Everyone should be interested in the development of the county

In order to discuss the experience of entrepreneurs in cooperation with the municipality, to evaluate what was good in previous years, what should be changed, what kind of support entrepreneurs need, the municipality of Smiltene region held meetings with entrepreneurs in Rauna, Ape and Smiltene.

Municipality for entrepreneurs

Businessmen from other parishes also came to the meeting in Rauna. Modris Apsītis, Deputy Head of the Development and Planning Department of Smiltene County for Business Affairs, presented the support of the municipality for business. There are three business specialists working in the county, who also provide advice to farmers. Tourism entrepreneurs cooperate with three tourism centers, nine State and local government unified customer service centers operate in the county for daily convenience, as well as a branch of the Valmiera business incubator.

Entrepreneurs appreciated and acknowledged that they use the offered opportunities on a daily basis – support for young entrepreneurs in developing new services, products, creating jobs, for which they can get a grant of three thousand euros. In communication with the municipality, everyone has found something suitable for them, starting from free studies, participation in events, exhibitions, fairs and experience exchange trips, purchases to the construction of infrastructure and roads to the company. The exchange of information with the municipality was also assessed as essential. A news page for entrepreneurs is regularly prepared, which can be received by e-mail. It contains information about vacancies in the county, not only municipal properties – land, premises, buildings – that can be rented or purchased for business.

“A catalog of regional entrepreneurs is being created. There are 1,800 entrepreneurs in the county. It is time-consuming to identify them, to find out their contacts, so we invite entrepreneurs to provide it,” said Modris Apsītis. Entrepreneurs, however, assessed that the website of the municipality is inconvenient, difficult to review. The head of the municipality, Edgars Avotiņš, also agreed to this, admitting that they are thinking about what it should be. Businessmen recognized e-mail correspondence as the most convenient way to communicate with the municipality.

More and more businessmen of the region are interested and use the brand “Smiltenes novadas sanāk” in product design and marketing. and stylized cornflower graphic elements. “”Smiltene region comes together” has already settled and is known. We emphasize – if it doesn’t work out, we do it until we can,” said M. Apsītis.
Edgars Avotiņš, the head of the Smiltene region, admitted: “We have put forward three most important directions for the development of the region: business, housing and education. The solution to these questions is often the main thing when people choose a place to live.”

Investment projects in degraded areas

The municipality is actively looking for opportunities to use and develop degraded areas. Mārtiņš Ulāns, deputy executive director of the municipality for development issues, presented current investment projects for the promotion of entrepreneurship. In the center of Smiltene is the former water mill, where there was a company during the Soviet era that produced tin buckets and other products. It was purchased by the municipality as an abandoned area four years ago. Viedrades quarter is being created here. The municipality is involved in the New European BAUHAUS (JEB) network, and the project from Smiltenians has been noticed on a European scale, it is an opportunity to share with the implementers of similar projects. Developed design strategy. There will be a library, business premises, public catering. In the competition of architectural ideas, 11 proposals were received, which were also voted on by the residents. Designing is planned for this year, financing is being sought.

The design of the industrial area in Rauna will soon begin. Engineering networks will be arranged, real estate will be prepared for expropriation, and the small school building will be arranged. A similar project will be implemented in Ape, while a 28-apartment rental building will be built in Smiltene.

A businessman had come from Jelgava for a meeting in Rauna. He is interested in the opportunity to work in the industrial park, because Rauna is geographically advantageous. “I contacted the municipal specialists, the conversation convinced me of the choice. If the municipality provides the necessary infrastructure, I will be able to invest more in the purchase of equipment,” the businessman assessed.

Must be interested in cooperation

During the conversation, Rauna’s businessmen admitted that solving small issues in the new county is longer than it used to be. There have been times when one specialist asked to look for another, but it was not clear who to ask for,” said businessman Uldis Rudzītis, but the head of the parish administration, Linda Zūdiņa, admitted that in a small county, the municipality could respond to every question faster, even calling an emergency council meeting if necessary. .

Entrepreneurs assessed that cooperation with the municipality is good. Entrepreneurs are always involved in the cultural events held in Rauna, their opinions and ideas are heard. Juris Sapožnikovs-Pētersons was interested in the possibility of the municipality getting involved in the maintenance of an infrastructure project implemented by a private person. “The illumination of Dzirnavgrava makes many people happy, it is a place for walks for Raunė residents and tourists, but from time to time something needs to be restored,” said a resident of Raunė. L. Zūdiņa explained that when taking on obligations, one must expect that they must be fulfilled, unfortunately, often in projects implemented by associations or private individuals, no thought is given to how they will be maintained and restored.

Tourism entrepreneurs admitted that there is also good cooperation among themselves. Recently, there was a meeting of regional tourism entrepreneurs in Rauna, where they discussed the current events of the summer. Neighbors visited “Raunas Cepli”, Lodziņu garden and Šmitu carpentry”.

“By cooperating, supporting each other, you can always do more,” reminded M. Apsītis.