Heliport LIPTOV aka how small town mayor reigns/blocks legit business+approvals

[MartinCh]

Dear fellow pilots and rotorheads,

I don't know if the mods are happy having this thread, but I believe it demands some interest and knowledge from outside Slovakia.

The situation is 'simple.
Aviator wants to promote tourism and beauty of Slovakia setting up small business. Obtains land half mile from nearest 'built up area for living' near aquapark. Gets the business proposal/OK for the project, flying scenics in R44. No heavy helicopters, no training at all figures in paperwork and as such cannot be/won't be done.

This approval from mayor/council is binding/in effect after 'objection period'. That is September 2011.

It is worth to mention that members of Police force were tasked with monitoring/spying on persons related to heliport/company and their familiies. It was outside/in conflict with any rules. Public office impunity intimidation. No other words could describe such action. No crime was or was suspected of being commited. Harrassment of public by public servants. This English term sadly does not aply to Slovakia, where it is more like abuse of power, over the top bureaucracy etc.

Lots of studies done, including noise pollution impact on quality of life/safety. Some of these later quoted as reason to DENY/change the binding approval/decision, although they in fact support the project going ahead/existing.

The Office of Environmental Protection/Issues is OK.
Civil Aviation Authority is OK.
Ministry of Transport is OK.
Firefighting services consulted, Police services consulted.
In fact, everything is in places, approved, planned.
THEN suddenly,
Council and mayor NOT OK early February 2012, 'changed mind' based on no proper or official data whatsoever. Begs questions.

Mr Cyril Fogas worked hard on project in 2011 and beforehand, procured aircraft, had considerable expenses based on doing things properly and then some unknown/unsaid reasons stop all this.

He cannot build any permanent buildings/offices/toilet and can only use the land as 'temporary landing area'.

We have small business playing by the rules and then unreasonably blocked from having the permanent buildings planning permission granted simply because mayor and his friends no longer feel so. Absolutely no rule of laws and regulations.

'Arguments' AFTER approval, against, none of them having andy basis:

1) noise pollution - the only professional study paid for and supplied by Mr Fogas giving green - picked by Mayor Slafkovsky as reason in public domain/media reports on issue. Really?

2) Petition of citizens of Liptovska Ondrasova village: Misinformation spread by Mr Jozef Gonda on council meeting - person with conflict of interest due to chairing commission approving planning permissions. Naturally, even non-NIMBYs are against when told of heavy traffic of heavy helicopters etc.

3) Own words of Mayor - scenic flights of Liptov scenery with High Tatras as backdrop - DO NOT PROMOTE TOURISM. Really? How can personal opinion on something so black/white influences proceedings by state governemnt/agencies/council? So the known fact that there is no market saturation in tourism in this area and there is solid demand from Slovak and foreign tourists as proof, don't mean anything and if that was right, then Mr Fogas would just get no business/flights. Simples.

4) Untruths claimed by mayor in media about 'intentions of setting up RF/FTO/ATO' Which would have to be an integral part of project. Slovak CAA had no issues with scenics ops. HL cooperates with flying club in Airport Dubnica, which does actually provide PPL training at the airport and trying to have school at the airport would be pointless. Again, the main reason to start petition against was heavy helicopters and flight school operations.

5) Mr Gonda refuses to comment to media, saying that any 'go ahead' would have to be given by Office for Environmental Issues, which DOES NOT have objections.

All in all, vested personal interests and 'pissing contest' or Schadenfreude could be the only reason of such complete U-turn and ungrounded claims/reasons to create obstacles to business/project.

I know that the youtube and documents are in Slovak, but am happy to give a gist translation or one can use google translation of the text. If you want to see more (Slovak), just google the title yourself, not sure if website links OK with mods. I don't live in Slovakia anymore and have no associations with Mr Fogas other than being helicopter pilot and havign common sense/wanting to do bit of help.

Heliport Liptov- Reporteri RTVS - YouTube (http://youtu.be/Ump_r9VvuVY) (no need to embed, but Slovak language only)

[Savoia]

Martin: These type of challenges are (sadly) perhaps more frequent than one might imagine and .. it is always more challenging when you attempt to embark on an initiative where there is no precedent.

When you are venturing into a new initiative (acting as something like an 'entrepreneurial plowman' .. 'breaking new ground') you need not only to commission the necessary feasibility, legislative, environmental impact and whatever other studies may be required and or prudent but .. crucially .. to make a 'political difficulty' assessment ie. a study of the political 'currents' which could potentially stifle the proposed initiative.

'Pitching' and developing the venture in the 'right' way from the word 'go' can be vital to the outcome of a new development and which is why (when it can be afforded) professional consultants (aviation, legal and management) can be a valuable asset.

In this situation, and at first glance, it looks like your friend has an 'issue' with the local mayor and, if I have read correctly, the local police force.

I would suggest that your friend considers applying his efforts towards addressing the politics behind the mayor's stance in order to understand what is driving his position. There could be many reasons but .. it is only once he discovers what these are .. that he will be able to navigate the choppy waters which his proposal seems to have stirred-up.

On a personal note; it is always discouraging when well-intentioned (hopefully) aviation initiatives meet seemingly unreasonable obstacles but .. it must be said .. advances in commercial aviation (whether small or large) often have to battle (many times unreasonably so when compared with other industries) in order to inch forwards.

I do wish him (and others engaged in similar pursuits) the best of luck.

[MartinCh]

July and Sept 2011 paperwork and approvals from council and mayor.
2.2. 2012 'change of mind'. After everything has been done with paperwork and past the cooling off period of document signed by mayor.

The police monitoring was in summer 2012. Mr Fogas never had 'plausible' explanation etc. He actually filed official suit/complaint.

So it was not Don Quijote's one man show doomed from the start as might be the case around the world. This is EU, supposedly country with rule of law. If only it was CAA with their nitpicking paperwork, then it'd be easy.

When he repeatedly asked for reasons/motives behind some decisions and asking for documentary evidence supporting such, he's normally left with vague statements or pointing at 'verbal explanation that and that date' and 'not wishing to discuss it further' etc.

Mr Fogas had tons of studies, permissions, approvals, no-objection statements from various agencies, CAA, ministries beforehand and even after the U-turn and 'revocation of binding approval' of mayor himself of what he signed himself, he did and can easily prove and show documents.

Where in 'Western'/developed/civilised society, public office holders can do whatever they want, being even showed and exposed their (officially unsubstantiated) wrongdoings, yet keep on with total impunity? Let's say investor company follows all procedures, builds a factory or housing complex and when it's about to be done - paperwork to show the structure is 'safe' after inspections at the end, the council offcials for the area do some sort of nationalisation of the land? Same principle. I tried to avoid using :ugh: or :mad: or :yuk:, but the general resignation of public in the country quote one phrase - 'It's the way it is, in Slovakia'. Encompassing disappointment, disbelief, powerlessness of ordinary people.