TALLINN MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Transcription

1 TALLINN MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING SERVICES DEPARTMENT Tallinn

2 CONTENTS ORGANISATION OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY AND ITS AREA OF GOVERNMENT... 3 MANAGEMENT SYSTEM... 4 HISTORY... 5 MAIN TASKS... 8 ADMINISTRATED AGENCIES MOST IMPORTANT ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF TALLINN MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING SERVICES DEPARTMENT IN 2013 AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT OBJECTIVES OF THE MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR THE BUDGET YEAR

3 ORGANISATION OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY AND ITS AREA OF GOVERNMENT The area of activity of the Tallinn Municipal Engineering Services Department is organising the construction, repairs and maintenance of Tallinn s municipal engineering works, including streets, roads and utility networks, and providing other public services in the field of municipal engineering to Tallinn s public, guided by the objective of ensuring favourable living environment in Tallinn and by the principles of sustainable development. The Department s partners in the meaning of the management system are organisations or persons to whom the Department provides or sells services. The Department acts in the framework of its funds allocated from the city s budget. The Department s budget is divided into operating expenses and investments. Operating expenses are divided into product categories: roads and streets, traffic management, and public maintenance. The investments of Tallinn Municipal Engineering Services Department are divided between the following fields of activity: public maintenances, culture, roads and streets. The mission of Tallinn Municipal Engineering Services Department is to maintain and develop the city s infrastructure with the objective to ensure convenient and safe city space, acting on the City Government s assignments and other legal acts and within the resources allocated for the tasks, involving specialised enterprises and the public. There is ongoing exchange of work experience with foreign colleagues and active participation in seminaries of the Estonian Association of Municipal Engineering as both organisers and listeners. Studies are conducted in co-operation with various universities and active co-operation takes place with colleagues from other units of Tallinn City Government. To better organise its work, Tallinn Municipal Engineering Services Department has developed a management system which it continually improves. Its purpose is to manage and motivate the Department s employees to fulfil the expectations and needs of clients and cooperation groups ever better, to improve the personnel s qualification and capabilities, and to achieve faster and more completely the objectives of the Municipal Engineering Services Department. The entire collective is active in consistent development. 3

4 MANAGEMENT SYSTEM The area of activity of the Tallinn Municipal Engineering Services Department is organising the construction, repairs and maintenance of Tallinn s municipal engineering works, including streets, roads and utility networks, and providing other public services in the field of municipal engineering to Tallinn s public, guided by the objective of ensuring favourable living environment in Tallinn and by the principles of sustainable development. Tallinn Municipal Engineering Services Department is the first and thus far the only local government administrative agency in Estonia which has a management system complying with the requirements of the quality management system standard ISO 9001 and the environmental management system standard ISO The certificates include the organisation of activities related to provision of public services. Development and implementation of the systems provides clarity concerning the Department s activities and achievement of its objectives, so that the city s inhabitants can remain satisfied with the services provided to them now and in the future. According to the results of the certification s follow-up audit performed by AS Metrosert in 2013, the quality and environment management system of Tallinn Municipal Engineering Services Department complies with the requirements of the standards ISO 9001 and ISO The management system developed encompasses the Department s most important area of activity: Public services provided by Tallinn Municipal Engineering Services Department. The public services provided by the Department are listed on the City Government s website at The quality of public services provided by the Department is ensured with procedures for those services, adopted in Tallinn Municipal Engineering Services Department. The management system s documents are approved with an order of the Head of Tallinn Municipal Engineering Services Department. The procedures are reviewed each year in the course of an internal audit and if necessary then clarified and supplemented, then approved again. The organisation s mission is the purpose of its establishment and work in the widest sense. The mission of Tallinn Municipal Engineering Services Department is to organise the activities related to development, construction and maintenance of the city s infrastructure with the objective to ensure environment-friendly, convenient and safe 4

