Fiscal Year 2011 Administrative Policies

It has been just over a year since I was entrusted with the development of Ichikawa City as the Mayor.
When I look back on the days I have spent since assuming office, immersed in my duties and aware of the sheer volume of responsibilities and expectations involved, I came to realize that key for the city administration is to identify what the citizens want.
This alone is the most important premise of my belief, namely the “administration by citizens.”

 

The I-link Town Ichikawa was opened at the JR Ichikawa Station South Exit in March last year. The observation room on the top floor offers a commanding view of Mt. Fuji, the highest in Japan, and Tokyo Sky Tree, the world's tallest radio transmission tower, which is rising ever-higher into the sky each day. Moreover, you can also see the Edo River, winding grandly and beautifully, and the comforting green of the kuromatsu pine trees. All these familiar views remind us how well-endowed Ichikawa city is.

 

The 65th National Sports Festival of Japan (Yumehanto Chiba Kokutai) was held in Chiba Prefecture in September last year and Ichikawa hosted the handball games. Taking this opportunity, I am pleased to report that fun and excitement were shared at the successfully-completed event, based on cooperation provided by the event volunteers and many others, for which I would like to express my heartfelt thanks.

 

Over the past year, I have managed city administration from the perspective of a citizen, always keeping the basics in mind. At the same time, I asked city government workers to do the same as they engaged in their respective duties. To achieve the above, I personally attended various community events and meetings as much as possible and exchanged opinions on various issues on the Mobile Mayor’s Office, as requested, in an effort to directly listen to citizens’ voices.
In addition, in order to encourage feedback on city management from those with whom I do not have the chance to meet personally, I set up a Mayor’s Suggestion Box based on citizens' needs in May last year, as a new system that enables suggestions to be made directly to me.
I have since received more than 250 requests and suggestions both online and via the suggestion box official form.

Moreover, I also set up the City Administration Strategy Committee on October 1 last year to implement the “administration by citizens” from a more professional viewpoint.
Active discussion with publicly-invited citizens and others was engaged in at the screening session of the projects implemented by Ichikawa City under the City Administration Strategy Committee, which proved to be an occasion of true citizen participation. By securing transparency based on open discussion, the citizens themselves discussed the needs and future direction of the projects the administration had implemented, which I consider a significant achievement from the perspective of the visualization of administration.
For city government workers, it was also an occasion to review the contents of the activities they had carried out from a citizen’s perspective, and hopefully implement measures that more appropriately meet citizens’ needs.
The activities reaffirmed my belief that citizens’ views are invaluable for city administration management.

 

Conversely, Ichikawa City was awarded the “WHO Western Pacific Regional Director’s Award” and “Healthy Cities Pioneer Award” at the 4th Global Conference of Alliance for Healthy Cities held in Korea in October last year.
The awards pleased us because it meant the results of the activities we have conducted with citizens ever since Ichikawa City globally proclaimed its Healthy City Declaration on November 3, 2004 had been internationally recognized, which made me decide to further promote the “Healthy City Ichikawa” in future.

 

Based on the above, I made a self-assessment of my activities during the past 12 months and found that I am only halfway through implementing all the issues I have worked on, including measures to eliminate the number of children on nursery waiting lists, revitalization of the local economy, and responses to citizens’ suggestions, requests, and opinions. During the new fiscal year, which is my second in office, I will strive hard and unceasingly to solve the many and various issues.

 

Now, according to the Fiscal 2011 Economic Outlook decided by the Cabinet on January 24, 2011, the real GDP growth rate is expected to be around 1.5%, which means two consecutive years of growth.
The economic trend, however, remains largely unclear, and the total unemployment remains high.
As for national finances, the gap between revenues and expenditures is widening, because economic stimulus and livelihood support measures have been taken, despite decreasing tax revenues due to the sluggish economy. Moreover, the national government has depended on national bonds to fill the widening gap, meaning the huge cost of interest payment and annually increasing social security expenditures are placing a heavy burden on national finances.

Conversely, when we take a look at Ichikawa City, its total population will peak in fiscal 2015 and decrease slowly in the following years according to the population projection made last year, and with the progress in the aging and declining population, the elderly population, 65 years old and older, is expected to increase from about 18% in fiscal 2010 to about 25% a decade later in fiscal 2020.
Moreover, the productive-age population, between 15 and 64 years of age, will decrease from about 69% in 2010 to about 65% in a decade, hence we cannot expect a significant growth in individual residential tax revenues, which are the basis of the city finance management. Under these circumstances, social assistance expenditures simply keep growing and the outlook concerning the balance of payments remains undeniably gloomy.

