Minutes of Meeting 29th April 2026

This meeting was a multilingual online gathering of the L’Aspre residents' association to discuss progress on infrastructure issues and community concerns. Nando reported significant developments following formal letters sent to the mayor, including commitments for road repairs, proper oversight of construction work by Acciona, and promises to repair streetlights by next winter. The group discussed financial challenges, with Richard noting they had no remaining funds after creating a bilingual website and explored options for fundraising including voluntary contributions and potential support from the town hall and local businesses. A significant portion of the meeting addressed Jocelyn's concerns about political commentary included in Nando's recent letter to the town hall, with discussions about maintaining neutrality in official communications representing the association. The conversation ended with discussions about future meeting formats, potentially combining online and in-person gatherings, and plans to promote the association's activities through community channels.

Next steps

Nando

• Follow up with the town hall to determine if there are plans to add more speed bumps or traffic calming measures on streets where residents have safety concerns, and report back to residents.

• Continue efforts to legally set up the association to enable official bank account and financial management.

• Address the issue raised by Jocelyne regarding the letter to the town hall and ensure future communications do not mix personal political opinions with association business.

• Talk to additional residents to encourage broader involvement and leadership in association activities and update the group on progress at the next meeting.

Collaboration

• Residents with suggestions for traffic calming or road safety improvements: Email president.laspre@gmail.com with specific proposals for their streets.

• Richard/Nando: Investigate the possibility of adding more languages (e.g., Dutch, German, French) to the website, and report findings.

• Richard/Nando: Share the current budget for the association with the group.

• Richard/Nando: Investigate using the new European collective payment method (Wero) for voluntary resident donations and update the group when available.

• Richard/Nando: Coordinate with local businesses and the town hall regarding potential advertising on the website and funding support.

• Richard/Nando: Consider organizing a social event and/or raffle to raise funds for the association.

• Richard/Nando: For the next meeting, plan a mixed format (online and physical) and share instructions for using translation features in advance.

• Richard/Nando: Promote the Amigos Club and other association activities via community radio when possible.

Summary

L’Aspre Infrastructure and Communications Update

The meeting focused on discussing infrastructure issues in the Asprey area and updates on communication with local authorities. Nando reported on recent meetings with the mayor, highlighting improved communication and recognition of long-neglected infrastructure concerns, including roads, lighting, and basic services. The mayor acknowledged the lack of oversight in urbanization projects and committed to establishing new rules to ensure proper road maintenance and quality standards. Richard mentioned the creation of a new bilingual website and discussed the need to raise funds for the organization. The conversation ended with plans to continue oversight of future road projects and improve collaboration with the town hall.

Street Lights and Community Initiatives

Nando reported on discussions with the mayor regarding streetlights, who committed to ensuring all existing street lights would be working by next winter. A political party has expressed support for their initiatives and promised to advocate for funding in the 2027 budget, including potentially allocating a portion of a 59,389 euro government grant to their community. The group has established a collaboration channel with political representatives to convert complaints into formal proposals and strengthen community outreach efforts.

Local Government Collaboration Updates

The meeting focused on updates regarding interactions with local government and political parties. Richard highlighted Nando's efforts in generating meetings with the mayor and other political parties, emphasizing the importance of following proper regulations for road works by Acciona. Ieuan suggested allocating a council member to represent the urbanizations, which Richard supported as a potential solution to improve communication and address issues directly. The group agreed to explore this idea further and consider implementing it to enhance representation and collaboration with the council.

Mayor Updates and Website Launch

The group discussed rumours about the mayor not standing for re-election, though Nando noted the mayor had committed to supporting their interests regardless of his future plans. Richard reported success in launching a multilingual website in English and Spanish, with plans to potentially add Dutch, German, and French. The discussion concluded with conversations about funding needs, where Frank suggested a 5-10 euro contribution from owners and proposed using a new European payment method called Wero which will allow residents to send money instantly using just a phone number or email.

Fundraising

The group discussed fundraising efforts, with Richard expressing frustration that we had not completed the legal setup for the association, which is needed to handle donations properly. Andrew proposed a raffle as a potential fundraising method, which the meeting supported. The discussion also touched on the way that financial contributions from the residents continues funding development in the town whilst the urbanisation infrastructure is neglected, with Richard explaining that most of the town's budget goes toward essential infrastructure rather than discretionary spending.

Road Safety Discussion

The group discussed road safety concerns in L’Aspre, with Jocelyne suggesting the installation of more speed bumps and traffic calming measures. Jocelyne raised concerns about safety of her grandchildren on Seguili due to reckless driving, particularly near her home. Ieuan explained that speed bumps wouldn't be effective on that specific road due to its tight bends, with the fastest possible speed being around 9-10 kilometers per hour. Nando agreed to follow up with the town hall about their plans for road safety improvements.

Association President's Political Letter Concerns

Jocelyne raised concerns about a letter written by the president to the municipality on March 27, expressing dissatisfaction with how the letter was created without resident consultation and was presented as the representing the views of the entire urbanisation. Jocelyne strongly objected to the letter which she felt mixed political opinions about Israel and Palestinians with official business, calling it inappropriate and potentially illegal and requested a clear response from the President. Nando clarified to the Major that he only spoke for himself and not on behalf of the entire association, and Richard defended Nando's intentions while acknowledging the wording was problematic. Richard emphasized that the association should focus on residential issues like potholes, waste collection, and safety rather than political matters, and clarified that while they represent residents, they are not a formal legal entity or political organization.

Close of Meeting

The group discussed future meeting formats, with Phil suggesting a mix of online and physical meetings for the next gathering in three months, and Andrew offered to promote the Orba Amigo’s Club through local radio.