Mayor’s Remarks:
1. Tainan has weathered the storm and demonstrated successful water treatment
(1) From June 13 to June 20, we faced four waves of potentially disastrous monsoon fronts. At its highest point, the 12-hour rainfall accumulation was measured at 220 mm in Cigu and 200 mm in Annan, Xigang, and Rende. Six regions in Tainan exhibited a 24-hour rainfall accumulation of over 200 mm. Furthermore, Sanye River’s water level rose and was only 40 cm lower than the top of the levee. The news reported that Tainan was “bombarded by rain,” painting a vivid picture of the dire situation.
(2) Many roads within Tainan City were flooded because the drains and ditches could not accommodate the sudden and abundant rainfall; however, flooding subsided immediately after precipitation slowed. Only 16 houses in Tainan exhibited flooding, and none were flooded more than 10 cm tall. Historical records indicate that torrential rains this large generally cause flooding in hundreds, if not thousands, of houses. Nevertheless, no cases of flooding were reported in areas prone to flooding, such as Longshan Community in Cigu District, Keliao in Beimen District, central Syuejia District, Wanli and Jinhua Road in the South District, Chaohuang Temple in Annan District, Rende Industrial Zone, and Kun Shan University. Five houses on Beimen Road in the North District exhibited more severe flooding, but flooding in this area was a result of the residents placing objects on the ditches (under the jurisdiction of Taiwan Railways Administration), which obstructed the drainage. In other words, the flooding was not related to the maintenance of the drainage system. Overall, Tainan's water treatment results speak for themselves. In comparison, the June 12 torrential rain in 2005 also had a 24-hour rainfall accumulation measured at 200 mm, yet it flooded 585 hectares of land in the Rende and Yongkang section along Sanye River, with flood levels exceeding 30 cm in more than 2,300 houses and maximum a flood level of 70 cm to 80 cm. Although the same amount of rainfall was measured during recent torrential rains, less than 10 hectares of roads were flooded in the Rende and Yongkang section along Sanye River, and only one house in a low-lying location was flooded. This comparison makes the success of water treatment in Tainan City quite evident.
(3) In response to the threat of torrential rain, the Tainan City Government has adjusted the Disaster Emergency Operation Center’s level on six different occasions. I would like to thank all desk and field staff for working around-the-clock to protect Tainan’s citizens and minimize losses. Unfortunately, a certain individual, who has no connections to Tainan City and no understanding of Tainan’s water treatment history, has repeatedly discredited our achievements in the media. Flooding is inevitable when torrential rains occur in a short amount of time and exceed the capacity of drainage systems. Other than Tainan and Kaohsiung, New Taipei City and Keelung also experienced flooding during this wave of torrential rains, with flooding in some locations more severe than that in Tainan. Yet, this individual did not hold New Taipei City and Keelung to the same standards when making comments to the media. It is regrettable that this individual, despite being a professional in his field, has failed to remain impartial and instead, made biased comments on this matter. Public confidence in this individual will no doubt suffer.
2. Maintaining road quality to ensure citizens a safe way home
(1) Last week’s torrential rains led to erosion, and subsequently, road collapses, in three locations in Tainan City. I would like to thank the Public Works Bureau and the Water Resources Bureau for their quick response in closing these roads and making repairs. The roads were reopened shortly, and impact on traffic was minimal.
(2) An investigation revealed that the roads collapsed because of poor compaction during roadwork from many years ago. As a result, precipitation over the years began eroding the foundation, which became collapsed during this wave of torrential rains. The Public Works Bureau employed a ground penetrating radar to examine underground passages and sections at risk of collapsing. In addition, the Public Works Bureau has requested all parties responsible for maintaining piping to conduct quality control proactively, and to examine whether pipes have been damaged and whether the soil has been eroded. This multifaceted approach effectively minimizes similar incidents from occurring.
(3) Since Tainan was upgraded as a special municipality, the Tainan City Government revised the Tainan City Self-Government Ordinances on Road Work, requiring the use of controlled low strength material for compacting, thereby eliminating problems that arise from using excavated soil as compacting material. In 2013, Tainan became the first to establish a three-tier quality management mechanism for road work in Taiwan. Since Tainan was upgraded as a special municipality, a total of 70,000 roadwork projects were carried out. The new roads constructed during this time were built using new construction methods. Among the new roads, no collapses have been reported thus far. I would like to ask concerned departments to continue to employ relevant mechanisms to ensure road quality, thereby guaranteeing citizens a safe passage home.