 

These days, we often hear about an “unclear future.” However, I think that because we are in such difficult times as this, it is my mission to help revitalize the city I love, thinking positively and constructively.

During the past year, I observed the activities of city government workers performing various administrative duties, over the counter services and management of the facilities, and the relationship between citizens and administration, and came to notice something.

 

Namely that it is also crucial for the administration to manage both management resources and marketing.

 

Management resources include “people, goods, capital and information.”
The efficient and effective use of these management resources is an ironclad law for administration as well as for private profit-making companies.

 

Moreover, marketing is a flow of activities, consisting of the gathering and dissemination of information and the effective provision of services.
I believe that so-called marketing strategies for identifying and analyzing needs and demands to provide appropriate services also play a crucial role in administration.

It is also important to adopt a citizen’s perspective when deciding how to use the management resources and how to draw up the marketing strategies.
Accordingly, we are currently seeking advice from the City Administration Strategy Committee set up last year on “how to implement priority measures” e.g. how the counter services should be; how various facilities should be managed; collaborative administrative services; industrial promotion; and child-rearing support.

 

I think we need to work to strengthen while downsizing and improve organizational efficiency in order to overcome the difficult fiscal situation.
Therefore, we will set up the Department of Economy in order to strengthen the administrative organizational system to revitalize the local economy.
Moreover, the Managing Director of Crisis Management will remain under the direct rule of the Mayor, the Department of Crisis Management will be consolidated into the Department of General Affairs, a Crisis Management Manager will be appointed in each department for stronger collaboration, and efforts will be made toward flexible responses for disaster control and to protect the lives and property of citizens. Additionally, the Department of Regulations and Judicial Affairs will be consolidated into the Department of General Affairs.

 

Future administration must increase administrative efficiency through administrative and financial reforms, gather information through marketing, and allocate the knowledge and skills of the city government workers, which are part of the management resources, public properties, and limited budget to what citizens really want from a citizen’s perspective and in a prioritized manner, while providing and disseminating information.

Based on the basic policies as stated above, we will engage in city administration management. The new fiscal year is the first of the new Basic Plan, a decade-long plan between the fiscal years 2011 and 2020, and the three-year Enforcement Plan that supports the Basic Plan. For the new Basic Plan, we will implement measures to make Ichikawa City “safe, comfortable, and dynamic” based on the report submitted by the General Plan Council.
Therefore, I would like to discuss priority measures based on the three targets of “safety,” “comfort,” and “dynamism,” including matters under the control of the Board of Education.

Firstly, I will discuss measures for building a safe community.

 

The first topic is measures to eliminate nursery waiting lists and the needs for such lists.

 

As for the setting-up and improvement of nurseries, Ajisai Nursery (tentative name) will be newly opened in Myoten District, and Yuridai, Gyotoku Akebono, and Konodai Nurseries will be rebuilt to increase their respective enrollment limits.
Moreover, the city government will subsidize part of the cost of a private nursery school to be newly opened in the Shintoku District in fiscal 2012 and the facility improvement cost to rebuild Arai Nursery and increase its enrollment limit. Furthermore, we will promote out-of-hours childcare in private kindergartens.

 

Next, I will discuss support for children requiring special consideration. The number of requests for consultation on cases of child molestation at child consultation offices in Japan has been annually increasing, which shows that child molestation is an increasingly serious social problem. Ichikawa City will work to improve the response to such consultation at the Comprehensive Support Center for Children and Families.

 

As for support for children with developmental difficulties, clinical psychotherapists, etc. will provide consultation services and make assessments on children’s development and doctors will perform examinations to draw up individual support plans suitable for each child. In addition, expert staff will visit communities to give guidance to people in groups for enhanced support.

 

Children between birth and 6th grade in elementary school have been eligible for the child medical expense subsidies. The scope of this scheme will be expanded to include up to junior high school 3rd graders for the healthy growth of children and to reduce the financial burden on parents and guardians.

 

As for school lunches, the city government has provided actual food materials as a two-year emergency measure, starting from fiscal 2009. During the next fiscal year, breads and edible oil, etc. will be provided to mitigate the increase in school meal charges, ensure food security, and offer tasty school lunches.

