Mayor’s Remarks:
1. Tainan City was named one of the Top 7 Intelligent Communities in the world
(1) The Intelligent Community Forum held its annual summit last week and revealed the Top 1 Intelligent Community to be Espoo, Finland. Although Tainan did not come in first, it was elected as one of the Top 7 Intelligent Communities out of 400 major intelligent cities worldwide. This is an achievement that we should be proud of, as it introduces the world to Tainan. I would like to thank Deputy Mayor Chang for traveling to London and accepting the award on behalf of Tainan City, and for sharing Tainan’s experience in smart city development. In addition, I would also like to thank the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission and staff members of concerned departments for their efforts regarding this matter.
(2) During Premier Lai’s term as mayor, he was a major supporter of various projects related to smart city development. “Using technology to transform Tainan” has been a consistent goal for the Tainan City Government. We anticipate shaping Tainan into a smart city that is people-centric and warm, and offering citizens better quality of life while using technology to resolve challenges brought by urban development.
(3) Although Tainan did not win the first place this year, our advancements in smart city development over the past few years are unmistakable. In the future, the Tainan City Government will continue to embed smart technology into all corners of Tainan City, thereby enabling citizens to have greater access and a greater sense of wellbeing, which will set Tainan on a course of long-term progress.
2. Continuing to promote the Solar City program and creating a sustainable, low-carbon city
(1) Since Tainan was upgraded as a special municipality, shaping Tainan as a low-carbon city has always been a major administrative objective for the Tainan City Government. Tainan has sufficient sunlight, which is the greatest advantage for developing solar power. Thus, we have been proactively promoting the Solar City program. Currently, a total of 4,734 households have installed solar roofs under the Solar City program, amounting to a capacity of 457 MW and an annual output of 590 million kWh, which is equivalent to the annual amount of carbon absorbed by Tainan Park multiplied by 962.
(2) To proactively promote solar power generation, the Tainan City Government established Taiwan’s largest solar aquaponics farm, which was officially launched two weeks ago. The farm’s capacity can reach up to 2.86 MW, demonstrating that solar power can be an added value for the aquaculture industry. In addition, the floating PV system on Public Detention Ponds 1 and 2 at the intersection of Anding District, Shanhua District, and Sinshih District cover a surface area of 4.25 hectares, making it the largest floating PV system in Taiwan. This PV system, which has a capacity of 5.98 MW, underwent trial operations during late April. LIOU-YING Technology and Environment Industrial Park Flood Detention Pond, the largest floating PV system among industrial parks in Taiwan, was completed in late April, achieving a capacity of 4.49 MW.
(3) Renewables are a major focus for securing Taiwan's future electricity supply. The Tainan City Government’s solar power-related projects are the results of interdepartmental collaborations. Therefore, I would like to thank the Bureau of Economic Development, Water Resources Bureau, Environmental Protection Bureau, and the Agriculture Bureau for collaborating on this matter. In the future, let us continue to strive towards achieving a nuclear-free homeland, stable power supply, and air pollution reduction. Let us join hands in shaping Tainan as a sustainable, low-carbon city.
3. Tainan City was the biggest winner among local governments in the first Government Service Award
(1) Last week, the National Development Council announced the winning authorities of the first Government Service Award. Among 174 competing authorities, the Tainan City Government won three prizes in two major categories, making the Tainan City Government the biggest winner out of all local governments nationwide.
(2) The Research, Development and Evaluation Commission and the Public Health Bureau were awarded prizes in the Project Planning Category for “Open Public Services – Upgrading Tainan’s 1999 Citizen Hotline with a Smart System” and “Disease Prevention through Technology – No More Mosquitos,” respectively. Lioujia District Office was awarded a prize in the Overall Service Category.
(3) Standing out from a pool of strong competitors is a remarkable achievement that is well worth recognizing. I would like to congratulate the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission, the Public Health Bureau, and Lioujia District Office for winning prizes in the Government Service Award. In addition, I urge all staff members of the Tainan City Government to perceive everything related to citizens as a matter of personal importance. By doing so, we are able to gradually elevate our service quality and offer innovative and thoughtful services, which will surely lead to urban progress and development.
Announcements
1. The Water Resources Bureau’s report on stationary front and southwesterly flow analysis (refer to written sources for details)
Decision: Approved for reference filing
Mayor’s Remarks:
(1) Based on information provided by the Central Weather Bureau, the stationary front and southwesterly flow will lead to unstable weather and showers or thunderstorms around Taiwan starting on the afternoon of June 13. In particular, Southern Taiwan should be expecting substantial rainfall. As we are currently experiencing the spring tide and strong winds, citizens dwelling in coastal areas and low-lying areas should be particularly cautious of flooding and rogue waves.
