Documents 2026
Weekly Update 93
A council meeting was held this Tuesday—these were the items on the agenda—all of which were approved. I’ll go into more detail about some of them below. I’ll continue with further details in next week’s newsletter. First topic: The council chair’s response to the sec
Read more →Weekly Update 92
This coming Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., the regular council meeting will be held in the conference room. Here is a link to the meeting agenda. You’re welcome to send me any questions about the items on the agenda—I’d be happy to ask them on your behalf. And mos
Read more →Weekly Update 91
There are two topics in this week’s newsletter. At the top of each topic, you’ll find the title, which also serves as a summary. Topic 1: Update on bylaw rates in accordance with Ministry of the Interior guidelines. These by-laws essentially form the basis for the fees
Read more →Weekly Update 90
This coming Tuesday, June 23, 2026, there will be a special council meeting. See the agenda here. First item: Renovation of the pedestrian mall has begun; the cost is 4 million NIS. Apparently, half is funded by the Ministry of Tourism and half by our local budget. Se
Read more →Weekly Update 89
Two topics in this week’s newsletter, and finally, congratulations to the 12th-grade graduates who finished this week. First topic: At the last council meeting, the coalition approved the cancellation of the public expropriation of an area adjacent to a historic buildi
Read more →Weekly Update 88
This week, the regular Council plenary session was held on the first Tuesday of the month. I was not present at this session because I was at the Bar Association conference in Eilat, where I spoke on a panel discussing attorney conduct (one of my areas of research). Seve
Read more →Query: Pride Index
Interpellation: Pride Index Submitted by: Council Member Dr. Limor Zar Gutman, Esq., “For the Colony” Faction The 2025 Pride Index was recently published. The index reflects municipal activities for members of the LGBTQ+ community in the town across various parameters, including the dif
Read more →Query: Tree Planting by Local Authorities
Interpellation: Tree Planting by the Local Authority Submitted by: Council Member Dr. Limor Zar Gutman, Esq., “For the Colony” Faction As part of efforts to address the climate crisis and heat stress, tree planting and the preservation of existing trees are among the measures being take
Read more →Weekly Update 87
A request from me to you—every week I post a summary of the newsletter and a link to the website in the Zichron Yaakov Facebook groups (and there’s an additional post in English). The goal is to reach as many residents as possible so they can read this important informat
Read more →Weekly Update 86
In this newsletter, I will continue to report on the issues raised at the last Council plenary session on May 12 and at the public information meeting regarding the filing of a plan to preserve and convert the Carmel Winery into a mixed-use neighborhood combining commercia
Read more →Weekly Update 85
Last Tuesday, a lengthy three-hour council meeting took place. Two of those hours were held behind closed doors—without cameras and without public access. The closed session was devoted to two topics, which I will report on in detail in the next newsletter. The next newsl
Read more →Official Inquiry: Collection of Development Fees for Achi Eilat Street
To: Council Chairman Mr. Eli Abutbul Date: May 10, 2026 Inquiry: Collection of Development Fees for Achi Eilat Street At the plenary session held on March 23, 2026, the Council was asked to approve an increase in the budget for Special Purpose Fund No. 2519. During the meeting, I asked whether fees
Read more →Official Inquiry: Clean Cuttings
To: Council Chairman Mr. Eli Abutbul Date: May 10, 2026 Inquiry: Clean Garden Waste The local council is managing an operational process for the collection of clean yard waste. As part of this process, yard waste separated from bulky waste is collected separately and transported to the yard waste tr
Read more →Motion: To hold a re-vote on the decision to reduce property tax discounts
Motion: To hold a re-vote on the decision to reduce property tax discounts Submitted by: Council Member Dr. Limor Zar Gutman, Esq., “For the Colony” faction On 12/2/2025, a discussion was held in the Council plenary session regarding the reduction of property tax discounts provided by t
Read more →Motion: Wine Park – Status Update
Motion: Wine Park – Status Update Submitted by: Council Member Dr. Limor Zar Gutman, Esq., “For the Colony” Faction The Wine Park complex includes a residential area (currently occupied), commercial areas, wineries, tourism, and hotels. Most of the lots have been sold at auction, with t
Read more →Weekly Update 84
This coming Tuesday, May 12, at 6:00 PM, a regular board meeting will be held. You are invited to come to the conference room on the fourth floor or watch the live stream. You can find the meeting agenda at the following link. Please review it, and if you have
Read more →Weekly Update 83
This newsletter and next week’s will focus on the budget. There’s no summary because it’s all about one topic. The headline of the budget: 257 million NIS are slipping through the cracks. The budget book we received includes details for the next three fiscal years: 2024,
Read more →Weekly Update 82
This is a brief update, so there is no summary As you know, a regular council meeting is held on the first Tuesday of every month. However, there is no such meeting this month, and the next meeting is scheduled for May 12 (due to Lag B’Omer, the meeting has
Read more →Weekly Update 81
Summary: First Topic: The Council Chair’s Indifference to Residents’ Hardships Second issue: The Mofet Club for Holocaust survivors must continue to operate even if the government cuts its budget Third issue: The piles of trash, the stench, and the swarms of pigs in th
Read more →Weekly Update 80
I hope you and your loved ones are well after a holiday that wasn’t really a holiday but a war. There is no plenary meeting this month, so I will continue to report on several current issues and whatever else comes up throughout the month. First topic: Beware of spray
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