 

Concerning improvements made for a safe and secure educational environment, children spend many hours in school. Besides, schools also have functions to serve as community evacuation centers in the event of major disasters, hence anti-seismic reinforcement designs will be implemented in 7 elementary and junior high schools and anti-seismic reinforcement work will be carried out in 6 schools to secure the safety of school facilities.

For traffic safety, we will set up “The Regulation for Safe Use of Bicycles in Ichikawa City” to ensure safe and comfortable lives of citizens, work on preventing dangerous bicycle riding and educate people on the safe use of bicycles.

 

As for the renovation of the city government buildings, we will discuss the direction of comprehensive improvement of the city government buildings, including branch buildings, based on the results of the outsourced study on improvement measures.

Now I will discuss the second target, namely the building of a community comfortable enough to live in.

 

Concerning the improvement of urban planning roads, many citizens are requesting further improvement of roads/transportation of this city, as shown in the results of the questionnaire survey to measure citizens’ expectations that was conducted last year. The improvement of the road traffic connecting north and south, among others, has also been an issue for many years here. Based on the above and to improve the urban planning roads Nos. 3, 4, and 18, construction work on the section of highway crossing right under the Keisei Main Line and foundation work on sound insulation walls for a better environment has been implemented continuously since fiscal 2010 for the scheduled service launch toward the end of fiscal 2015, while, conversely, we will work to win the understanding of more citizens concerning the needs of the project.

 

Narrow roads are another familiar issue inconveniencing citizens in their daily lives and measures must be taken to improve them, just like main roads.
We will work to make “magokoro (cordiality) roads” that have marginal zones to enable vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians to pass each other with consideration and cordiality. At the same time, we will promote the establishment of setback zones stipulated under the Building Standards Act.

 

To improve the community in the Shiohama District, we will work to create an attractive and composite urban space, exploiting the regional features of Sanbanze and the green zone near Gyotoku.
We will positively work to improve the fishing ground environment of Sanbanze, and at the same time, make a strong request to the Prefectural Government for the early completion of the Shiohama seawall and the development of a tidal zone in order to make it a beach where citizens can relax.

 

As for measures for safety and to reduce traffic congestion near Keisei Yawata Station caused by the level crossing with the Keisei Main Line, we will continue to strive from the perspective of community building, and at the same time, review the irregular five-street intersection located between Ichikawa Mama Station and Konodai Station.

Concerning the Tokyo Outer Ring Road, we will discuss with the contractors based on the progress of the project and the requests, etc. of the communities along the road to exploit the advantage of the Outer Ring Road to improve local communities.

 

Next, I will discuss the promotion of a community filled with flowers and greenery.
During the new fiscal year, we will place flowers and greenery along the main streets and station-front plazas to promote community gardening.
Moreover, in order to enhance citizens’ awareness of the new campaign, “Gardening City Ichikawa,” we will hold a contest, etc. and work to build a Healthy City collaboratively with citizens to enable them to feel safe and comfortable.

To date, I have discussed the priority measures for the new fiscal year. In addition to the above, I will also discuss the five basic objectives in the General Plan concerning the key policy measures to be implemented during the new fiscal year.

To begin with, I will discuss the policy measures that target "a town with a feel of true wealth".

 

To enhance citizens’ health, cancer detection and other medical checkups will be improved and health consultation services and lectures will be provided for the early detection of diseases in infants, adults, and elderly citizens.

 

As for medical checkups for expectant mothers and infants, the number for expectant mothers has been increased from 5 to 14 since fiscal 2009. Subsidies will continue to be provided concerning these medical checkup expenses in order to enable child bearing and rearing without worries and concerns.

As for vaccinations, the mumps vaccination, which is given independently by Ichikawa City, will continue to be provided alongside regular vaccinations. Additionally, cervical cancer vaccinations, haemophilus influenzae type B vaccinations, and childhood 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccinations will be newly provided; all covered by public funds.

 

To secure emergency local medical care, Ichikawa City, jointly with Urayasu City, will continue to subsidize the construction expenses, etc. for the privatized Tokyo Bay Urayasu Ichikawa Medical Center for the opening of a new hospital in 2012.

 

The number of suicides has remained over 30,000 every year since 1998. As a preventive measure, we will newly work on a consultation project based on the “Ichikawa City Plan for Suicide Prevention Measures,” for the period from the new fiscal year to fiscal 2016.

