Kernu municipality

1. Kernu municipality Kati Kadarik Sille Sommer 2010

2. Practice assignment To assist the renewing of parish’s: • Social development plan 2008-2016 • Development plan 2003-2015

3. Already done • Groundwork with published materials • On-site collection of additional information • Abstract of different development plans and strategies (state, county and neighbour parishes) for Kernu municipality social development plan • SWOT- analysis for social development plan • Interviews for social development plan and familiarizing with municipality’s social facilities

4. Yet to be done • Interviews and focus groups for the renewal of municipality’s development plan (on 4th and 5th August) • Analysis of interviews • SWOT-analysis for development plan (24th August) • Composing/renewing action plan for social development plan and development plan (24th August) • Public meetings (7th and 9th September) • Composition of final development plan documents • Final report for Tartu University

5. Mood and activeness of the population • Positive mood and people are quite active: • They are attending meetings • And gladly take part in interviews • Quite a lot of nonprofit organizations • Almost all villages have village leaders and village leaders assistants • People who are more active are engaged in many affaires

6. Institutions and networks • Head of the municipality (Karu) has been on his position for already 17 years – so he has become sort of a “folksman” and parish’s “mascot” • There are 13 members in the municipality council (11 of them are from the electoral union Koostöö (cooperation)) • Local government (4 members) • 18 parish clerks • Village leaders promote life in villages • Weak connection between Laitse-Ruila area and parish’s administrative centre (Haiba)  people have little connection with municipality and local community • Many of the municipality council members are also entrepreneurs or are at the head of municipality facilities (school, kindergarten etc.)

7. Main leaders - municipality • Enn Karu – head of the municipality: good-natured, easy to remember, everybody knows him, wants to communicate with people; • Aare Ets – assistant of the head of the municipality: practical and hardworking, modest clerk, writes projects and deals with development plans; • Karl-Erik Tender – municipality council spokesman (will meet in August)

9. Main leaders – social sphere • Merike Lepik – the Councillor of Social Sphere • Lea Tikenberg – Personnel and Administrative Specialist of Haiba’s Children Home, member of municipality government • Tiia Rosenberg – the Headmaster of Ruila Primary School • Riina Lotamõis – the Director of Haiba Kindergarten • Märt Vähi – the Founder of nonprofit organization Lootuse Küla (Village of Hope) • Raili Viljas – the Director of Kernu Nursing Home

10. Haiba’s kindergarten Haiba’s Children Home

11. Ruila Primary School In Ruila’s manor house Kernu Nursing Home In Kernu’s manor house

12. Main leaders – entrepreneurs and head of villages • 15 village leaders (4 are also members of the municipality council or local government) • 9 entrepreneurs (6 are also members of municipality council) • And also famous people who live in Kernu municipality: Ivar Must and Tauno Kangro • Haven’t met them yet – will meet on 4th and 5th August

13. Progress of practice • Meetings on 2nd June: • 11.00-12.30 – overlooking of the social development plan, discussion on renewing (took place) • 14.00-15.30 – overlooking of the wasteplan and discussion on renewing (took place) • 17.00 – workshop on new version of tourism development plan (vision search) (took place) • Meetings on 28th June: • 11.00-12.00(13.00) – workshop for social development plan (SWOT) (took place) • 13.00-14.00 – discussion with neighbour parish for cooperation in wasteplan (cancelled – there will be no cooperation) • 16.00-17.30 – meeting with council members, parish clerks and head of villages (cancelled – only 1 person showed up) • During the time of cancelled meetings we did 4 interviews and made acquaintance with municipality’s social facilities

14. Arrangement problems • Accommodation: municipality only wanted us to visit parish in 4 days (too little time to get to know the place and collect information) • No working space is provided • Too tight schedules on workdays when we visit parish • Weak organizing for meetings • Little effort in renewing development plans (done in two meetings)

15. Administration • Communication: • Municipality has its own newspaper: “Oma vald” (Own Parish) – comes out in every other month (6 times in a year) • Municipality’s homepage is also quite informative • Parish clerks won’t turn down people and try to find solutions to their problems • People are invited to meetings • Problem: weak connection between Laitse and Haiba

16. Strategical problems • Lack of places in the kidergarten • Problems with medical services • High unemployment rate • Not enough cultural, sports centers and playgrounds • Problems with Laitse’s summerhouses community • Problems are defined after interviews with key persons

17. Kindergartens- lack of places • 45 kids going to Haiba’s Kindergarten, 55 kids waiting in the line • Young families are not willing to commit with Kernu • Kindergarten doesn’t have a speech therapist • Solution: second kindergarten should be built to Laitse and more effort finding a therapist • Ruila Primary’s School principal says that it needs to be done asap but people are not ready for quick solutions • Kernu doesn’t have enough finances

18. Problems with medical services • Doctor is available at Laitse once in a week and at Haiba twice in a week • Municipality has so many people that one doctor should be constantly present • Bad quality – Haiba’s doctor doesn’t speak a good Estonian • Doesn’t have a pharmacy • Municipality can’t do much because Harju county’s goverment coordinates the topic • Kernu should work out better working conditions for doctors • Good relationship with county administration (Lobby-work )

19. High unemployment rate • Kernu has many unemloyment people (122, 2096) • The Councillor of Social Sphere says that people are picky with jobs • Kernu doesn’t have resources for unemplyment payments, advisors recommend people to go work unofficially • Solution: explain people that on the times like these every job is a good job. • To promote entrepreneurship among unemployed people • Attract new businesses to Kernu

20. Not enough cultural, sports centers and playgrounds • Not enough options for middle-aged people to do sports • Lack of cultural centers (one in Haiba, Laitse has one working under a NGO, but it doesn’t function properly) • Elderly people don’t have chance to spend time together • Not enough playgrounds for different agegroups • Solution: should conduct apoll to indentify community needs

21. Problems with Laitse’s summerhouse community • Summerhouses community is tightly populated (summer), they make lots of wastes and has a higher risk of criminal violation • Many people living there are not from Kernu, don’t pay local taxes but consume amenities • Doesn’t have a identity, people don’t feel as a community • Solution: needs its own advisor

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