Mayor’s remarks:
I. Enhancing disease prevention measures against avian influenza
1. The first case of avian influenza in Tainan was reported on Sunday (February 12th). I therefore convened an emergency meeting for animal diseases, raised the disease prevention alert level to level 1, and strengthened overall disease prevention measures. Monitoring frequency and scope were also increased while strict prohibitions against the slaughtering of live animals were enforced in market places. Individuals who have had contact with animals were subject to health monitoring and self-management as well. I hereby remind agencies such as the Environmental Protection, Economic Development, and Public Health Bureaus to assist the Agriculture Bureau in bringing the disease under control in order to safeguard the health of our fellow citizens, and reduce agricultural losses.
2. Tainan City Government has deployed proper case management and disease prevention measures in place, and the safety of poultry products such as chicken and duck are still guaranteed. In fact, certified and approved poultry, once fully cooked, is safe for consumption. Poultry products on the market must first undergo proper checks during slaughtering and be qualified before it may be sold. We urge citizens to consume these products as normal.
II. Committing efforts to secure central government resources for construction to build a livable city
1. To fulfill the political visions of our President, the Executive Yuan proposed a Foresight Infrastructure Construction Project to expand the demand for public works and infrastructure. Key projects that may be initiated or completed of various local governments within a period of 4 and 8 years were listed with the aim of integrating strategic projects implemented by various central government agencies and showcase the highlights of these projects accordingly. I hereby thank our two deputy mayors, Secretary-general Li and fellow staffs in the Research, Development, and Evaluation Commission for compiling the highlighted projects of the Tainan City Government on short notice. A total of 5 major foresight infrastructure projects were proposed. We hope to revolutionize the image of Tainan City and propel the City towards greater development by introducing smart technologies and systems, connecting transportation hubs and road networks, developing the designated area around High Speed Rail Tainan Station, and restoring the beauty and grandeur of Taiwan’s cultural capital.
2. The Five Major Foresight Infrastructure Projects proposed by the Tainan City Government are listed below. The first is the Shalun Green Energy Science City that includes the construction of 3 interconnecting roads, an underground sewage system, and the orange line public transportation system (Tainan Yamanote Line), and a green energy community development program. The second project is the Tainan Extending Railway Grade Separation, which extends the ”Tainan Urban District Railway Underground Project” to Xinshi region (11.05 km) and also includes the underground construction at Yongkang section, the elevation works at Xinshi section, and the improvements of level-crossing in Shanhua section. The third project is the Advanced Public Transportation Systems of Tainan City. In addition to the Downtown Tainan Horizontal Line (green line) from Pingshi Bus Transfer Station to Yonghua Civic Center measuring 11.9 km long, the Zhonghua Circle Line (blue line) from the Taiwan Railways Daqiao Station to Linsen Station measuring 8.6 km long was also planned. The fourth project is the 30-minute Living Sphere that integrates 6 major freeway and expressway networks and develops 4 major bus transfer stations (Xinying, Rende, Heshun, and Kaiyuan), and provides at least 10,000 additional parking spaces within an 8-year period. The fifth project is the Restoration of the Historical Grandeur of Taiwan's Cultural Capital that includes a number of cultural constructions such as the Tsai-liao Fossil Museum at Zuozhen, Chihkan Cultural Park, Wutiaogang Cultural Park, National Historical Landscape Park at Yuejin Port, Shueijiaoshe Cultural Park, Xinying Anime Park, Dual Forts RRevitalization – revitalization of Fort Zeelandia and Provintia and theme parks establishment.
3. Relevant agencies such as the Transportation Economic Development, Public Works, Culture Affairs, and Water Resources Bureaus should do their best to meet the requirements of the central government in order to secure project development budgets for Tainan City and develop a livable city.
4. Tainan City has reached its debt ceiling shortly after the merger of the former Tainan County and Tainan City. With the legislation of the laws on fiscal discipline and The Public Debt Act in recent years, Tainan City currently has a debt cap space of over NT$ 50 billion. Nevertheless, this City Government is determined to maintain fiscal discipline as this sum will be key towards the overall development of this City. If expansion to domestic demands could be secured from the central government, the Five Major Foresight Infrastructure Projects must be supported with adequate budgets. Based on such concern, we should not spend our limited budget in any efficient way. I would like to once again emphasize this decision to director-generals of all agencies and our citizens
Reports
I. February 11 Earthquake Response and Disposition report from the Fire Bureau (Refer to written sources for details)
Resolution: Approved for reference filing.
Mayor’s remarks:
(1) I hereby thank all agencies and disaster prevention and rescue teams in Tainan for taking the initiative in response to the earthquake, including Director-General Li of the Fire Bureau for his immediate arrival and directions at the Disaster Prevention and Response Center; Director-general Huang of the Police Bureau who led the technology criminal investigation team to solve the case and put public worries to rest; and Taiwan Power Company who reacted quickly and immediately resolved the power outage that affected over 50,000 households. The central government also praised routine training efforts and earthquake response measures of every district office. For 6 consecutive years, Tainan City Government has been the proud recipient of the Excellence Award in Disaster Prevention and Protection Project. The ranking may offer us honor, but the most important meaning of this achievement is that we’re providing our citizens with a relatively safe environment. We cannot predict when disasters strike, but we can do our best to minimize the resulting damage. This earthquake did not cause any casualties due to our routine training efforts. I sincerely ask all agencies to continue their best efforts. May we pray for blessing upon our city, for our safety and the welfare of the citizens.