 

As for sports facilities, we will renovate aging facilities according to a plan. Paid advertisements will be posted in Konodai Park Baseball Field and Gymnasium, and the advertising fees collected will be used to repair the facilities.

 

Concerning child rearing support, I already mentioned major support measures when I discussed the priority measures earlier in this speech, but we will enhance comprehensive child rearing measures through various other projects.
To avoid all circumstances of children having to wait on nursery waiting lists, alongside direct measures to eliminate the same, we will work to increase the number of women who provide childcare services at home after obtaining certification from the city and expand the scope of subsidies to parents and guardians using non-registered but city-certified nurseries so as to ease their financial burden.
Moreover, we will work to increase the childcare service hours at after-school care clubs.

 

Amidst the increasing trend toward nuclear families, the number of families with child rearing concerns is growing. Accordingly, we will develop a new system to make home help services available to families with newborn babies and single parent families.
Moreover, we will set up the “My Nursery Registration System” on a trial basis, in which expectant parents and new parents with preschoolers, who especially tend to have many worries, can receive child rearing support such as one-day of child rearing experience in registered neighbourhood nurseries.
Furthermore, we will also newly provide livelihood support during the study period for households of single mothers who study in nurse/care worker schools, etc. to get a license for financial independence.

As for childcare subsidies, we will provide them according to the new system, while for the allocation of expenses related to the subsidies, which will be paid in real money uniformly nationwide, we will request, through the Japan Association of City Mayors, etc., that the full amount be paid by the national government.

 

Concerning public welfare services for the disabled and aged, it is increasingly important to consider the services and help each other on a local basis.
As for the local care system that serves as the cornerstone of the above-mentioned local welfare, we will provide subsidies to the salon and consultation service projects, mainly carried out by the 14 District Councils of Social Welfare, as salons are venues for mutual support in the community in an effort to build a better welfare community.

 

The “Challenged Office Ichikawa” will be newly managed as a measure for disabled people in order to help jobseekers find work in a company, etc. based on work experience as a city official for a certain period.
Moreover, in order to support the efforts of disabled people to live independently in the community, we will provide assistance when they leave home and continue to provide subsidies to business operators that manage local activity support centers housing disabled people during daytime hours.
Furthermore, we will draw up “the 3rd Ichikawa City Plan for Welfare of Persons with Disabilities,” with a planned three-year period starting from fiscal 2012.

 

For the elderly, we will work to help elderly people maintain and enhance their good health by, among others, increasing the number of venues hosting senior health classes to prevent the need for nursing care.
Moreover, in order to determine those requiring support in the community and respond promptly to the same, we have worked to identify the actual state of the elderly, with the in-home care support centers, taking the lead, based on information gathered from local citizens and related organizations. In future, we will work to grab more detailed information.
Furthermore, to enhance the functions of the Community General Support Center, “community coordinators” will be assigned to gather and provide information on the services required by elderly people.

 

We will draw up the “Ichikawa City Welfare Plan for the Elderly/ Long-term Care Insurance Project Plan,” with a planned three-year period, starting from fiscal 2012, in order to comprehensively promote measures for the elderly and smoothly implement long-term insurance projects.

As for the city housing, exterior wall repair work, etc. will be carried out in the Higashi Sugano Housing Complex, Tokagi Housing Complex and Soya Daiichi and Daini Housing Complexes to ensure safety as well as appropriate maintenance and management.

 

The next topic is education. To upgrade the academic ability of elementary and junior high school students, we will improve educational guidance by implementing the National Achievement Test, not only in selected schools but also all other schools, to identify the academic ability, study circumstances, and actual situation of the lives of schoolchildren and students.
At the same time, for the education of the schoolchildren and students requiring special support, a special class will open in Higashikokubun Junior High School in the new fiscal year.
Moreover, in order to solve the problem of the deficiency of classrooms in special schools, Inakoshi School Building of the Suwadanooka Special School will be expanded during the new fiscal year for the scheduled opening in fiscal 2012.
Furthermore, the Healthy School Project will be continued to promote physical fitness, a healthy rhythm of life, and shokuiku (food and nutrition education).

 

To improve school facilities, 16 elementary and junior high schools will be renovated, including the aging Minami-Niihama Elementary School buildings, the swimming pool of Arai Elementary School, and the sidewalls of Gyotoku Elementary school. In addition, the bathrooms of 5 elementary and junior high schools will be renovated to provide more light and make them more user-friendly, as part of our efforts to improve the school facility environment.
Moreover, we will purchase the required education equipment, such as a grand piano with the “Ichikawa City Ohata Tsutomu Education Fund”, in order to upgrade educational materials.