5 city space, acting on the City Government s assignments and other legal acts and within the resources allocated for the tasks, involving specialised enterprises and the public. Environmental Plan 2014 and Quality Objectives 2014 are approved with Order No /226 dated of the Head of Tallinn Municipal Engineering Services Department. THE DEPARTMENT S MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE 1. HEAD OF DEPARTMENT 1.1. OFFICE 3. DEPUTY HEAD OF DEPARTMENT 2. DEPUTY HEAD OF DEPARTMENT 1.2. ECONOMIC DIVISION 3.1. ENGINEERING DIVISION 2.1. CONSTRUCTION AND SUPERVISION DIVISION 1.3. REGISTER DIVISION 3.2. MAINTENANCE DIVISION 2.2. PROJECTS AND SURVEYS DIVISION 1.4. KADRIORU PARK 2.3. EARTHWORKS DIVISION HISTORY The structure of Tallinn Town Council and later Tallinn City Government has changed repeatedly throughout the times. For example, the materials of Tallinn City Mansions Committee start from the year 1681 and those of Tallinn City Port Committee start from The City Government s structure was strongly affected by the police reform of 1888 and the court reform of The joint office of the City Council and the City Government, the Market Prices Office, the Technical Division, the Police Board, the City Treasury, the Permanent Committees for economy, road construction, welfare, apartments, fire-fighting, boulevards, health care, lighting, water supply, etc. and several temporary committees were subordinated to the City Government. Over times, the City Government s structure was supplemented and the former committees were replaced by divisions having rather more employees. The most important among them in 5

6 terms of municipal engineering was the Construction Division of Tallinn City Government, established in 1918 and used as a basis in 1940 for establishing most of the enterprises subordinated to the Municipal Engineering Department of the Executive Committee of Tallinn City Council of Working People s Representatives. The municipal engineering part of the Department s name (kommunaalmajandus in Estonian), having rooted into people s minds over the years, remained even after the restoration of Estonia s independence, while other names given to public authorities by the Soviet regime were changed. There was a reason to that municipal engineering seems to fit the content of the Department s activities better than its earlier names. The extraordinary importance of the Department is also indicated by its large number of employees. In the summer of 1941, a total of 14,000 people worked in the city s municipal engineering system. The personnel was this numerous because many nationalised enterprises were subordinated to the Municipal Engineering Department. Under the Executive Committee of Tallinn City Council of Working People s Representatives, many enterprises were gradually established also after the war, and those were then subordinated to the Municipal Engineering Department after its restoration in By necessity, all agencies under this department were involved for a long time in elimination of war damage. Other factors facilitating the development of a department with high personnel numbers was the shortage of mechanisms, the large number of intermediaries, the status as a capital of a Soviet Republic, etc. Already the Residential Division which was subordinated to the Municipal Engineering Department until 1945 employed a couple of thousand people. In the autumn of 1944, a total of 5,775 people worked in enterprises subordinate to the Municipal Engineering Department. Tallinn Municipal Engineering Department was established under the Executive Committee of Tallinn City Council of Working People s Representatives in The following enterprises and agencies were subordinated to the Municipal Engineering Department in 1944: Tallinn City Hotels Trust; Tallinn Gas an Water Supply Trust; District Heating and Water Supply Office Hüdraulika; Tallinn City Saunas and Laundries Trust; City Office of Advertising; 6

