Major’s Remarks:
1. There are many folk customs, taboos, and festivals during the seventh month of the lunar calendar, with Zhongyuan Pudu being a significant tradition for the Chinese community. To ensure safety, all relevant bureaus and departments are requested to enhance fire protection measures at sacrificial sites, particularly to prevent accidents related to burning joss paper. Furthermore, efforts should be made to encourage donations to charities and social welfare organizations as an alternative to burning joss paper, as this practice is meaningful for society, the environment, and the preservation of cultural customs. Relevant bureaus and departments should conduct further research to explore how to gain the support of religious groups for this initiative. Advocacy for the use of centralized burning sites or environmentally friendly joss paper burners, which help reduce environmental and air pollution, should also be intensified. Relevant bureaus and departments are requested to continue promoting these efforts and compile a report on the outcomes after the seventh lunar month. Lastly, the Agriculture Bureau and the Department of Legal Affairs are urged to monitor the supply and price stability of meat, vegetables, and fruits, ensuring that measures are in place to prevent improper price gouging.
2. The Extraordinary Session of the City Council will commence tomorrow, the 13th. All bureaus and departments are requested to prepare detailed explanations of their budgets, advance payment cases, and any issues raised by City Council members. Please ensure that responses and relevant data are provided promptly when questions are asked. Additionally, please be prepared in advance to address recent significant matters, including post-typhoon reconstruction and subsidies, the management of sports facilities, and issues related to transportation and security.
3. The first non-summer work-study trial program for the first half of the year admitted 16 students, with 9 of them being re-employed. After the program concluded, most bureaus and departments provided positive feedback. The program for the second half of the year is about to be announced. When selecting candidates, each bureau and department should consider the students' school and home situations to prevent potential inconveniences, such as a worksite being far from home or school, which could lead to high turnover rates.
4. For the "Reconstruction Project of Minsheng Bridge on South Route 171 in Zuozhen District," the Public Works Bureau is requested to urge vendors to arrange and sequence the work process properly to minimize delays caused by weather-related factors.
5. Before the city government submits the annual budget implementation report to the Audit Division for review, the Research, Development, and Evaluation Commission, along with the Department of Budget, Accounting, and Statistics, should verify whether the review comments from the previous year, as well as those from the two years prior, are consistent or repeated.
Reports
1. The Police Bureau presented a report on " Traffic Accident Prevention and Drunk Driving Enforcement Outcomes" (refer to written sources for details).
Resolution: Approved for reference filing.
Mayor’s Comments:
(1) Due to the law enforcement efforts of the Police Bureau and the awareness campaigns conducted by various bureaus and departments, there were no A1-category accidents involving large vehicles and no fatalities in July this year. Additionally, the number of drunk driving incidents decreased compared to last year. This success is attributed to the hard work of all bureaus and departments. However, from January to June this year, there were two more large vehicle accidents, involving two additional people, compared to the same period last year. This indicates that accidents involving large vehicles still occurred frequently in the first half of the year. All bureaus and departments are requested to continue their efforts and work towards further improvements.
(2) Currently, it is the summer vacation period, and young people are engaging in a wide range of activities, with an increased likelihood of riding bicycles and motorcycles, leading to a higher risk of traffic accidents. Strict attention should be paid to monitoring these rates. We hope that when reviewing the Youth Initiative program, we will see a significant reduction in both the crime rate and traffic accident rate in the city during the summer. In recent years, the accident and fatality rates among older adults using powered vehicles have continued to rise. Due to reduced reactions in various aspects, older adults are at a higher risk of traffic accidents when riding motorcycles or driving cars. We encourage all bureaus and departments to collaborate with organizations for older adults, such as the Longevity Association and the Association for Older Adults, to strengthen outreach efforts and promote the use of public transportation, such as small yellow buses and large buses, to help reduce the incidence of traffic accidents.
(3) "Saving one life is more valuable than building a seven-story pagoda." Reducing the occurrence of traffic accidents is a key objective of the city government.
2. The Culture Affairs Bureau presented a report on the "2024 Creative Expo Taiwan" (refer to written sources for details).
Resolution: Approved for reference filing.
Mayor’s Comments:
(1) The 2024 Creative Expo Taiwan will be held in Tainan for the first time, with the main exhibition, organized by the Ministry of Culture, located at the Tainan Convention and Exhibition Center. The primary reason for this choice is its proximity to the High Speed Rail station. However, the challenge for relevant bureaus and departments is how to make tourists aware that other city exhibition venues, such as the Blueprint Cultural and Creative Park and 321 Art Village, are even more appealing, vibrant, and full of highlights. The Transportation Bureau is requested to promote transportation options between exhibition venues. The Tourism and Travel Bureau is asked to strengthen connections between each exhibition area and nearby attractions to maximize the benefits of the event.
(2) The Culture Affairs Bureau is tasked with reinforcing the narrative between Creative Expo Taiwan and Tainan 400 to enhance the visibility of the Tainan Concept Pavilion, which is co-organized by the city government. Relevant bureaus and departments are requested to collaborate on this effort.