 

As for lifelong learning amidst the aging society, it is necessary to establish an environment where anyone can enjoy studying and learning regardless of their stage of life.
To improve the safety and user-friendliness of community centers, designing to install elevators in Ono and Seibu Community Centers will be carried out.
As for the Sugano Community Center to be opened in the new fiscal year, the plaza located on the south side of the building will be upgraded, as it is a place for citizens to relax.

 

The Lifelong Learning Center (Media Park Ichikawa), consisting of the Central Library, Audio-Visual Center, and other facilities, enjoys more than one million visitors annually. The central surveillance system will be renewed in order to maintain users’ safety and comfort.
Moreover, the Library Information System will be upgraded.

Domestic violence by a spouse or partner is a serious issue that must be eradicated to achieve a gender-equal society. Therefore, consultation services by expert consultants and lawyers will continue to be provided. At the same time, the “Ichikawa City Basic Plan for DV Prevention (tentative name)” will be drawn up during the new fiscal year to build a society that will not tolerate violence.

 

Activities to promote peace include, “Invitation to send origami cranes” and “Rakugo (Japanese verbal entertainment) with the theme of peace,” as well as the screening session of “Chichi to Kuraseba (Living with Father),” originally written by Hisashi Inoue, along with a panel exhibition with peace as the theme, as Ichikawa City has declared “Peace Declaration for Abolition of Nuclear Weapons.”

Next, I will discuss the policy measures for "a town creating colorful culture and art."

 

Many artists and cultural figures have lived in Ichikawa City, and can be said to represent one of its cultural features. In this cultural climate, measures that are pervasive and effective are required in order to help citizens enjoy arts and culture and relax and feel comfortable in their daily lives.

 

To promote culture, we will continue to hold the “Cultural Figures Exhibition” at Yoshizawa Garden Gallery to present the works and personality of famous artists and cultural figures who are associated with Ichikawa City.
Moreover, in order to enhance citizens’ awareness of culture and revitalize the community, Nakayama Takigi Noh (Japan’s traditional masked dance-drama performed outdoors by fire) is held every three years. The 5th of the series will be held in Hokekyoji temple by setting up a planning committee with members from the local community and shopping mall associations.

 

The Museum of Literature is scheduled to open in fiscal 2012 and we will create image data featuring the activities of cultural figures associated with Ichikawa City such as Hisashi Inoue, Yoko Mizuki, and Kafu Nagai, to exhibit in the museum.

 

Work to separate sidewalks from roadways in the Higashiyama Kaii Memorial Hall will be carried out to secure visitors’ safety.

 

As for historic sites, we will newly purchase land in order to conserve the ruins of the Kitashita Tile Kiln in Kokubun 5-chome.
 
For the edition and revision of the City History, published 35 years ago, we will continue to research, study and collect materials in the areas of history, folklore, and nature.

 

To promote international exchanges, we will send an official delegation and welcome the Leshan City friendship delegation to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the signing of the “Friend City Agreement” with the city.
Also, to promote citizen-led international exchanges, we will welcome the official delegation from Resenheim, a partner city, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Japan-Germany friendship and hold an event titled the “German Day” in October.

The policy measures I will discuss next are those targeting a "safe, comfortable and attractive town."

 

In preparing for disasters, 166 units of digital MCA (multi-channel access) radios have been made available in the three years starting from fiscal 2008. During the new fiscal year, another 20 units will be put in place in community centers and other evacuation sites to secure the communication network in the event of a disaster.
Moreover, as one of the disaster drills held jointly by 9 cities and prefectures in the Tokyo metropolitan area, Chiba Prefecture will hold a drill in the Edogawa riverbed green zone to raise disaster awareness and enhance collaboration and cooperation among citizens, local governments, and the organizations concerned.

 

In order to build a disaster-resistant community for everyone to live with peace of mind, anti-seismic reinforcement work will be conducted in Gyotoku Branch Office, Omachi Daisan Housing Complex, etc. and designing work in Sugano Nursery, etc., as part of our efforts toward making public facilities resistant to earthquake damage.

 

In order to protect the lives of local citizens from sediment disasters, we have been working on landslide preventive measures in areas with steep slopes. During the new fiscal year, we will complete the improvement work of the cliff in Miyakubo 4-chome that has been conducted since 2009.