7 Land and Forest Division; Tallinn City Public Maintenance Trust; Tallinn City Construction and Repair Works Trust; Tallinn City Residential Division; Tallinn City Pawn Broker; Tallinn City Transport Office; Tallinn City Traffic Trust; Tallinn City Heating Trust. The following enterprises and agencies left the Municipal Engineering Department of the Executive Committee of Tallinn City Council of Working People s Representatives in 1945: Tallinn City Residential Division; District Heating and Water Supply Office Hüdraulika; Land and Forest Division; Tallinn City Construction and Repair Works Trust; Tallinn City Heating Trust; Tallinn City Transport Office. In the period after the war, the task of the Municipal Engineering Department was to manage and inspect the activities of the aforementioned agencies and enterprises. With Decision No. 21 dated 26 January 1968 of the Executive Committee of Tallinn City Council of Working People s Representatives, Tallinn Municipal Engineering Department was renamed to Municipal Engineering Administration of the Executive Committee of Tallinn City Council of Working People s Representatives. With Decision dated 22 December 1989 of Tallinn City Council, the Executive Committee of the Tallinn City Council of People s Representatives was renamed into Tallinn City Government. With Regulation No. 178 dated 28 September 1990 of Tallinn City Government, Tallinn Municipal Engineering Administration was renamed into Tallinn Municipal Engineering Services Department. With Regulation No. 43 dated 9 December 2004 of Tallinn City Council, Tallinn Municipal Engineering Services Department and Tallinn Transport and Environment Department were reorganised into Tallinn Environment Department, Tallinn Municipal Engineering Services Department and Tallinn Transport Department starting from 1. January Since the year 1945, the Municipal Engineering Services Department has had 16 Department Heads. 7

8 MAIN TASKS Organising the planning, design, construction, repair and maintenance of Tallinn s infrastructure objects providing public services, incl. public roads, bridges, tunnels, overpasses, storm water sewerage systems, outdoor lighting of roads and other public objects, the network of pedestrian and bicycling roads, vegetation on road land, parks incl. historical parks, greenery areas, fountains, works of monumental art, and hydrotechnical engineering works; organising the installation and maintenance of city furniture and waste containers on road land; organising the construction and operation of bicycle parking facilities; administrating the city s public toilets; organising beach rescue services at bathing locations within the city s territory of administration; administrating the harbour facilities and coastal reinforcements owned by the city; organising and monitoring the implementation of the city s public water supply and sewerage network development plan in co-operation with water enterprises; inspecting compliance with requirements for use of the city s public water supply and sewerage network and inspecting whether the water supply and sewerage system of immovable properties to be connected to the public water supply and sewerage network comply with the relevant requirements; organising the protection of the city s water intake and the provision of high-quality water supply and sewerage service; organising the activities and respecting of principles related to assignment of district heating regions in the Department s competence; organising the planning, preparation and implementation of development plans pertaining to the Department s area of activities, incl. the city s road maintenance plan, road development plan as well as public water supply and sewerage network development plan; submitting proposals within the Department s competence for preparation of draft sectoral development plans of the state and the city; organising the preparing of research and development papers pertaining to the Department s area of activities; 8

9 shaping the development directions and organising the work of agencies under the Department s administration as well as performing supervision over them; co-ordinating detailed plans, road and street lighting construction designs and other designs; co-ordinating permits for street trading, advertising, public events, etc.; processing applications for permits of earthworks, chargeable special permits of extraordinary carriage and transportation on city streets as well as other permits resulting from the Department s principal activities, as well as issuing, suspending and cancelling of such permits; performing supervision over earthworks and emergency works; keeping the Roads Register and other registers and databases necessary for performance of the Department s principal activities; organising the work of Permanent Committees in the City Government s municipal engineering field, incl. the Energy Committee, the Road Management Committee and the Committee of Elimination of Severe Weather s Consequences; preparing the city s Emergency Situation Risk Analysis and Emergency Situation Resolving Plan, ensuring the operation of Tallinn Helpline 1345 pursuant to the administrative agreement between the city and the state as well as organising the city s crisis regulation units work and crisis regulation exercises and training; performing tasks related to organisation of continued availability of critical services, incl. advising the providers of critical services, reviewing the availability risk analyses and availability plans prepared by the providers of critical services as well as inspecting whether they comply with the guide materials of the Ministry of the Interior, as well as providing the Ministry of the Interior with overviews of the status of organising the availability of critical services; applying for European Union funds and private and public sector funds for performance of the Department s principal tasks as well as organising the use of those funds; co-operating within the Department s competence with other local governments, government agencies, foundations, non-profit associations, entrepreneurship and consumer organisations as well as relevant agencies of other countries and relevant international organisations; organising training courses in the field of municipal engineering; 9

