Isamaa and Reform sign Tartu coalition agreement
Isamaa and the Reform Party have signed a Tartu City Government coalition agreement, ending weeks of talks since last month's local elections.
Urmas Klaas (Reform) is staying on as the city's mayor.
The four-year power-sharing deal spans 11 pages and was signed on Thursday by Tartu district chair Kaspar Kokk for Isamaa, and Klaas for Reform.
The agreement places education at the cornerstone of Tartu's identity and the foundation of its future.
"We want to give the city's development an extra boost. We want Tartu's living environment to be strong. Our shared desire is to begin construction of Siuru [cultural center] and the surrounding outdoor areas. We will bring forward the renovation of Veeriku school and continue renovating schools and kindergartens. Tartu's voice must be heard when we talk about regional balance, as Tartu is an important center of education, culture and enterprise," the mayor said.
Klaas added that the aim is for Tartu "to remain the flagship of Estonian education and science" and to offer "a nurturing environment that favours young families," as well as to be "a hub of innovative entrepreneurship."
"It is important for Isamaa that we reached an agreement on refurbishing the Veeriku school and on looking at the balanced development of urban space, so that we treat different groups of road users with equal respect and attention," Kokk said ahead of signing the agreement.
The agreement pledges not to raise kindergarten fees and to waive them altogether in the case of families with four or more children.
Tartu schools will also be getting drone-training capabilities.
Kokk added the incoming city government must stand up for Tartu's interests further afield. "This concerns the creation of the joint hospital," he elaborated.
An original plan to fight the Tallinn Hospital via "all legal means" has been softened, stating it is "not right to merge the hospitals located in Tallinn into a single institution" in order "to preserve regional balance in Estonian medicine."
The ongoing construction of a full four-lane Tallinn-Tartu highway and fast rail links to Tallinn and Riga, as well as a review of cycle lanes, is also included in the pact.
The "construction of the Siuru cultural center and its associated outdoor areas," will begin right away, according to the agreement, while aid will be provided to the Estonian National Museum (ERM) to find options to refurbish the nearby historic Raadi manor building.
Work towards a potential multi-hall sports facility, in conjunction with the state, and also work to back athletes from Tartu at the Olympics are other entries.
Both parties won 15 seats in Tartu at the October 19 local elections, giving a majority on the 49-seat chamber.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Urmet Kook
