Ajijic Delegado Committee News

Seven local Ajijic expats and myself attended a meeting today with the new Ajijic Delegado, Hector Espana. Hector is very eager to make some positive improvements in the community and wants to include the expats and the Mexicans in all his plans. The intent of this first meeting was to discuss Hector's vision and form a committee that consists of both expats and Mexicans that can go out and get the message across to both cultures. The name that was suggested for this project is "It's our community".

The first projects that Hector wants to tackle are:

- Clean up all the litter from the streets of Ajijic and try to instill a sense of keeping the litter in the garbage bins where it belongs. Hector asks that all the residents of Ajijic take the time to ensure that they keep their sidewalk and the street in front of their house or business free of litter each day. He also is forming a weekly volunteer litter patrol that will meet at the city hall across from the Ajijic Plaza every Saturday morning at 9:00am. He plans on recruiting people from the Mexican community as well as neighborhood children and hopes that the expat community will join in on this. If you can volunteer an hour or so please consider taking the time to pitch in and help.

- Clear up the shoreline along the lake of rocks & debris and open up the parking area in front of the Old Posada. Hector already has equipment and crews working on this project. He is planning to use all the rocks collected off the shoreline to fix the potholes in the streets.

Hector wanted to let everyone know that Ajijic is financially supported by Chapala and unfortunately Chapala has no funding for materials. They can however supply labor and some equipment for his projects. We are looking for donations of building materials (bricks, sand, cement, etc.) If you have any projects underway please consider asking your maestro if he can donate some materials to Ajijic. They can contact Hector directly. I can provide his phone number if anyone can help. Send me a PM.

Here is some more information about the happenings around Ajijic from the Ajijic Delegado Committee:

- The Army Commandante has asked that no more donations of food or drink be given to his soldiers. It is against regulation for them to accept anything.
He is however looking for information on any suspicious activities around the area. If you know of anything or have seen anything you can stop in and report it anonymously. He is located in the building right behind those pill-boxs on the Carretera.

- The workers that are here from the municipality will be concentrarting on cleaning out the arroyos before the rainy season hits. There are still 7 workers here from the municipality. In addition there are 2 fulltime workers at the plaza and 3 fulltime workers at the malecon.

- The Ajijic Garden Club is going to be donating some monies to complete some of the unfinished items in the plaza. Hector is also considering some fundraising events to raise additional monies.

- The Ajijic Committee and Hector are writing a letter to the state Govenor to thank him for sending the Army and State Police to Ajijic.

- Hector will be investigating what appears to be illegal renovations and construction in Ajijic. As an example, structures that are too high or have illegal overhangs over the sidewalk.

- Hector is also working on getting junk cars removed off the streets. He will be putting a notice in the papers allowing time for people to remove them themselves. If they are not removed he will be towing them out of here.

- There are plans being put in place for a "plant in" on June 14/13. The village is looking for donations of plants that can be used on the carretera and local parks. Details of where you can drop off plant donations will be forth coming.

- People are reminded to pick up after their dogs when walking them. There appears to be an increase of dog crap on the sidewalks and streets.

I am very happy that the illegal 3 story houses being built recently is being addressed. Also the illegal balconies.
Whoever gave those permisos should be punished. We know money talks, but I am hopeful.[b]

Well the so called "permits" were apparently granted during the last administration. While they may not be able to force the owners to tear it down they can apparently get a Federal "no occupancy" order which means the building cannot be occupied until the illegal items have been remedied. Let's wait and see.

It would serve them right if they were unable to occupy.

Thanks for the update, Bob. I appreciate you taking the time to keep us informed. I only hope that Mainecoons sends you an e-mail expressing his gratitude. Sorry, could not resist. I know that you have the problem across the street from you, also. And it really does need to be controlled or Ajijic with no zoning regulations and now no height enforcement on new structures could really become an eyesore.