10 organising the possession, use and disposing of the city s property assigned under the Department s governance, pursuant to the procedures prescribed in the city s legal acts; preparing draft legal acts of the city in matters included in the Department s competence; performing tasks resulting from the Code of Misdemeanour Procedure, with the City Government s authorisation; issuing precepts and applying substitutive enforcement and penalty payment in the framework of the Department s area of activities; performing other tasks assigned to the Department by legal acts of the city and the state. ADMINISTRATED AGENCIES The agency administrated by Tallinn Municipal Engineering Services Department is Kadriorg Park. The agency s area of activity is management and development of Kadriorg Park and maintenance of other parks and greenery areas as well as fountains assigned under the agency s administration. The field journal states that Peter I, after arriving to Tallinn by sea on 21 July 1718, went to his cabin in a grove (the Peter s House today) and on the next day i.e. 22 July, together with his new architect Niccolo Michetti, measured the locations for a palace and a garden. The ensemble is located in a place of great natural beauty, on a three-level coastal plain descending towards the sea, where water is naturally pressed out from between limestone layers in the ground, thus forming natural wells feeding the area periodically with much water. In the history of gardening, the baroque park is essentially a river landscape stylised to the extreme, where every single element (be it alive or inanimate) is subordinated to the unified whole which was governed by the governor (Louis XIV and Versailles, Peter I and Katharinenthal (Kadriorg), and several other park ensembles established at the time in St. Petersburg and its vicinity). 22 July 1718 is considered the birthday of the Kadriorg baroque palace ensemble. On 25 July 1718 the construction works of the palace were started. The ensemble includes a palace with its terraces and wings, the lower garden in front of the palace and the upper garden behind the palace. The latter is located on two levels; historically, its upper end contained a mirage pond 10

11 which was eliminated later, in during the construction of the President s office and garden. The upper garden s lower level contains a flower garden, delimited from behind i.e. on the slope by a mirage wall with a water cascade and from sides by paved roads with gates opening from the baroque flower garden to Kadri alley leading into the forest park with any trees and to Kaarna alley leading to the palace s utility area. The largest part of the baroque ensemble the lower regular garden reached about 280 m in front of the palace, being surrounded by a channel, rows of pruned trees as well as pruned walls and paved roads. The garden itself has been of a closed type, more intimate than the open and inviting flower garden. It contains many smaller fountains and a main fountain with an 8-9 m jet at the end of the gardens axis. The fountains and the system of channels in the territory of the lower baroque garden were filled in 1930s and were densely planted with hardwood species in In 1989, the city enterprise Kadriorg Park was founded, to reconstruct and maintain Kadriorg Park as a protected object, unique on Estonian and also European level. In 1990 the reconditioning and renovation works of the park were started. Mere alley and Kaarna alley as well as Kirdetiik (the north-eastern pond) and Luigetiik (the swan pond) together with their surroundings were fully renewed. Upon reopening the palace after its restoration as an art museum in 2000, the restored flower garden with restored fountains behind the palace was also opened. The mirage wall was reconstructed a couple of years later and M. Karmin s bronze sculpture Poseidon was installed into its cascade niche in At the same time, the concert square was restored and a rose garden (5,600 roses) was established instead of the former rock garden, as well as restoring a fountain. In 2006, the busts of Presidents K. Päts and L. Meri were installed into support wall niches of the upper garden s terraces, as it was planned in the park design originating from the year In the same year i.e. in 2006, the surroundings of Luigetiik were reconditioned. In 2007, the reconditioned Noortepark (youth park) was opened. Park Museum, information outlet I-Lustla and, as a result of an operator tendering, the Park Café were opened in the Park. In 2008, the Park received a new, fully renovated park office building. In 2009, works were started to establish a Japanese garden in the region of Kirdetiik. In , works took place for establishing a Japanese garden in Kadriorg Park, around Kirdetiik. The original-looking garden was designed by Masao Sone, a Japanese landscape architect working in the Garden-Landscaping Technical Institute in Kyoto and running a company bearing his name. He is additionally maintaining a Japanese garden in Royal 11

