The second public Board meeting for the new Kalkan local administration was held on Tuesday 2nd June.  It was a lively affair, with more than 30 people at the public end of the room.

Last month the meeting started at 10am and ended at 4pm, with members of the Board and members of public supplied with round after round of çay.  This time, the bad news was it went on until 5pm, but on the plus side biscuits were provided.  A clear indication of improving standards.

Here is a summary of the main things that were discussed.

Kaş/Fethiye Road (D400)
For background on this, please refer to our Local news item of 16th May, Kalkan roads update.  This subject was extensively discussed, with presentations made on possible options for the new road layout approaching Kalkan and junctions.  The Belediye does not believe that the current plans from Ankara are workable or in the best interests of Kalkan visitors and residents.  They intend to lobby the relevant department in Ankara to get changes through. 

The Belediye is preparing a petition for Kalkan people to sign.  If you feel strongly about the current plans you can have your say.  More on this in another Local News article, once we have the translated wording of the petition.

Taxis
There has been a request from a taxi business in Akbel for access to a taxi rank in Kalkan.  Before the Belediye considers this request, they have asked the existing Kalkan taxi co-operative and the operators in Akbel to come to some kind of agreement on how this could work.  The need for taxi ranks in appropriate places in Kalkan is an issue that the Belediye has on its agenda for future meetings.  (KTLN has a Local News article on taxis coming soon).

Kalkan Shopping Centre
The Belediye was asked to consider an application to build a large shopping development in the town.  Having considered the dossier that was presented, it was felt that this would not be in keeping with the local character of Kalkan and it would also have an adverse impact on a number of existing businesses.  The application was not approved.

Belediye Workers
The public area was packed with local Belediye workers, who took the opportunity to raise a number of points with the Board.  It was not possible to follow every point raised, but my impression was that these were relatively minor matters which should be raised with line management, or even settled amicably over a kebab and a glass of çay.  At one point things did get a little heated and Mayor Saim Karakurt had to exert his authority to diffuse the situation.

Other matters
Here are a few more snippets, which were not covered at the Belediye Board meeting, but may be of interest.

The new road up to Akbel, as shown in our Kalkan roads update of 16th May has not been put out to tender yet, and it is unlikely that it will be built in the near future.  The new access point to Kızıltaş, by the Arçelik shop is likely to be built before the new Akbel road.

A lady fell over and broke her arm in town a few days ago.  She tripped over the metal barriers that prevent traffic going down into town, at the top of Mustafa Kocakaya Caddesi.  These barriers were on the pavements as well as the road to prevent scooters riding along the pavements.  However, following this unfortunate accident, the Belediye have removed the barriers on the pavements.  It is worth mentioning that a UK type Health & Safety culture does not exist in Turkey, and you do need to watch out for obstacles and uneven surfaces.

Finally, Kalkan's Festival of the Sea will be on Wednesday 1st July.  More details to follow, but put the date in your diary.