budget proposals.
The year has been used to fundamentally revise the budget structure and make it clearer for both the municipal council and municipal staff. In some cases, for example, several budget items were bundled into a single item.
According to Lou Linster, the budget presentation shows that the municipal management has tackled various important projects, while others are still pending. For example, so far, no precise overview of municipal energy costs is currently available: many municipal buildings still do not have separate meters for electricity and heating. However, this will change.
The loans voted in recent years (2023: €5 million, 2024: €13.5 million) had not been utilised. According to the amended 2024 budget, over €3 million would remain in the municipal treasury at the end of the year, and ordinary expenditure would be €2 million lower than originally assumed. Another positive factor that no one had anticipated was the reform of the Fonds pour l'emploi (employment fund). According to initial information from the Ministry of the Interior, it can be assumed that Leudelange's contribution to the fund will fall from over €1.7 million to €280,000. This also explains why the ordinary expenditure of the amended 2024 budget is lower than in the original 2024 budget. In addition, ordinary income has increased due to the additional income from trade tax at a national level - a development that enables the Fonds de dotation globale des communes (Global endowment fund for municipalities) to provide all municipalities in the country with a higher share of their own trade tax income, which of course also benefits Leudelange: as can be seen from the amended 2024 budget, an additional €2 million was received as a result, plus a further €2 million in the 2025 budget.
In connection with the Faarwekëscht project, invoices that were due are still outstanding, the Mayor continued. As a result, the 2025 budget still includes €4.5 million in this context, which had already been earmarked in the 2024 budget. In addition, in terms of Faarwekëscht, it has so far been possible to spend €2 million less than was planned because the original expectation was for much higher building index increases than those that actually materialised.
The amended 2024 budget closes with €23.2 million in revenue and expenditure of €14.8 million, resulting in a surplus of €8.4 million. Together with the surplus from 2023 totalling €6.3 million, this leaves €14.7 million in the ordinary budget. The extraordinary budget for 2024 shows income of €1.8 million and expenditure of €12.7 million, resulting in a deficit of €10.9 million. When offset against the ordinary budget, the overall result is €3.9 million.
For 2025, the ordinary budget is expected to generate income of €22.1 million and expenditure of €16.1 million. Together with the surplus from 2024, €9.8 million are available in the ordinary budget. For the extraordinary budget, a deficit of €8.7 million is expected with expenditure of €16.7 million and income of €7.9 million (including a loan of €7 million). This means that the municipality will still have a surplus of over €1 million at the end of the 2025 financial year.
The forthcoming accession to the STEP waste syndicate, which will cost around €400,000 in 2025, is a significant factor in terms of expenditure. However, these costs will fall to €120,000 per year from 2026. Added to this are costs totalling €600,000, which are earmarked for the local recycling park antenna. In terms of transport, the introduction of a joint Ruffbus with Reckange-Mess and the abolition of the Nightrider have saved costs. In addition, more State aid is being received than before because it is now being applied for jointly with the municipality of Reckange, which, regrets Mayor Linster, was never the case in previous years.
In addition to the loan of €7,000,000, the extraordinary income in the budget includes the participation of the municipalities of Dippach and Reckange-Mess for the construction of the new forest hangar (€385,000).
Extraordinary expenditure includes land purchases, for which €2.5 million have been earmarked for the coming year, as well as €990,000 for architects' and engineers' fees in connection with the "Shared Space" project. €4.5 million have been budgeted for the finalisation of the Faarwekëscht school, including the schoolyard, and €250,000 for the maintenance of field paths. Other expenditure items include the new forest hangar (€750,000) and the remodelling of the culture and association building (€2.8 million).
Other cost factors next year include the redesign of Rue Pëssendall, which will be completed in spring, the creation of a car park in Rue d'Esch and the planned narrowing of the entrances to the village to calm traffic. Studies are currently being carried out for the latter project and Lou Linster believes there is a good chance that the conversion of the access road to the village in Rue d'Esch will be started as early as 2025. There is also a contribution to the Bertrange cycle path, which will lead from Leudelange railway station to the Gréivelsbarrière roundabout. The remodelling of Rue de la Montée will require around €855,000 in 2025. According to Mayor Linster, this work can start in early autumn 2025.
Councillor Patrick Calmus thanks Mayor Lou Linster for the detailed budget presentation and praises the budget presentation as "planning on a safe track". He is also delighted with the significantly improved clarity. In his opinion, all the projects mentioned that are to be tackled are more than necessary.
Councillor Nathalie Entringer agrees with this view and says she is looking forward to the next year of municipal activities.
Councillor Marcel Jakobs is also convinced by the budget presentation and emphasises the significant reduction in the municipal contribution to the Fonds pour l'emploi as a very positive development.
Councillor Denise Conrardy-Copette believes that the budget is a good basis for drawing up the multi-year plan in February.
Both the amended 2024 budget and the 2025 budget are adopted unanimously.
9. Approval of a notarial deed
Approval of acquisition deed, plot no. 1101/8193
The corresponding pre-sale agreement was approved at the Municipal Council Meeting on 24 September 2024. After precise measurement of the sub-plot, the sale price to be paid by the municipality is €801.092.
All Councillors approve the notarial deed.
10. Acquisition of a plot of land
Approval of pre-sale contract, plot no. 1708/5123
Mayor Lou Linster describes the purchase of this plot of land on the Rommelsbierg, where there is a pond and a small stream, as a win-win situation for both those involved and the citizens of Leudelange in terms of nature conservation and biodiversity. The purchase price for the municipality amounts to €68,380.
The pre-sale agreement is approved without exception.
11. Flood protection installations
Approval of the convention concerning parcel 99/5584
Another convention in connection with the flood defence measures implemented by the municipality in partnership with the farmers is presented to the Councillors. The agreement concerns an area in a place called Op Uecht (Schléiwenhaff).
The convention is adopted unanimously.
12. Correspondence, questions to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen
In response to questions raised during the previous Municipal Council Meeting by Councillor Nathalie Entringer and Councillor Marcel Jakobs, the Mayor announced that the street lighting in Rue de la Gare was now working properly again and that work on the finalisation of the bicycle washing facility was in full swing.
13. Regulations concerning the public leisure areas
Alderwoman Vanessa Demoling-Baldassarri informs the Councillors that the public access times to the now enlarged school playground have been changed at the request of the teaching staff: In future, public use of the area will generally not be permitted during school hours from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm. The public will have free access - also during school hours - in the period from 1 October to 31 March from 6.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. (on weekends from 8.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m.) and in the period from 1 April to 30 September from 6.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m. (on weekends from 8.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m.).
Outside school hours, the area can be used by the public from 1 October to 31 March from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm and from 1 April to 30 September from 8.00 am to 10.00 pm.
14. Municipal Advisory Committees (in closed session)
a) Appointment of a member of the Equal Opportunities Committee
Christelle Dewaele-Scharre is appointed as a new member of the Equal Opportunities Committee.
b) Appointment of a member of the Cultural Committee
Jonathan Derenne becomes a new member of the Cultural Committee.
15. Personnel issue (in closed session)
Request for dismissal of an official in salary grade A-2, sub-group science and technology
The Municipal Council approves the resignation of Mrs Marta Cordeiro.
16. Personnel issue (in closed session)
Provisional appointment of an official in salary grade B-1, subgroup administration
Martine Decker is appointed to salary group B-1.
17. Personnel issue
Provisional appointment of an official in salary grade D-1, municipal agent
Kelly Theissen is appointed to the D-1 treatment group.