Orne Council - Alain Lambert’s Blog

The department’s elected representatives met on the 25th June for the Permanent Commission. They adopted several motions for the improvement of life in the Orne: implementation of the new RSA benefit, school transport, sanitation in rural areas, expansion grants to businesses…

► Implementation of the new RSA benefits

The RSA (revenu de Solidarité active) came into force on the 1st June this year. It replaces RMI (Revenu Minimum d’Insertion) and API (Allocation de Parent Isolé) and will top up those on very low incomes. The objective of this new benefit is to encourage people back to work as soon as possible. The department is wholly responsible for the allocation of this new benefit. However, the state and other administrative organisms can give advice about it, calculate it and give social or professional advice to those receiving the benefit. Meeting for the Permanent commission, the elected representatives of the department took those decision which were necessary to the implementation of this new allowance and assure its effective delivery to service users. Contracts have or will be signed with the CAF (Caisse d’Allocation Familiale), the MSA (la Mutualité sociale agricole), Pôle emploi Basse-Normandie and the communal and intercommunal social services in order to formalise each organisations role in helping service users.

Practical information:

How to find out about RSA

• By internet: www.rsa.gouv.fr  www.caf.fr or www.msa.fr
• By phone: 3939
• By post: a guide to the RSA is available from the CAF, MSA, pôle emploi, the council’s social services offices and Centres communaux et intercommunaux d’action sociale

Where to go, submitting a claim

• The social services local offices are at Alençon, Sées, Mortagne-au-Perche, l’Aigle, Bellême, Flers, Domfront, la Ferté-Macé, Argentan, Vimoutiers. You should visit the office nearest your home. Addresses are to be found on www.orne.fr
• The CAF or MSA nearest your residence

► Roadworks and school buses

The council is putting out to tender the planned roadworks around the north of Sées. These works are estimated at 7.5M euros and will start in autumn, lasting for around a year and a half.

Important contracts are about to be signed regarding school transport for the school years 2009-2013. In total there are 17 bus companies involved in the daily transportation of schoolchildren. A redrawing of the routes taken has meant a saving of 300,000 euros on the previous contract period. The total cost of school transportation is 7.6M euros.

Key points

• The council is responsible for getting 17,000 children to school each day
• There are 3,000 school bus stops across the department
• 250 buses drive 20,000 km per day to assure the service

► Sanitation in rural areas

The councillors voted for a grant of 220,000 euros to five different communes which are renovating or constructing their sanitation network. They are: sanitation and sewage works at Bonsmoulins (117,220€) and Fromentel (85,250€), upgrading of sanitation at Radon and Neuilly-sur-Eure (12,700€), connection to the water supply at Messei and Radon (4,840€). Finally the area around Carrouges (communauté de communes du Bocage carrougien) is receiving 10,880€ towards a study into individual household sanitation of every residence not connected to town sewers.

► Developing tourist accommodation

The department is helping people who want to develop tourist accommodation, particularly B&B style establishments. This type of green tourism is very appropriate for the Orne, which is why the council is looking for innovative or original ideas in need of financing, eg;  ‘treehouse’ accommodation in Sémallé. A camp site in the Pays Mêlois (camping de la Prairie) is receiving 6,000 € (a first grant of 24,400 € was already received in 2007) for modernisation. Near Domfront a gîte for children between 6 and 12 has been awarded 3,110 €. A gîte de charme in St-Mard-de-Réno receives 21,750 € for work to five new bedrooms which will be eco-friendly and have disability access.

► Helping business expansion

The department continues to help businesses in their expansion plans. The councillors voted for grants to EMG and Gillot:

EMG (mécanique générale) at l’Aigle employs 14 people in two separate buildings. In order to streamline the business, the company wants to build a new building which will accommodate all its personnel and allow for future expansion of the workforce. The council will award them 140,000 € for their new building.

Gillot, at Saint-Hilaire-de-Briouze is increasing its production capacity. It makes unpasteurised cheeses and needs to build a further 500m2 of cold stores. The council already granted them 145,000 € in 2008 for modernisation and will compliment this with a grant of 200,000 €

► Support to local authorities with industrial projects

Maintaining its interest in the economic well-being of the department, the council has awarded a grant of 117,500€ to the CDC Pays de Longny-au-Perche to help it in its partnership with AMPJ, a precision engineering company. In order to branch out into new markets, the company is looking to move into new premises, and the CDC will be funding their construction. AMPJ employs 12 people from the area.

► Attract medical professionals to the area

The council continues in its mission to attract medical professionals to rural areas. It is giving a grant of 50,000 euros to Moulins-la-Marche so that it can create a doctor’s clinic in the commune. It will house a general practitioner, a nurse and a pharmacist who will also be taking part in a future project at l’Aigle to provide mobile medical facilities.

► Recycling office furniture

A partnership agreement is being signed with the charity Emmaüs, which helps people in difficulty or facing social or professional exclusion. The council will in future be giving them all material and furniture normally destined for landfill. This partnership is an important part of the policy of sustainable development which underpins the council’s actions.

► Putting sport first!

During the Permanent Commission in May, the councillors awarded grants for the creation of sports facilities. This month, they have concentrated on sporting events: a half-marathon in Argentan which last time attracted 900 runners (2,300 euros), a mini-hand tournament for youngsters in Alençon (1,500 euros) and the Normandy school rugby finals at Flers (1,000 euros). Also awarded are the Tour de Normandie cyclisme (1,500 euros) the athlete Damien Renard who is preparing for the 2010 world orienteering race (2,000 euros).

► Aid innovative event for youngsters

A budget of 8,300 euros has been fixed for various activities being organised this summer. In July, 15 youngsters between 15 and 20 years old will be helping with a project to improve the Perseigne estate in Alençon (2,500 euros).
3,000 euros is going to various facilities and events in Argentan, to benefit youngsters from certain housing estates which have little or no provision.
13,900 euros is going towards a project at Putanges-Pont-Ecrepin to create a leisure centre within the grounds of the primary school, due to an increasing population of young people in the Val d’Orne CDC.

Key points

• The Val d’Orne CDC is composed of 17 communes around Putanges-Pont-Ecrepin. Its population has increased substaintially between 2000 and 2005 and is currently at 4,521 inhabitants, 26.7% of whom are under 20 years old.