Rapport de séance du 23 janvier 2025
Leudelange Municipal Council Meeting on 23 January 2025
New regulation on cost-of-living allowance adopted
1. Approval of the agenda
Approval
2. Communications from the Board of Mayor and Aldermen
3. Forest management plan 2025
Approval
4. Forest and field paths
a) Approval of cost estimate for project 201477 ASTA road renovation, ex. 2025
b) Approval of cost estimate for project 201478 ASTA road renovation, ex. 2025
c) Approval of cost estimate for project 201492 ASTA road renovation, ex. 2025
5. Cancellation of a rental agreement
Cash machine, 5a, Rue du Lavoir
6. Convention with Hëllef doheem foundation
7. Statement of expenses
Street furniture, washing and service station for bicycles, drinking water dispenser
8. Fee regulation for security deposits
Fixing the deposit on drinking cups and reusable cups
9. Abolition of a fee
Selling price of the book called Leudelange paysages préurbains.
10. Cost-of-living allowance, adoption of a new regulation
11. Correspondence, questions to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen
12. Increase in the number of members of the Intercultural Living together Committee
13. Advisory Municipal Committees (in closed session)
a) Appointment of the Secretary of the Equal Opportunities Committee
b) Appointment of the Secretary of the Finance Committee
14. Personnel issue (in closed session)
Provisional appointment of an official in salary grade D-1, municipal agent
15. Personnel issue (in closed session)
a) Request for reduction of provisional service, Administrative Officer B-1
b) Request for reduction of provisional service, Administrative Officer B-1
16. List of requests for right of first refusal
a) Discussion (in closed session)
b) Decision (in public session)
Present:
Lou Linster (Mayor), Vanessa Demoling-Baldassarri (Alderwoman), Jean-Pierre Roemen (Alderman),
Patrick Calmus, Denise Conrardy-Copette (arrives during the meeting), Nathalie Entringer, Marcel Jakobs, Sandrine Pompidou (Councillors)
Marc Thill (municipal Secretary)
Absent (excused): Councillor Philippe Wilmes
1. Approval of the agenda items
Approval
Mayor Lou Linster informs the Councillors of a change to item 10 on the original agenda: the regulation on the municipal cost-of-living allowance dated 20 July 2015 is not to be amended but rather replaced by a new regulation.
All Councillors declare themselves in agreement with the agenda items.
2. Communications from the Board of Mayor and Aldermen
The Mayor informs the Councillors that the municipality of Leudelange has won the municipal prize from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Diversity. According to Lou Linster, this is extremely gratifying and shows that the municipality's many activities in these areas are receiving the attention they deserve. In this context, his special thanks go to Alderwoman Vanessa Demoling-Baldassarri, whose work is exemplary in promoting equal opportunities. The Mayor also referred to today's swearing-in of the new municipal employee Martine Decker, who has been working for the municipality's newly created Service de l'égalité des chances since 2 January.
After a long period of planning, remodelling work has now begun in the An der Eech cultural and club building. The kitchen on the ground floor is currently being dismantled and the larger structural work will then begin on 3 February, starting with the terrace and the brasserie.
3. Forest management plan 2025
Approval
Municipal forester Lukas Sannipoli explains the 2025 forestry and cultural plan to the Councillors. The forester team's planned projects this year primarily include the annual tasks in the service of nature conservation, including hedge trimming, mowing the circular paths and hiking trails (partly with the help of horses), maintaining and replacing fruit trees, containing invasive plant species such as cherry laurel and Japanese knotweed and maintaining forest marshes.
Less wood will be felled than in previous years, says Luca Sannipoli, because this was the wish of the municipal leadership. The necessary felling of damaged oak trees in Berkebësch, Wëllerbësch, Ruederbësch and Berkebësch is expected to yield around 50 cubic metres of oak wood, which will be used for community projects.
The renovation of the forest path near the water basin in Wëllerbësch will be carried out in spring. The work will take one week, after which the path will not be usable for a further six weeks to allow the surface to settle.
The forest management plan is adopted unanimously.
4. Forest and field paths
a) Approval of cost estimate for project 201477 ASTA road renovation, ex. 2025
b) Approval of cost estimate for project 201478 ASTA road renovation, ex. 2025
c) Approval of cost estimate for project 201492 ASTA road renovation, ex. 2025
The 2025 field path plan, to which the cost estimates refer, was already approved by the Municipal Council last summer. The three documents relate to upcoming work on the site known as Bannatsch (estimated cost of around €33,000) and a Berend, where a section of the cycle path that will lead from Esch/Alzette to Luxembourg City is being planned (around €84,000). A further €40,000 have been earmarked for the cleaning of field paths. The Mayor emphasises that these are of course cost estimates and not final offers but points out that the total sum is significantly lower than the amount provided for in the 2025 budget.
The three cost estimates are approved by all Municipal Councillors.