12 Botanic Gardens, London and in Clingendael, the Netherlands. M. Sone s company is responsible for authentic maintenance of several historical temple gardens in Japan. The garden planned to surround Kirdetiik differs from typical Japanese gardens, primarily due to differences in our climate which necessitates the use of different plants. Cherry trees blossom in the Japanese garden of Kadriorg in spring, rhododendrons in the beginning of summer and irises in summer proper. Trees and bushes have colourful leaves in autumn. 868 rhododendrons were planted in the garden and 5,000 irises on pond sides. Future plans are for building gates, a tea house and a pavilion. On 15 May 2013, the 1,386 metre open circular channel was opened, giving the park landscape another feature. The historical circular channel of 611 metres was restored in the course of construction works, running as a semi-arch in front of Kadriorg Palace. Heritage-minded people were especially glad to see that the builders strived to retain the original shape of the historical bridge preserved to this day and built in the year In addition to restoring the historical channels, a cascade of five steps and a dam pond were constructed. 12

13 MOST IMPORTANT ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF TALLINN MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING SERVICES DEPARTMENT IN 2013 AND OBJECTIVES FOR 2014 In 2013, Ülemiste traffic junction was completed as the largest road construction object of recent years, with support from the Cohesion Fund; the traffic junction was opened for traffic on 10 October. As a result of constructing the junction, traffic density in Tallinn City Centre is reduced and the safety of drivers and pedestrians increases. The new traffic junction provides fast access to the capital city and to international passenger and freight transport centres. Ülemiste traffic junction The construction works were performed by AS Merko Ehitus Eesti as a representative of its group, upon order from the Municipal Engineering Services Department, on the basis of a technical design prepared by AS K-Projekt and under supervision by Teede Projektijuhtimise AS. In the course of reconstructing the traffic junction, stage II of the driveway tunnel in the region of the street of Filtri tee was established and two tunnels for pedestrian and bicycle traffic were constructed in In the region of the street of Peterburi tee, construction works of the Tartu maantee overpass were completed and a left-turn tunnel until the street of Ülemiste was constructed. The project resulted in a multi-level crossing, incl.: 8.7 km of roads were constructed and reconstructed, 2 tunnels and 1 overpass over the street of Tartu maantee were built, 7.0 km of pedestrian and bicycle tracks were constructed and 3 tunnels for pedestrian and bicycle traffic were established. 13

14 Estonian Association of Municipal Engineering declared Ülemiste traffic junction the best municipal engineering works o the year Estonian Concrete Association gave Ülemiste traffic junction the title of Concrete Constructions of the Year Works to reconstruct the street of Tartu maantee in the section of Vana-Tartu maantee Tähnase tee were completed in As a result of the project for stage II of Ülemiste traffic junction, 4.2 km of roads were constructed and reconstructed, 2 railway overpasses were established and 3.02 km of pedestrian and bicycle tracks were constructed and reconstructed. Tartu maantee The operating expenses for future maintenance, cleaning, lighting and storm water drainage of all constructions at Ülemiste traffic junction are EUR 1.3 million per year. 14

15 Other road construction works in 2013 worth mentioning are those performed in the region of the street of Soo (the section of Põhja puiestee - Tööstuse) and the reconstruction of the street of Telliskivi (the section of Kopli - Ristiku). In the course of reconstruction, Soo was made into a single-lane, single-direction driveway with 4 m wide pavement and traffic calming measures. In the course of the reconstruction works, the water supply and sewerage piping and the electricity supply lines of Soo were also reconstructed. Soo tänav The left-hand side of the street was constructed to have a 4.5 m wide pedestrian and bicycle track and the right-hand side to have a 2 metre wide sidewalk for the street s entire length. The pedestrian and bicycle track starts from the crossing of the streets of Soo and Põhja puiestee and connects to the existing pedestrian and bicycle track to the right of Põhja puiestee. The pedestrian and bicycle track is designed to run until directly before the crossing of Salme. Street lighting complying with requirements was constructed and the storm water draining solution was improved. Sidewalk tiles with relief surface (so-called Braille stones ) were installed in front of all pedestrian crossings, to mark them better for people with vision disabilities. The maximum allowed driving speed for the entire street is 30 km/h. In the framework of reconstructing the street of Telliskivi, the street s driveways pavement was reconditioned and street lighting and gas piping was renovated. Vegetation was reconditioned and traffic management means were installed. Traffic calming measures include 15