3. Dengue fever outbreaks are common after rain; please follow the steps of "patrolling, emptying, cleaning, and scrubbing" to prevent vector growth
(1) Last week, the southwesterly winds brought heavy rainfall. Although the rain eased the water shortage, it also led to the formation of water puddles as well as water deposits in empty containers. This, in turn, increases the risk of Dengue fever outbreaks in communities. Therefore, I kindly ask everyone to remain vigilant in preventing Dengue fever outbreaks.
(2) To monitor vector growth and prevent outbreaks, the Tainan City Government has established baiting buckets in communities, thereby analyzing vector distribution and density in communities. A total of 86,436 mosquito eggs were collected in the baiting buckets between June 1 and June 14, which indicates high vector activity and reproduction. The situation may be exacerbated following the torrential rains.
(3) I would like to ask the Environmental Protection Bureau, Public Health Bureau, and district offices to continue to maintain environmental cleanliness, prevent vector growth, and enhance the promotion of Dengue fever prevention measures. I would also like to remind citizens to patrol their living environment after heavy rainfall and to diligently remove any water deposits that form in containers, especially water buckets, vases, Styrofoam boxes, disposable cups, tires, and formwork molds. To properly prevent vector growth, please follow the four steps of “patrolling, emptying, cleaning, and scrubbing.” Let us all work together to prevent Dengue fever and minimize the risk of outbreaks.
Announcements
1. The Agriculture Bureau’s report on the public grain purchasing and direct payment mechanism (refer to written sources for details)
Decision: Approved for reference filing
Mayor’s Remarks:
(1) Tainan, home to the largest farming area in Taiwan, is known as Taiwan's barn. Roughly 24,000 hectares of rice is farmed in Tainan per year, accounting for 9% of the land area for rice farms in Taiwan. The annual rice output in Tainan is approximately 144,800 tons. The rice farming area during stage one rice farming of this year was 14,709 hectares. Harvesting began in late May. Due to the southwesterly winds, Tainan experienced continuous rainfall starting from June 13. Prior to this wave of rainfall, 80% of Tainan's rice had been harvested. In short, we were able to complete the harvest just on time and with little loss.
(2) Early on during the harvest of stage one rice farming, a portion of farmers was concerned about the rainfall and harvested rice that was not ripe to meet the lower limits of rice dryers. The unripe rice had a high water content and poor quality and increased the time it took for drying. This then elevated the cost of drying and lowered the value of wet grain. I would like to thank the staff members of the Agriculture Bureau for successfully facilitating the harvest. I urge the Agriculture Bureau to continue to advise farmers against rush harvesting and harvesting grain that is not ripe. To maintain quality and profits, harvests should only be conducted when rice is ripe.
(3) To increase the quality and competitiveness of rice produced in Tainan, the Agriculture Bureau assisted farmers, farmers’ associations, and milling factories to produce Tainan Koshihikari Rice No. 16. This year’s contracted farming area for No. 16 is projected to reach 140 hectares. By counseling farmers to farm quality species, the farming management and skills of Tainan's farmers are elevated, and crop quality is ensured. In addition, with operating entities purchasing crop at prices higher than the market value, an additional income of NT $11,000 is generated per every hectare of crop, which effectively increases farmers’ revenue. Again, I would like to thank Director-General Shu and the staff members of the Agriculture Bureau for their hard work. We hope that your efforts will enable more consumers to consume delicious and top quality Tainan rice.
2. The Department of Personnel’s report on its operations over the past eight years (refer to written sources for details)
Decision: Approved for reference filing
Mayor’s Remarks:
(1) Since Tainan was upgraded as a special municipality, the Department of Personnel has endeavored to cultivate talent and employ talent based on aptitude. By exerting their professionalism in human resource development and management, the Department of Personnel has established many systems and measures related to the aspects of organizing, recruiting, cultivating, and cherishing talent. These innovative systems have proven effective in the Tainan City Government’s identification and retention of excellent talent, and have been recognized by many domestic and international awards over the years.
(2) Over the past eight years, the Department of Personnel’s many innovative systems and actions and excellent performance has made Tainan a role model for other counties and cities. For example, the “internal organization design of the Tainan City Government,” “organization overview,” “reserve district executive training system,” “university town project,” and the “new paradigm for political science co-learning” were all the first projects of their kind in Taiwan. I would like to thank Director-General Shu and his team for their endeavors and excellent work.
(3) A determined, capable, and courageous team is critical to the success of a good system. I anticipate that the Department of Personnel will continue to cultivate excellent talent for the Tainan City Government. Only by doing so can we create a quality and highly efficient and responsive city government that offers tangible services to citizens while devoting itself to urban development and citizens’ wellbeing.
(4) If adjustments to the selection guidelines are needed, I would like to ask the Environmental Protection Bureau, Bureau of Education, Public Health Bureau, and the Land Administration Bureau to make amendments at their earliest convenience.