5. Cancellation of a rental agreement
Cash machine, 5a, Rue du Lavoir
BIL has announced the closure of its ATM in Rue du Lavoir. According to the Mayor, this is not a cause for concern because the building on which the machine is installed will be demolished anyway as part of the redevelopment of the town centre. However, it is the declared aim of the municipal leadership that the new town centre should once again have an ATM.
The cancellation of the rental agreement is unanimously approved.
6. Convention with Stëftung Hëllef doheem
Alderwoman Vanessa Demoling-Baldassarri points out that the convention with the Hëllef doheem foundation aims to offer various assistance services to elderly, sick and disabled citizens. Due to various requests from citizens, the so-called "Emergency Watch" is now also offered for emergencies, as it is easy to wear and can also be geolocalised. Of course, the other installations can still be used.
The tariffs for using the assistance service have been slightly increased. The costs for the fixed installation are covered 100 per cent by the municipality, while users only have to pay the monthly fee.
All Councillors approve the convention.
7. Statement of expenses
Street furniture, washing and service station for bicycles, drinking water dispenser
The Mayor presented the expenses to the Councillors and explained that these costs of €111,675, which are included in the financial outlay for the Rue Pëssendall project, should be voted on now in order to benefit from State aid (approx. €30,000).
Councillor Marcel Jakobs complains that the bike wash has still not been put into operation. In his opinion, it also makes no sense to switch it off in winter due to the risk of frost, as the facility is needed more frequently in cold, damp winter weather than on dry summer days. Mayor Lou Linster commented that it would be difficult to switch the car wash on and off depending on the frost conditions, especially on Sundays and public holidays.
The Statement of expenses is unanimously approved.
8. Fee regulation for security deposits
Fixing the deposit on drinking cups and reusable cups
According to Mayor Linster, the newly purchased mulled wine cups were so well received that some people wanted to buy them and others simply took them home. For this reason, it was decided to charge a deposit of €5 per cup so that they could also be purchased in the Biergercenter. In addition, a deposit of €2 will be charged on drinking cups in future. Lou Linster emphasises that the clubs will not be charged for their activities if only a few cups are missing.
All Councillors declare their agreement with the fee regulation.
9. Abolition of a fee
Selling price of the book called Leudelange paysages préurbains.
As many copies of the book in question have also been distributed free of charge in the meantime, the fee of €12 euros will be abolished.
All Councillors approve the abolition of fees.
10. Cost-of-living allowance, adoption of a new regulation
According to alderwoman Vanessa Demoling-Baldassarri, the initial intention was only to revise individual points of the existing regulation on the so-called Prime d'encavement. In the end, however, according to the alderwoman, they had gone much further on the basis of recent information and now wanted to rename the allowance Allocation de vie chère communale (municipal cost-of-living allowance). Many people were not familiar with the previous name and did not realise that this was an additional allowance granted by the National Solidarity Fund. In addition, since 2023, financially challenged people have also been entitled to another additional allowance for energy costs, the amount of which is calculated according to the applicant's income.
In addition, at the request of the Ministry of Family Affairs, a list of Leudelange recipients of state premiums drawn up by the Solidarity Fund was compared for the first time with the list of residents who are granted a prime d'encavement. It was noticed that many recipients had not requested a municipal prime d'encavement. The idea was therefore to write to these eligible applicants to inform them of the possibility of claiming this premium.
The new regulation on the inflation rate is adopted without dissenting votes.
11. Correspondence, questions to the Board of Mayors and aldermen
There were no questions from the Councillors.
12. Increase in the number of members of the Intercultural Living together Committee
When we talk about living together, explains Alderwoman Vanessa Demoling-Baldassarri, we are not only looking at the inhabitants of the municipality, but also at the many people who work on Leudelange territory. In this context, it is important to promote membership of the Citizens' Pact, which offers all interested parties the opportunity to attend courses and training programmes and, for example, to apply for Luxembourgish citizenship. For every person who signs up to the Citizens' Pact, the municipality receives five euros per year. According to the alderwoman, the idea is to include two cross-border commuters into the Intercultural Living together Committee with the aim of integrating this important group of people into the municipality’s life.
It is unanimously decided to increase the number of members of the Living together Committee from 12 to 14.
13. Advisory municipal commissions (in closed session)
a) Appointment of the Secretary of the Equal Opportunities Committee
Martine Decker takes over as secretary of the Equal Opportunities Committee.
b) Appointment of the Secretary of the Finance Committee
Nadine Ihry will be the new secretary of the Finance Committee.
14. Personnel issue (in closed session)
Provisional appointment of an official in salary grade D-1, municipal agent
Kelly Theissen is nominated for the D-1 career.
15. Personnel issue (in closed session)
a) Request for reduction of provisional service, Administrative Officer B-1
b) Request for reduction of provisional service, Administrative Officer B-1
The Municipal Council approved the reduction of the provisional service by two people.
16. List of requests for right of first refusal
a) Discussion (in closed session)
b) Decision (in public session)
In a secret meeting, the Municipal Council exercised its right of first refusal on a plot of land.