16 a so-called zigzag path, pedestrian crossings were made easier to use for pedestrians by establishing safety islands separated by curb stones on the crossings, and sidewalk tiles with relief surface (so-called Braille stones ) were installed in front of pedestrian crossings to facilitate their use by people with vision disabilities. A new pedestrian and bicycle track was established in front of buildings with even house numbers. Simultaneously with reconstructing the street, EVR Infra also reconditioned the railway crossings belonging to the company. Telliskivi tänav The old parquet stone pavement uncovered in the course of road construction works was used for establishing two parking places with parquet stone pavement in front of Pelgulinna Cultural Centre, to mark a historical walkway corridor. Design works entailed constructive co-operation with representatives of Telliskivi Association. The purpose of reconstructing the streets of Harju (Rüütli-Niguliste) and Kullassepa was to bring the driveway and the sidewalk to a single level, making the streets into pedestrian areas. The project continued the concept used for the pedestrian area at the beginning of Harju (Vabaduse väljak-müürivahe) and the contours of the façades of buildings destroyed in World War II were marked on the surface of both streets. The design solution makes it possible to see the construction silhouette and width of the street as it was before World War II. 16

17 Harju tänav The utility lines under the streets were also reconstructed. Additional benches were installed in front of Vilde Monument and near the tourist information outlet on the street of Kullassepa, and those in combination with outdoor terraces of the streets cafés provide people with sufficient opportunities to feel the street s historical atmosphere. Design works entailed active co-operation with representatives of Old Town Association. Other important objects of restoration repairs were the streets of Tehnika (the section of Pärnu maantee - Toompuiestee) and Astangu (the section of Astangu 22 ring road). In the framework of the project for reconditioning roads within residential blocks, reconditioning works continued inside Lasnamäe micro-regions at the Seli settlement, whereby roads inside the residential blocks were reconditioned and new parking places were created in the course of reconditioning the pavement. Works were performed inter alia on the streets of Kärberi, Ümera, Mahtra, Vikerlase and Pae. The area between Nõmme tee 19, 23 and Vindi 18 was reconstructed. As a result, a worrisome problem of storm water drainage was solved and pedestrian safety was improved. 17

18 The most important pedestrian and bicycle tracks established in 2013 were the separate pedestrian and bicycle tracks constructed in the course of reconstructing the streets of Soo and Telliskivi and the bicycle track marked on the driveway edge of the street of Tehnika. By establishing the infrastructure of Pae Park, the entire park s multi-functionality was increased to use the park for recreation around the year. To make the recreational area even more convenient and attractive to its users, a pedestrian bridge was constructed, spanning Pae Park s quarry-come-lake and connecting Perepark (family park) with the area across the pond i.e. Mäepark (hill park). Pedestrian bridge spanning Pae Park s quarry-come-lake The bridge provides direct access to the building of Lasnamäe District Government. An innovative solution of integrated LED strips is used for lighting the bridge s handrails, and the pylons are lit by LED floodlights. In addition to the bridge, a lit fountain was constructed in Pae Park s pond. The design was ordered and the works were performed by AS Merko Ehitus Eesti. Based on an agreement between the City of Tallinn and the Royal Embassy of Denmark, the Danish King s Garden and the Dannebrog Flag Terrace and its stairs were reconstructed with 18