(2) As earthquakes have been frequent this year, the earth in mountainous areas has been shaken loose, which drastically increases the risks of landslides. I would like to ask all district offices in mountainous areas to remain on high alert and closely monitor the situation. Additionally, please take preventative measures in high-risk areas, follow the principles of early deployment, and launch various disaster evasion and reduction measures in advance. I would also like to ask the Water Resources Bureau, Environmental Protection Bureau, and Tainan Public Works Bureau to monitor the progress of hydraulic facility constructions, sludge removal in sewage systems and ditches, and bridge reconstruction projects. During the Dengue fever season, screens were placed on ditches to prevent leaves or debris from causing blockages. I would like to ask the Bureau of Civil Affairs to inform the district offices to remove these screens. Also, I would like to ask the Environmental Protection Bureau to send teams to inspect the ditches and remove any remaining screens.
(3) Dragon boat races are scheduled to be held during Dragon Boat Festival. I urge citizens to pay extra attention to extreme weather alerts and to stay safe when engaging in water sports. Please pay close attention to weather reports when attending outdoor activities, and refrain from visiting mountainous areas or rivers if possible. Please also take steps to prevent possible disasters and ensure personal and property safety.
2. The Civil Affairs Bureau’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) Civil affairs, the foundation for all government affairs, are closely tied to citizens’ day-to-day lives. In addition to improving the service quality of first-line district offices, household registration offices, and mortuary service offices, the Civil Affairs Bureau also serves as a liaison between the Tainan City Government and communities. The Civil Affairs Bureau integrates resources on the district and village level, thereby ensuring citizens’ wellbeing.
(2) Since Tainan was upgraded as a special municipality, the Tainan City Government has convened executive district meetings and interactive district/village meetings to gather public opinion and enhance the service mechanisms and communication channels of district and village offices. To resolve the imbalanced workload between villages and neighborhoods, consolidate the efforts and resources at the fundamental level of the community, and provide quality public service, the Civil Affairs Bureau overcame great challenges and completed adjustments to the division of labor in villages and neighborhoods in 37 districts in Tainan City. To elevate the service quality and efficiency of household registration offices, the Civil Affairs Bureau transformed the organization structure of Household Registration Offices, which was a monumental task.
(3) In consideration of changes in lifestyle and the increase of environmental awareness among citizens, and to balance cultural heritages with citizens’ quality of life, the Civil Affairs Bureau collaborated with concerned departments in promoting the standardization of religious activities, organizing exhibitions on the outcomes of the standardization efforts, and promoting religious events in innovative ways. The public has responded positively to these changes. I would like to thank the staff members of the Civil Affairs Bureau for their work. I also anticipate that the staff members of the Tainan City Government will continue to serve the public with passion and shape Tainan into a friendly, livable city.
(4) The community center art festivals, Bringing the Arts into Your Community, and citizen academy courses (Cultural Affairs Bureau); community colleges and the Community Vacant Space Greening and Adoption Project (Bureau of Education); and the Good Looking Corner Project (Bureau of Urban Development) were mentioned in the report. I would like to ask the Secretary-General to assign the division of labor to concerned departments regarding these three aspects to prevent repeated labor.
3. The Environmental Protection Bureau’s report on the progress and future prospects of environmental protection operations in Tainan City (refer to written sources for details)
Decision: Approved for reference filing
Mayor’s Remarks:
(1) Environmental cleanliness is an indicator of a city’s level of advancement. Environmental operations are also closely related to citizens’ day-to-day lives. Since Tainan was upgraded as a special municipality, the Tainan City Government has invested in promoting environmental sustainability. Our efforts have yielded significant changes and improvements in all environmental indicators. I would like to thank the staff members of the Environmental Protection Bureau for their excellent work, and concerned departments for their cooperation in creating a healthy, low-carbon, and comfortable living environment for Tainan’s citizens.
(2) In 2011, a total of 66.3 km of rivers in Tainan were severely polluted. This number was reduced to 43.5 km by 2017. Tainan’s annual average PM2.5 concentration has also been gradually lowered from 36.7μg/m3 2011 to 25μg/m3 in 2017, a 32% reduction. Our recycling rate increased from 48.15% in 2010 to 63.05% in 2017, and our waste volume has been reduced from 345,000 tons in 2010 to 248,000 tons in 2017.
(3) The Environmental Protection Bureau has invested substantial effort in promoting green technology and the circular economy. Be it incinerators, landfills, or solar power plants, all related venues are regarded as excellent demonstration sites. The Environmental Protection Bureau’s many outstandingly innovative green measures should also be recognized. I encourage the staff members of the Environmental Protection Bureau to continue their great work in the future and to further reinforce people’s awareness for environmental protection, thereby offering citizens a better environment to live in.