Further to my notes above regarding the cleaning of arroyos:

The municipality has been informed to expect some heavy rains.
You may have noticed the cleaning and digging out of arroyos going
on.
Ajijic Delegado Hector asks that we make sure that our gardeners do not dump garden debris in arroyos, but, call the delegation office for pickup.766-1760
Thursday is the usual day to put out organic debris.


If you live near an arroyo and see it is congested , call the delegation to send a cleaning crew.


The municipality seems serious about not wanting to experience the mud slides of several years ago.

>People are reminded to pick up after their dogs when walking them. There appears to be an increase of dog crap on the sidewalks and streets.

An increase in dog crap! My! So dogs are eating more food in the new administration?

:-p

M.

Ajijic's Delegado, Hector Espana, has heard the call of the public, and is planning the paving of Ajijic's Tiangis Street (Revelocion). There will be pavers installed down the center of the street two meters wide. He is asking residents to sponsor ten square meters for 1600 pesos. Those interested can call Harry Bublin at 766-4282, email ms1cb@yahoo.com or PM here. There will also be a fund raiser in August.

The army commandante may get more information if he had a phone number he could be called on.

The army has left. They are no longer at that station in El Bajio. I was told they were sent to Michoacan. Know anything about that, CB?

Yes, I believe that is the case. I will see if I can find out any more info on it.

CanuckBob wrote:Ajijic's Delegado, Hector Espana, has heard the call of the public, and is planning the paving of Ajijic's Tiangis Street (Revelocion). There will be pavers installed down the center of the street two meters wide. He is asking residents to sponsor ten square meters for 1600 pesos. Those interested can call Harry Bublin at 766-4282, email ms1cb@yahoo.com or PM here. There will also be a fund raiser in August.

I spoke with Maricio, the flower guy at the tianguis today and he sure didn't seem to know much about it. He thinks the pavers would be great and a benefit to all. He also said that if I had more information he would go and talk to all the other vendors and take up a collection. He said he saw 2 women fall a couple weeks ago and he said he felt terrible for them.

Press Release

In February of this year upon his election as Delgado for Ajijic, Hector Espana asked for an advisory committee consisting of expatriate and native residents of Ajijic. Sr. Espana was born here, owns a business here and has lived here with his family all of his life except for a few years in the USA. He saw that there were many things that needed to be done to make Ajijic a very special place. During his first hundred days of leadership, along with the support of the community, his initiative has shown progress in in many areas.

The leader of the Ajijic Delegado Advisory Committee (The Committee), Harry Bublin, along with his committee, has been working with Sr. Espana to implement these projects, and this includes soliciting contributions from individuals and organizations in the town.

A full page ad in the Guadalajara Reporter has shown the community what working together can accomplish. The Committee became a vehicle for the getting Sr. Espana the raw materials that were needed, including actual building materials and money to do the work.

Part of the charge accepted by Mr. Bublin and his committee was the oversight of the projects to assure that they were completed on time, on budget and with absolute transparency as to the costs involved. Donors to The Committee receive receipts for their contributions, the monies are isolated in a designated bank account and disbursements are only made when receipts and documentation are presented to justify the outlay. All donors receive a statement of how their money was spent.

To date, The Committee has received documentation and authorization for the following disbursements totaling $35,039 pesos:

Curbing repair and renovations (all amounts in pesos):

Cement, sand for concreting: $17,438
Yellow Paint 2,123
Handrails at the malecon and other locations: 6,400
Junk car towing: 2,000
“No Parking” signs: 1,500
Trash bags 400
“Saturday Cleaner Kids” Program 200
Update Delegado Computer system (minor update) 483
Advertising and Publicity 3,556
State Police Food Subsidy 930

The Committee and the Delegado realize that there is a lot more work to be done, and the projects will continue to be managed in the same way. Input from the community is invited and may be channeled through Mr. Bublin or Sr. Espana’s office in the delegado building on the southwest corner of Ajijic Plaza.

Bob, sharing my opinion with you and all !