19 the aid of Danish Funds A.P. Møller og Hustru Chastine Mckinney Møllers Fond til almene Formaal and Dronning Margrethe og Prins Henriks Fond. Danish King s Garden Two glass information plaques were installed to the site, providing a historical overview of the Danish King s Garden; also, a granite bench was established at the Dannebrog Terrace. The reconditioning works of the Danish King s Garden were performed by Tarrest LT OÜ. 22 July 1718 is considered the birthday of Kadriorg baroque park and palace ensemble. In 2013, the most beautiful park of Tallinn celebrated its 295th anniversary; the events included an international park conference called Kadriorg 295 baroque park today with participation by the world s leading specialists. On May 24, the international Tallinn Flower Festival 2013, the fifth of its kind, was opened in the park at the square of Tornide väljak; the Flower Festival lasted until 24 August 2013 and had 29 participants, nine of them from abroad. For the first time, gardeners from St. Petersburg, Russia and Odessa, Ukraine took part in the Festival. 19

20 Tallinn Flower Festival 2013 The Flower Festival s topics were Garden as an artwork and Healing garden. The beautiful gardens created drew more than 450,000 visitors. Another grandiose event taking place in Kadriorg Park was The Light Walks in Kadriorg At the gardening festival Emperor s Gardens in St. Petersburg, Kadriorg Park won the first place in the category of small gardens. In the spring of 2013, the seven-year contract entered into between Tallinn Municipal Engineering Services Department and AS HK Hall in 2006 came to an end; the contract s object was provision of skating opportunities at an artificial ice rink established on the greenery area of the street of Harju. 203,000 people visited the ice rink during the seven winter seasons. In October, 2013 a new contract for ice rink services was signed for the period until 1 May The new contract also changed the design of the ice rink s auxiliary constructions to be more suitable for the Old Town s milieu. Each winter, the ice rink service starts on 1 December and ends on 31 March. The ice rink is open every day from 10:00 to 22:00. Tallinn s formal education schools have free-of-charge access to the ice rink on workdays from 10:00 to 17:00. 20

21 Ice rink and its auxiliary building at the street of Harju In December 2013, the ice rink was visited by 8,045 people, 945 of them students. In summer periods, the ice rink s area is a recreational area with park furniture, maintained by Kadriorg Park. 75 hazardous trees were cut in the city space in Maintenance cut of the chestnut alley at the street of Tehnika (420 trees) and the trees at the street of Telliskivi (112 trees) was performed. In 2013, the projects Hoovid korda! (courtyard maintenance) and Fassaadid korda! (façade maintenance) were conducted again, becoming ever more popular among apartment associations. 59 apartment associations received support for courtyard maintenance in 2013, for a total amount of 395,000. In total, EUR 6.6 million have been allocated to the project in Tallinn during 8 years. In the framework of the façade maintenance project, the applications of 25 apartment associations for covering the self-financing part of renovation loan were satisfied, for a total amount of EUR 359,662. The façade management program started in 2010 and 123 apartment associations have received support from the project in 4 years. Via activities requiring significant preparations in 2013, the Tallinn City information system for processing permits for earthworks and temporary closing of streets in the city, i.e. Operatiivinfo (operative information system) became functional on 1 January The operative information system reflects the works and temporary closing of streets taking place in the territory of Tallinn. It also reflects construction works on road areas, breakdowns of utility lines and emergency earthworks for their repairs, street maintenance works, and 21

