Sienkevych on the dispute between yachtsmen and the «Atlant» sports school over boat mooring
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- Yuliia BoichenkoReporter
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Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych, photo by NikVestiMykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych has stated that the city authorities wish to divide the territory of the «Atlant» sports school and the yacht mooring facility in order to regulate the use of the jetties and the maintenance of the structures. According to him, this is not a matter of privatising the territory, but of «dividing responsibilities».
Oleksandr Sienkevych made these remarks during a session of the Mykolaiv City Council on 28 May, NikVesti reports.
The mayor explained that yachts belonging to people with no connection to the educational institution are currently stored on the sports school’s grounds. According to him, this situation has arisen historically, dating back to the time when the site belonged to the Mykolaiv Shipyard.
«Yachts belonging to people who are not pupils of this school are stored on the school’s grounds. In fact, this is a historical situation that arose because the school itself and this yacht mooring were transferred by the shipyard back when it was still known as the 61 Communards Shipyard,» he said.
According to the mayor, the city authorities plan to separate the sports school grounds from the yacht mooring facility. The mooring facility is to be managed by the municipal enterprise «Timeset», which will be responsible for tariffs, boat storage and the repair of mooring structures.
«There is now a desire to separate the school itself, as a place where children learn, from the marina, in order to obtain permits for them, carry out activities related to the storage of these yachts, and bring them up to standard,» explained Oleksandr Sienkevych.
At the same time, he assured that the sports school would continue to have access to the jetties for children’s water sports activities.
«A right of way agreement will be signed between this municipal enterprise of the city council and the school, allowing our children to use the jetties to launch boats and engage in all kinds of sports. However, the maintenance of these jetties will be the responsibility of the municipal enterprise, not the school,» said the mayor.
Separately, Oleksandr Sienkevych commented on yachtsmen’s concerns regarding the possible privatisation of the area and an increase in mooring fees. He stated that without a decision by the city council, none of the municipal facilities can be privatised.
«People who don’t really understand what’s going on start saying that someone wants to do something there, to privatise something. No one can privatise anything without a decision by the city council — neither the municipal enterprise nor the school can do this. That is why, today, using the money from the people who are there and rent out yachts, a survey of these structures was carried out — divers checked them. Permits are now being obtained so that people can go out on the water, as this is a high-risk facility,» he said.
According to the mayor, the city council is currently only granting permission to the municipal enterprise to draw up technical documentation via a draft resolution. After that, the matter will be put before the councillors for consideration once again.
«In effect, this involves bringing what is there up to standard and clarifying responsibilities and payments,» added Oleksandr Sienkevych.
He also noted that some yachtsmen are opposed to these changes due to concerns about a possible increase in the cost of yacht storage.
«They are blocking this issue, claiming that someone is planning to privatise something. They say that the cost of mooring yachts on the site will rise. We have said that we will do this calmly, without the cost increasing a hundredfold. But we must sort this out and separate those who are not pupils or teachers at the sports school from the others,» said the mayor.
As a reminder, in February, Mykolaiv returned to considering the issue of dividing the territories of the «Atlant» and «Olimp» sports schools, where part of the land is to be allocated for private yacht moorings.
As is known, the city owns two complexes of mooring facilities belonging to the former yacht clubs of the 61st Commune Factory and the Ocean Factory, which are suitable for the operation of a small-scale fleet.
On 17 March, a joint meeting was held involving three standing committees of the city council: on housing and communal services, human rights and the rule of law, and on health, education, culture and sport. In addition, representatives from the sports department, the legal department and the directors of the sports schools took part in the meeting.
Inspections and division of the territories of the «Atlant» and «Olimp» schools
It should be recalled that Mykolaiv has revisited the issue of dividing the territories of the «Atlant» and «Olimp» sports schools, part of whose land is planned to be allocated for a private yacht mooring. In 2022, the law on inland waterway transport came into force, which clearly distinguished between the concepts of mooring bases and mooring bases for small vessels.
In 2024, the city was advised to bring both complexes into line with the legislation, and a working group was set up involving the authorities, athletes and school management. The first group analysed the work of the «Atlant» school, which uses the site of the former yacht club of the 61st Communist Factory. The second is reviewing the activities of the «Olimp» school in the Korabelnyi district — this work is still ongoing.
During the inspections, issues were identified regarding hydraulic structures, the management of municipal property, the transparency of tariffs, and the collection of fees for mooring vessels. At the time, Artem Vashchylenko, chair of the expert and public council, noted that the children’s schools had no right whatsoever to engage in vessel mooring, and that funds were being collected in a non-transparent manner.
The mayor and councillors emphasised that the schools’ primary task is to train children. Commercial activities must be separated and comply with the law. The committee agreed to revisit the issue with an expanded membership, involving other committees, school management, the relevant department, and the deputy mayor.
If the session’s decision is adopted, the territories of the «Atlant» and «Olimp» schools will be demarcated: the schools will focus on coaching activities, whilst the municipal enterprise «Timeset» will be responsible for maintaining the moorings and collecting fees for the berthing and storage of vessels.
It later emerged that some of the mooring facilities for small and recreational vessels in Mykolaiv may not open this season, meaning the vessels may not be able to take to the water.
During a staff meeting chaired by the mayor on 2 March, Valerii Vetrov, a representative of the Expert and Public Council of the City Executive Committee, stated that there were about two months left until the start of the season, after which state inspectors would check the sports schools’ bases. If the documents or operating conditions do not meet legal requirements, they may not be allowed to open.
Read also the article by NikVesti: «City on the Wave»: how Mykolaiv is reviving and promoting sailing and yachting.
