Council unveils new inspection service

Today, on the steps of the Casa Consistorial, the Formentera Council rolled out its new inspection service. At the event were CiF president's office councillor Bartomeu Escandell, councillor of land, tourism and trade Alejandra Ferrer and environment councillor Daisee Aguilera, along with the inspection staff and two recently hired members of the Formentera police force.

Pointing out that the inspection service had been in place for shortly over a week, Councillor Ferrer described the division's role: “To ensure businesses' proper use of public walkways and to enforce the island's ban on 'dynamic publicity'”. Another new endeavour: active monitoring of web-based tourist services, a move it is hoped will assist in articulating long-term protocol.

Ferrer said these first months would be spent “tracking patterns and gathering information” so the Council could adapt regulations to the particular needs that pop up. The inspection service team is composed of nine workers, five enforcement agents, three inspectors and one coordinator. In the coming weeks two new controllers will join the service's ranks.

Environment advocates
Three of the enforcement agents are staff of Formentera's Office of Environment. Department head Daisee Aguilera highlighted the addition this summer of an extra staff member to the inspection crew, who will coordinate activity between Council departments. The three agents —or 'environment advocates'— will be tasked with “supervising correct waste disposal, carrying out checks of beaches and waterfront concession services”. As Aguilera pointed out, this year's inspection service also includes an outreach person for environmental issues. Inspection service workers will have use of the electric Meharis that Citroën recently donated to the island.

Greater police presence
For his part, Councillor Escandell of the president's office introduced two Formentera police officers that started work on July 1. He said the force's expansion reflected a desire by the Council to “lighten the load placed on the local Formentera police force.” Furthermore, he explained that the service, whose staff positions are filled by Council employees, was aimed at “coordinating inspection efforts, checks and safety efforts to ensure rules are upheld and Formentera continues to be a place that balances leisure with tranquility”.