22 interruptions of critical services. The new environment reduces the time and resources needed to apply for and process applications for permits of earthworks and temporary closing of streets, resulting in faster, more transparent, simpler and more accessible permit-related activities for the parties. Interested parties have access to the data in machine-readable format. The public and the information system s users have access to information about present and past activities taking place in the territory of Tallinn, via the operative information system s web interface at opinfo.tallinn.ee. First and foremost, the information system s efficiency is expressed in faster submission and processing of applications so that the applicants spend significantly less time obtaining the permits. They do not need to visit various Departments anymore and instead the entire procedure of submitting, co-ordinating and processing of applications takes place via the electronic environment. Communication between Departments and districts improves considerably. The infraction contained in the information system is available in machinereadable (reusable) form. The data are available to other information systems as well, for example to the TARK TEE (smart road) information system of the Road Administration and also to other stakeholders who wish to use the data (for building applications on their basis, e.g. the traffic application Waze). The information system was established with support from the European Union Structural Fund. As ordered by the Municipal Engineering Services Department, the survey Studying the opportunities for improving the existing outdoor lighting of Tallinn and developing proposals to implement new light sources and luminaires as well as control systems prepared by the Electrical Drives and Power Electronics Institute of Tallinn University of Technology, the study Preparing the initial task for designing and constructing a test section of cement concrete road and public transport stops with concrete pavement in Tallinn and conducting consultations and studies needed to prepare it, stage I prepared by the Road Institute of Tallinn University of Technology, the study Measuring the condition of pavement on Tallinn s roads and streets, processing and PMS analysis of the measured data as well as publishing the results in 2013 prepared by AS Teede Tehnokeskus, the study PMx measurements based on pavement and wearable vehicle components prepared by OÜ Eesti Keskkonnauuringute Keskus, the study Determining the storm water confluence sites within 22

23 the catchment area of Mustjõe stream pursuant to the base plan prepared by Kobras AS, the study Assessment to probability and repeating of high water levels at the mouth of Kopli bay prepared by the Cybernetics Institute of Tallinn University of Technology, and the study Tallinn bicycle traffic strategy, stage I prepared by the Logistics Institute of Tallinn University of Technology were completed in It is worth mentioning that the Municipal Engineering Services Department is co-operating effectively with Estonian Association of Municipal Engineering. As a result of this productive partnership, seminaries dealing with topics of relevance in the field of municipal engineering are conducted on an ongoing basis. The activities of the Municipal Engineering Services Department continue to comply with the requirements of the quality management system standard ISO 9001 and the environment management system standard ISO Tallinn Municipal Engineering Services Department is as yet the only Estonian local government agency having been issued ISO certificates for environment management system requirements. THE MOST IMPORTANT OBJECTIVES OF THE MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR THE BUDGET YEAR 2014 Operating expenses budget: EUR 40,774 Investment budget: EUR 16,665,146 Implementing the object plan of major repair and restoration of roads for 2014 Construction of the street of Kalaranna Construction of the access road to substitute homes at the address of Veerise 26 and 28 Construction of the access road and parking lot of Pae Park Repair works of the Pärnu maantee overpass Construction of the street of Kiviriku (the section of Meeliku Narva maantee) Construction of the walkway between the streets of Alvari and Paasiku Reconstruction of the street of Ehitajate tee (the section of Õismäe tee Paldiski maantee) Reconstruction of the street of Kotka (the section of Nõmme tee Tihase) Restoration of the street of Pärnu maantee (the section of Vabaduse väljak overpass) 23

24 Restoration of the street of Punase (the section of J.Smuuli tee Kuuli) Restoration of the street of Võidujooksu (the section of Pae bridge) Restoration of the street of A.H Tammsaare tee (the section of Pärnu maantee Tondi) Restoration of the street of Õismäe tee, stage I Reconstruction and restoration of roads within residential blocks, in the districts of Lasnamäe, Nõmme, Pirita, Mustamäe, Kesklinna and Kristiine Reconstruction of the parking lot at Salme Cultural Centre Preparing a procurement for cleaning of road constructions in five cleaning regions: maintenance of trunk roads, public transport stops and road area greeneries in Tallinn centre region, northern region, western region, eastern region and southern region. The validity of the current contracts will end on Construction of storm water sewerage of the streets of Saare, Künnapuu, Lepa põik and Lepa. Preparing the contract for ensuring the around-the-clock functioning of Tallinn s new outdoor lighting system and its parts (switchgear, distribution gear, street lighting network and their elements), ensuring and implementing the control and monitoring system of outdoor lighting as well as performing emergency and operation works complying to requirements together with conducting restoration repairs needed for keeping the lighting network in order. 24