Why not put the Wednesday market in the Plaza next to it ? It would be so much easier for all and might un-clutter the area as not every week is there a traffic control.

re: Plants,
Yes it would be nice to have more flowers / bungainvillas, copa de ora etc, but they must be fertilized and watered regularly ?? would the city do this ? would they have fund for this or can we look at a " adopt a part of the highway" for all to chip in....

re: Garbage
Same story, not too many garbage can/ or recycling bin around Ajijic - if there is they are always or mostly full and not picked up regularly. A campaign for putting recycling in blue bins(if we had them) would be great as well as for general public living here or visiting us.
There is not a day that goes buy where I see people throwing out their garbage from cars local residents as well as visitors. It would be nice to maybe have a banner across the highway to remind visitors to help us keep Ajijic clean.

Thanks for the feedback. I will pass it along.

Delegado Hector Espana announced a new project to extend the malecon 100 meters between Ramon Corona and Nicholas Bravo. The project will be funded by private donations.

Here is the latest news release from the Ajijic Delegado Committee:

The Ajijic Delegado Advisory Committee was formed by Ajijic Delegado Hector Espana Ramos earlier this year in an effort to reach out to the Ajijic community, and it includes both Mexicans and expatriates. After he was elected, a call went out to the entire expat community for volunteers and from those volunteers the Committee was formed.
 
The goals of the committee are modest and primarily focused on providing an avenue of communication between Delegado Hector and his constituency, and on raising funds from the community in order to accomplish projects that will enhance Ajijic and help its residents. The Committee seeks to enhance what is already here and make our village more livable, safe and accessible to all of the community residents.

One of Hector’s and the Committee’s goals is to provide greater safety for everyone in the village. In regard to the Tianguis Project, there has been some misunderstanding.  The tianguis street is a public space where people, including the many elderly and people with disabilities, wish to walk and shop without tripping.  The plan supported by our committee, is to put a 2 meter (6.5 ft) wide strip of large flat indigenous stone down the middle of the street to provide a stable footing for the shoppers, similar to what was done in the previous administration down the center of Colon. The sides of the street will still have round cobblestones. Part of the costs of the tianguis street safety improvement will be paid by the fees that the vendors pay for their licenses to sell at the tianguis, and the rest will be paid by private donations, which are still coming in. There has been a delay in starting because of the need to check pipes under the street, which must be done by Simapa.

Another objective, which is to provide disability ramps at major intersections, has already been accomplished and major intersections, and more ramps will be added. A more visible project has been the work now ongoing to renew and revitalize the bandstand (gazebo) in the plaza.  Even now the railings have finally been erected and the decorative art will be added soon.  There have been surveys of other work that needs to be done and this work will be implemented as soon as contracts can be let and the funding secured.

The Committee keeps clear records of all funds collected and accepts no contracts for work until they are discussed and approved and have firm financial and completion dates.

Additional donations to make the changes that improve, not change, our community and community involvement and input in to all our projects are always welcomed.   The Committee can be and is the expat communities’ conduit to the Delegado's office--we do not consider ourselves to be the ultimate deciders of what is done because this community needs involvement from all those who live here.  

Thanks for the news CB. We did donate for a new sidewalk in our neighborhood and it worked
like CB described. We also got a curb fixed that flooded some houses when it rained hard. The
program worked for our neighborhood.  A little bit of money goes a long ways here.

Z

The efforts of the Committee are very much appreciated.
Keep up the good work CB.

Thank you for the report -- and all the work you guys do. It is appreciated.

Thanks for the information and for the great work !

The Ajijic Plaza gazebo is emerging as a work of art. The public is encouraged to stop by and view the work in progress. The Ajijic Delegado Advisory Committee gives thanks to the Lake Chapala Garden Club for their contribution to this effort.

However, we need more patrons. If you would like to contribute to this effort, contact Harry Bublin Committee Chair at ms1cb(at)prodigy.net.mx or call 766-4282.

Come look at the Gazebo and the work the artist is doing on metal animals running around the railings. It is something!

Z

I think the kiosko gets remodeled every 5 years or so. Just wait for the new delegado, he won't like it, and they will tear it all apart