The government team of the Dénia City Council held a press conference today in which they denounced the lack of responses from the Department of Education and the Port Commissioner, Pepa Font, before the opening of the new Gent de Mar Integrated Vocational Training Center in the port area. The mayor was present, Vicent Grimalt, Accompanied by Deputy Mayor, Rafa Carrió, and the Councilor for Territory, Maria Josep Ripoll.
Vicent Grimalt has expressed that the project does not have a current location, since its construction was planned in the port area but "Font does not like it" and the Department of Education does not respond either. The mayor has blamed this decision on the politics of the PP to have other intentions: "he intends to make a copy and paste of the Port of Alicante, a semi-buried parking lot and a shopping gallery."
The government team has attacked the authority that the Commissioner has achieved to carry out her will: "She is thought to be the shadow mayor and she should realize that in this town the majority of people have not voted for her for that." », declared the politician.
Rafa Carrió has continued along this line and has concluded that Pepa Font "has converted the Port of Dénia into her headquarters, where she is carrying out her political campaign." In this sense, the councilor has highlighted the importance of the Espai Port Ciutat organization, which has the purpose of dealing with issues of this caliber and resolving them between experts and political representatives, something that could be an alternative, but which has not yet materialized. "We must remember that the port of Dénia belongs to all Dianenses," he said.
Another issue that the vice mayor has referred to is the "lack of transparency" of Pepa Font's functions in the position of Commissioner. Carlos Mazón announced Font's appointment in December 2023, but, as Grimalt mentioned, after a few days no one told the government team what her responsibilities were in this new position. For this reason, through the socialist deputy José Chulvi, the Les Corts Board was asked about it and the response received was that Font was in charge of "advising the presidency of the Generalitat on everything related to the Port of Dénia."
"If we don't call her to tell us things, she is incapable of picking up the phone," said Grimalt, who has complained about the lack of communication on Font's part. The mayor recalled that on January 4, they gave the Commissioner a list of pending issues to which they did not receive a response and they felt the need to call a meeting with Font, yesterday, Tuesday, so that he could inform the City Council of his efforts. The person in charge gave answers about the creation of the port car park and the Gent de Mar project, ignoring the issue of the signing of the agreement with Ports - for which she had no answer - or the 30-year concession of the space in the Museum of the Sea.
The Gent de Mar project
Maria Josep Ripoll has reported that the Dénia City Council drafted the report on the Gent de Mar project, with all its characteristics, necessary to obtain approval from the Ministry. "Now we do not understand why the Department of Ports treats us as if we were an individual or a company" and, furthermore, she denounces the lack of news from the Department of Education.
The councilor has highlighted the need for the center, which will have 570 places and whose initial location - which she has described as "ideal", as it is dedicated to the maritime-fishing family - would occupy an area of 3.700 square meters (on a plot of 6.000 square meters). However, given the current adversities, work is being done to find another location.
The training that is intended to be offered in Gent de Mar involves studies in the maritime-fishery, commercial and marketing areas, and administration and management. Among the courses offered, for example, is a Higher Degree in boat and vessel maintenance organization or a Higher Degree in sales and commercial space management.