 

As for fire prevention, we will systematically put the necessary vehicles in place, including a pumping fire engine equipped with a special ladder useful in disaster situations, in order to enhance and strengthen fire fighting systems. Moreover, Shinkita Fire Station, equipped with a 100-ton class earthquake-resistant water tank will open as part of the facility improvement project in the northern district.
 For the fire fighting administration in future, a wider area must be covered. For the increased efficiency of activities, Ichikawa City will take part in the statutory conference participated by the 6 cities in the Tokatsu area toward the joint fire fighting command scheduled to start in fiscal 2013.
 In our crime prevention efforts, we will continue to promote support for voluntary crime prevention activities and volunteer patrols.
As to the blue-light crime-prevention patrols, we will work to have rounds carried out until late at night, and at the same time, strive toward efficient maintenance and operation.

I have already discussed major road improvements earlier in the section concerning priority measures. Other than the above, we will work for barrier-free accessibility such as the elimination of level differences on sidewalks near railway stations and along major roads to ensure the safety of pedestrians.

 

For flood control, we will continue work to expand the width of the river channel for a distance of about 1.6 kilometers from the Hamamichibashi bridge to Kamagaya City on the Okashiwa River to make rivers rich with nature. Moreover, water channel improvement work will be conducted in Ono Nishi Drain District, etc. to improve mainline drainage.
Moreover, in order to improve the sewer system in line with the progress of the Outer Ring Road project, preliminary and detailed designing, etc. of Owada Pump Station and the main rainwater conduits in the Ichikawa Minami Drain District and Takatani Tajiri Drain District will be carried out, while at the same time, rainwater permeation facilities will be set up in the Mama Sugano District including a combined drainage system for flood prevention.

 

Additionally, based on the Ichikawa City Emergency Improvement Plan of Combined Sewer System design and construction works for rainwater tanks and emergency sewage treatment facilities, etc. in the Sugano Terminal Treatment Plant will be conducted in order to reduce the contamination load on public water areas.

 

To improve the landscape, subsidies will be provided and advisors dispatched to organizations, etc. on an active basis. The guidance and instruction system will be strengthened to encourage citizen-led activities to promote the construction of a more attractive community.

 

Moreover, in order to ensure a comfortable living environment and establish an attractive cityscape, we will adopt the necessary procedures to review the concept of regulations, guidance concerning building heights and areas with building height limitations based on the above concept, and change the urban plan.

The policy measures I will discuss next are those targeting a "town where people and nature exist in harmony.”

To hand over an environment comfortable to live in to the next generation is a mission we must accomplish.
In order to promote local measures against global warming, we will work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging eco driving, etc. and providing subsidies to cover part of the expenses to install solar power generation systems for residential use so as to disseminate and promote new energy utilization in collaboration with the “Global Warming Prevention Conference,” which consists of citizens, business operators, organizations concerned and the city government.

 

As for the natural environment, we will strive toward the development of “Local Strategies for Biodiversity,” based on the results of monitoring surveys, etc. conducted to date, in order to reflect the concept of biodiversity in the measures, etc. implemented by the city.

 

To save energy in city government buildings, etc., a management manual for the main facilities will be developed and efforts made toward the reduction of the use of energy, based on the revised Energy Conservation Law.

 

In order to respond to PM2.5, the new environmental standards, 3 units of automatic air pollution measuring devices will be introduced to establish a system to constantly monitor the atmosphere.

 

To achieve “Resource-Recycling City Ichikawa,” we will work to reduce and recycle garbage in collaboration with recycling partners, citizens, and business operators.

 

As for the Clean Center, construction work on the core equipment of waste treatment facilities will be completed not later than fiscal 2013 in an effort to extend the useful life up until fiscal 2023. During the new fiscal year, work on noncombustible and oversized garbage treatment facilities will be carried out.

 

To promote the Citizen Good Manners Ordinance and eliminate breaches of manners in public spaces, we will enhance the guidance system in No-Smoking-While-Walking Zones that have been expanded to include 15 zones, increase the number of civil manner supporters, and launch an awareness raising campaign for children, using Manner-man and Manner-lin, new characters to promote better manners, and work to improve civil manners and create a better living environment.

