1200 year celebration and groundbreaking ceremony for the town hall

Created: 01/12/2022, 09:01 AM

By: Sandra Sedlmaier

Mayor at Huberfeld: Behind Rupert Steigenberger you can see the place where the new town hall will be built.

This year the groundbreaking ceremony will take place there, and things will probably look very different there by the end of the year.

© Andrea Jaksch

In an interview with the Starnberger Merkur, Berg's mayor Rupert Steigenberger calls for respectful interaction.

Berg - 2022 will be an important year for the Berg community.

The construction of the town hall is expected to start in the summer - much earlier than planned - and if Corona allows, there will be a great anniversary to celebrate: 1200 years of Berg, 150 years of fire brigade and 100 years of MTV Berg.

We spoke to Mayor Rupert Steigenberger about the upcoming projects and why things are not going quite smoothly between the administration and the municipal council.

What distinguishes Berg?

The diversity.

There is hardly any other community that has such a diverse population, such diverse locations and residents.

There is a lot of solidarity among the Höhenrainers, Berg has more of a tendency towards a pure place of residence, Kempfenhausen and the lake are home to money.

In Farchach we have an agricultural village.

The community is also very broad culturally, from classic to customs.

There is something for everyone here.

This year Berg celebrates its 1200th anniversary.

What is planned so far?

The plans are shaped by Corona.

At the moment we are hoping and working in the planning team that we will have a wonderful weekend in June.

On Saturday, June 25th, MTV wants to organize a football tournament for its 100th anniversary, and on Sunday, June 26th, the day will be marked by the church and fire brigade, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary.

The church in Berg is the oldest in the district.

It was first mentioned in a document in 822.

With the church, Berg was also mentioned for the first time.

A pageant, a church service and an outdoor festival are planned.

Corona demands a lot of flexibility from all of us, and your local council also demands this from you.

This was last shown when the inclusive multi-generation house on Gut Biberkor was rejected.

What's going on there?

I cannot fully understand the behavior of the municipal council, especially with regard to the plans for Gut Biberkor.

I voted differently than the majority.

On the whole, we agree on what we want.

But we are 21 council members, each with our own opinion.

We actually have the same goal, only the way there is different.

This is shown well by the decision on Biberkor: Basically everyone thinks the project is good, but some say it works there, others no, it only works here.

But we have to work to ensure that we, as the local council, are a credible and reliable body.

Is there a chance that a little piece in the north of Biberkor will be allowed for the project so that it doesn't die completely?

The House of Peace, which was originally planned there, was no longer mentioned anyway.

Therefore in the north rather no.

But I am relieved to hear that the client, as unanimously suggested by the council, would like to continue and therefore there may still be a chance in the south, i.e. within the scope of the existing development plan.

The cooperation between the administration and the municipal council does not always run smoothly.

Why is that?

Some councilors see the ward council as just a political body.

It is indeed, but at the same time it is also an executive body of local self-government, for example when it comes to building permits.

It is precisely here that the greatest differences become apparent.

The local council often wants to help a local builder.

The administration endeavors to treat all applicants equally and adheres to the requirements of law and case law, as precedents can only be avoided with a clear line.

Is the jolting between the administration and the municipal council also due to Corona?

Yes, definitely.

The famous beer is missing after the meeting, where people talk about the meeting again and exchange ideas about other topics.

But it has already gotten better, the closed conference in Obing in the summer helped us a lot.

Face-to-face communication simply cannot replace video conferencing.

The housing project on Osterfelderstrasse with 30 affordable apartments, on the other hand, is on the right track, despite protests.

The local council has always been in favor of this project.

I have never denied myself that this is a difficult location.

But that is the location that seems most suitable.

You can't wait because we have such a great need for affordable housing.

We have spent the last six months positioning ourselves in such a way that the project will also stand up in court - if the opponents of the location want to sue.

What are the nice projects for 2022?

We want to expand the fire station in Farchach, erect the e-charging stations and tackle the renovation of the elevated water tank in Aufkirchen.

We are also still busy finding the right point for the fountain between Martinsholzen and Manthal.

The result of the test drilling is not yet optimal.

What about the canal in Mörlbach?

The project of connecting Mörlbach to the ring canal with a separation system is demanding.

We want to start there this year.

At the moment it is about the property negotiations and the adjustment of the planning - for example it does not work as planned to transport the water from the Ickinger Straße to the pumping station.

We also need ground in the road sector, we are on the right track.

But it is expected to start in 2022.

The road in the industrial area on Lüßbach in Höhenrain also torments us.

We have now lost a year because rainwater drainage requires pipeline rights.

We're working on it.

What about the municipality's biggest project, the town hall?

That’s going well.

We wanted to start building in early 2023.

But as it turns out, we want to start in the middle of this year.

In 2022, the municipality of Berg wants to hire an air conditioning manager.

What must he be able to do?

That is the question.

We will talk to other municipalities and also discuss this in the municipal council.

I think the most important thing is where we can save CO2 most and efficiently, because that is our most pressing problem.

He or she needs the tools to make a plan.

Will the kindergarten situation relax with the new forest kindergarten?

No, even if the forest kindergarten is very welcome.

We have structural needs in the Montessori kindergarten in Aufkirchen, they would like to have an additional group that we could also need.

And we are concerned with the legal right to all-day care in elementary school from 2026. The Bundestag has decided that, but nobody says how this should be offered and who bears what costs.

There is also a legal right to a place in kindergarten.

Yes, but there I need qualified staff, which I don't necessarily need in the after-school care sector.

If I have to build something to secure the legal entitlement to all-day care in elementary school, I would like a grant.

At the moment we are waiting for the framework conditions.

What about the Höhenrain fire station?

I would like financial planning security for this topic.

It is of no use if we now have a finished plan, but cannot build it for five years.

By then, the requirements may have changed again.

There are two major financial changes for citizens: the increase in property tax and the second home tax.

Have there been any reactions?

From the population I have a reaction to the second home - the citizen said they knew that this tax would come.

But he wanted an access authorization for Assenbucher Straße (laughs).

I haven't heard anything about property tax.

Where could the congregation still save?

I see us in Berg as a very economical administration.

The carpet in the mayor's office, for example, has already been written off three times.

Where do you see problems in Berg?

When dealing with each other in an appreciative manner.

It is not always the Munich resident who drives too fast or parks incorrectly at the lake.

Everyone has learned the rules, why don't we stick to them?

It doesn't matter whether a dog owner leaves the red bag by the way, a car driver parks in the intersection or people think they have to put the sailboat in front of the neighbors' house.

All these things that we know we shouldn't do.

A lot of people come to me who complain about others, but never someone who says, "I'll do better in the future."

What do you wish for the new year?

Furthermore, a lot of patience and that the fuse will be longer again for those who are plagued by Corona.

Corona is still making life so difficult for us, that's why I wish that it would finally be over.