The Suceava commune of BERCHIȘEȘTI, a model of efficient administration and involvement of the community

The Berchișești Commune, located in Suceava County, is known for its well-preserved authentic traditions.

Over time, the Berchișești Town Hall has completed numerous projects of great importance for the local community, maintaining a close relationship with it, as it always responds to its needs.

In this regard, Mayor Violeta-Zenovia ȚARAN, is carrying out an extensive investment program aimed at the development of the commune. For example, currently, the Berchișești Town Hall is implementing projects such as the rehabilitation and extension of the sewerage network, the modernization of the sewage treatment plant, the construction of a human dispensary, the extension of the intelligent natural gas distribution network, and the equipping of educational units.

For the future, the Berchișești Town Hall is considering new projects such as the construction of a photovoltaic park for public lighting, the establishment of a teaching swimming pool, the building of a day center for the elderly, the modernization of communal roads, the reinforcement of riverbanks affected by fl oods, investments that will contribute to the continued development and modernization of the commune.

It is known that the Berchișești Town Hall has undertaken numerous investment projects in recent years. In this context, what are the top 5 most important projects completed in the last four years?

Alongside the local councilors and the employees of the Town Hall, we have initiated and completed numerous signifi cant projects for the residents of our commune, ensuring its sustainable and efficient development across all sectors of activity.

We have completed a multitude of projects in recent times, which I will describe without false modesty, as most of them are very close to our hearts. All of these projects are important, benefi ting the residents of Berchișești and even the wider region of Bukovina.

I mention projects related to:

• the construction and equipping with furniture of the Kindergarten with normal program in the village of Berchișești,
• the modernization works of General School no.2,
• the construction and equipping of Corlata Primary School,
• as well as the reconstruction of the road sector in the village of Corlata, affected by floods in 2020.

To these are added completed projects regarding the modernization of street lighting, the equipping of the “Florin Piersic” Cultural Center.

“Our local administration has a special relationship with the citizens, always being at their disposal and meeting their demands and existing needs”

The development of road infrastructure has been constantly in the attention of the Berchișești City Hall lately, so we managed to modernize over half of the local road network, with plans to start construction works shortly to modernize another 4 kilometers of communal road. I am convinced that after the completion of all ongoing investments, the level of comfort and civilization of the inhabitants of the Berchișești commune will be high.

What strategies has the Berchișești City Hall adopted to manage this period marked by inflation, with all its adverse effects generating economic instability?

Certainly, the public administration in Romania has also experienced an acute crisis in its current activities, driven by both the rise in the inflation rate and the increases in construction materials, fuels, utilities, and our administrative-territorial unit has been no exception.

Nevertheless, the management enforced by the Berchișești Town Hall has been resilient and professional. We have succeeded in adopting the most suitable decisions and measures to overcome the eff ects of the challenging economic and social situation.

In these circumstances, we have not encountered significant economic problems. We maintain stability and predictability in all our endeavors, and the Town Hall and the Local Council are vigilant in ensuring their continuation and perpetuation. Our local administration has a special relationship with the citizens, being constantly at their disposal and meeting their demands and existing needs. We are a continuously developing settlement, having worked hard to provide people with an increased level of comfort, by ensuring urban-like conditions in terms of infrastructure and public services offered.

Transforming Berchișești into a place where people desire to live, work, and raise their children (as I like to say) is an achievable goal for our team. Supporting this idea is the fact that, in recent times, we have had many locals who had moved abroad return home to Berchișești to stay permanently.

What projects do you currently have in implementation, and what is their impact on the local community?

I am confident that the public administration in Berchișești will continue at a rapid pace the investments already underway, while also working on initiating new projects.

I would like to mention just a few of the investment programs currently being implemented:

• Berchișești Commune has 99.5% access to running water, with the remaining few unfi nished households soon to be connected to the network.
• Rehabilitation, modernization, and extension of the sewerage system through the “Anghel Saligny” Program.
• Modernization of the sewage treatment plant and establishment of a pumping station.
• Construction of a human dispensary.
• Renewal of the public transportation fl eet (acquisition of non-polluting vehicles), as well as electric vehicle charging stations.
• Rehabilitation and modernization of roads aff ected by the June 2020 fl oods in Berchișești and Corlata.
• Construction of a sports complex.
• Construction of a social center.
• Establishment of a voluntary waste collection center.
• Development of the local system through the implementation of smart structures in Berchișești commune.
• Expansion of the smart natural gas distribution network in Berchișești, Drăgoiești, and Ciprian Porumbescu communes.
• Provision of furniture, teaching materials, and digital equipment for educational units in Berchișești commune.

What projects do you have in mind for the future in the commune of Berchișești?

Of course, we have a series of forecasts and projects that will be implemented in the upcoming period, some are in the contracting stage, others await approval, and some are in the working stage. We have faced diffi cult times before, but our commune has never stagnated; we have not stood still in terms of investments, projects, and future plans.

If you want, the local administration can be likened to a heart: its beats never cease. The Berchișești Town Hall will continue to contribute significantly in the coming years to the improvement of the standard of living and welfare of the locals, through the development of European-level programs and services. Over the years, I have demonstrated that I care about the people and that I stand by them, both in good times and in diffi cult ones! I am and will remain the daughter of this wonderful community, which I love and respect!

As I have committed myself, every time, in front of the residents of Berchișești, our commune will be in a continuous process of development and modernization! I’ll just mention a few of our investment plans for the future:

• Building bike lanes.
• Constructing a new headquarters for the Berchișești Town Hall.
• Strengthening riverbanks aff ected by fl oods.
• Establishing a day care and rehabilitation center for the elderly.
• Upgrading communal roads.
• Constructing a sports complex.
• Building a human dispensary.
• Constructing a teaching swimming pool.
• Rehabilitating access roads to agricultural land.
• Completing the extension of the sewerage network, implementing systems for collecting and directing rainwater.
• Expanding the smart natural gas distribution network.
• Medical assistance center, equipped with appropriate facilities and necessary equipment.
• Photovoltaic park for public lighting.
• Cemetery, mortuary, dining hall.
• Erecting monuments and shrines.
• Artifi cial ice rink.
• Installing guttering on sidewalks.
• Firefi ghting vehicle and volunteer fi refi ghting equi-pment, fi re brigade posts.

As I am deeply involved and genuinely care about everything related to our commune, I travel at least once a week on the roads of the two villages of the commune to see what has been accomplished so far, during which time I seek solutions for future projects.

In this way, new ideas come to me, which I discuss with local councilors and colleagues from the Town Hall. I review not only the investments of the administration in Berchișești but also the households of the citizens, and I think that, years from now, my grandchildren will be proud of what their grandmother once did!

Indeed, we have accomplished much, but there is still much to be done. We have important ongoing projects and programs, as well as strategies for new investments.

For 24 years, since I have been mayor, I have never allowed myself a moment to sit idle, as the well-known saying goes, nor have I waited for something to fall from the sky. I believe that success is impossible without involvement, determination, hard work, and a close relationship with the residents of the commune, and these aspects inevitably lead to unequivocal community and social progress and development.