 

As part of our efforts toward green conservation, based on the results of the survey on the amount of greenery conducted during the current fiscal year, we will manage the progress of the basic plan on greenery and continue to provide subsidies to cover part of the management expenses required for the forests under a management agreement, which is valuable community greenery, and trees under management agreement such as kuromatsu pine trees. Moreover, for the networking of water and greenery, we will also develop a plan for a corridor of water and greenery in the northeastern area as well.

To improve the waterfront area, we will install lights for the safety and security of pedestrians along the Nekozane River from High Town Shiohama to the river mouth, and along the Kyu-Edo River Promenade from the Joyato Park to Kawarachisaki.

The measures I will discuss next are those targeting a "town built through cooperation of citizens and administration.”

 

As I mentioned in the basic policies for city administration management, it is essential for the “administration by citizens” to adopt the opinions of citizens by providing information as well as through the Mayor’s Suggestion Box and Mobile Mayor’s Office.

 

For public relations and public hearing, we will positively provide information on city administration through the Koho Ichikawa newsletter and on the city website as well as the video streaming of the city council plenary session online.
The Koho Ichikawa newsletter will be published fortnightly, instead of weekly, but special issues will be published, as needed, so as to efficiently provide information to citizens.
The number of subscribers to the “e-Monitor System” has exceeded 5,000. We will continue to work to further increase this number in order to reflect the opinions of many more citizens in city administration.

 

To support the activities of community associations, we will replace the conventional fluorescent lights, which have been installed by community associations for crime prevention purposes, with LED lights that are environmentally friendly and effective to reduce maintenance and management costs and establish a low-carbon society.
Moreover, the maximum subsidy for the installation expense of bulletin boards set up by community associations will be increased from \15,000 to \25,000.

 

The new fiscal year marks the 7th anniversary of the 1% Support System. The number of citizens’ activity groups applying has been on the increase and their activities are increasingly positive. We will continue to manage this system so that it helps such groups go independent and become new public service providers.

 

To promote outsourcing to private entities, the number of schools using school lunch catering services will be increased, and at the same time, efforts will be made to reduce the cost by introducing the Designated Manager System in “Minamiyawata Works” and by efficiently addressing diversifying citizens’ needs.

To upgrade the services for citizens based on infocommunication technologies, we will engage in the necessary discussions and review the contents and methods of expression so as to pick up information closely related to citizens’ daily lives, including information on crime prevention and city building, from among the information that has been managed internally by the administrative authorities and depict such information specifically on a map in an easy-to-understand manner.
Moreover, regarding e-government services provided on the website, we will work to further improve user-friendliness by newly adding, among others, a function that enables making reservations through mobile phones to the facility reservation system that has many users.
As for the information security measures, we will maintain the ISO27001-certified Information Security Management System (ISMS) in order to properly and safely protect and manage information.

To date, I have discussed priority and key policy measures. The fiscal 2011 draft budget is the first in which I was involved from the start of its development, ever since assuming the office of Mayor.
Accordingly, in the budget preparation, I kept the fulfillment of my campaign promises in mind and included in it costs to eliminate the number of children on nursery waiting lists, the development of magokoro (cordiality) roads, issuance of premium money coupons, and projects related to “Gardening City Ichikawa,” a newly-set up measure.
I also worked to reflect the voices of citizens in the budget and included the suggestions that I thought needed to be implemented right away, based on the results of the project screening conducted last year. Costs that are closely related to the daily lives of citizens are intensively included in the budget, such as the expansion of the eligible age group for the medical expense subsidy for children.

 

However, although tax revenue has increased, it was still outweighed by the increase in the social security expenses, and it was very hard to secure financial resources when preparing the budget for the new fiscal year.
Moreover, it is anticipated that it will become increasingly difficult for Ichikawa City to secure financial resources in future due to the national governments “attitudes toward local government finances.” Therefore, the draft budget for the new fiscal year was prepared to meet the many current administrative demands and to take due consideration of fiscal soundness with the future in mind.

As a result, the general account budget amounts to \132.6 billion, which is an increase of 4.6%, and the special accounting budget \73.741billion, which is also an increase of 6.2% compared to the initial budget for the previous fiscal year.
Thus, we submit a draft budget for fiscal 2011 for general accounts, special accounts, and public enterprise accounts amounting to \209.363 billion, which is an increase of 5.1% compared to the initial budget of the previous fiscal year.

 

In concluding my speech, I would like to ask every citizen and member of the City Council of Ichikawa for their understanding and support for our administrative policies of the new fiscal year. Thank you very much.