Sossmeier wants to vote on the Master Plan for the Capital in 2023

Bruna Suptitz and Nikelly de Souza

Second-term councillor, Hamilton Sossmeier (PTB) presides over the Porto Alegre Chamber this year 2023 with the expectation of voting on the revision of the Master Plan. He assesses that the biggest urban planning challenge in the capital is housing, but maintains that a solution will only be viable when “a national project for a functioning housing system” is built.

To anticipate the debate in the Legislature, since Mayor Sebastião Melo (MDB) should send the bill to the house only in the second semester, Sossmeier bets that a commission dedicated to the subject and the other permanent collegiate bodies will be able to put the councilors to pair of the proposal. Thus, he hopes to “win this tariff already for October, at the most”. In this interview to Jornal do Comércioalso talks about his political future, which should be outside the PTB.

Jornal do Comércio – What challenges do you expect to find ahead of the Legislative in 2023?

Hamilton Sossmeier – The biggest challenge is the Master Plan, due to its complexity. Although we have already approved (the specific program for) the 4th District and the Historic Center. But, with the creation, for example, of this work committee (in the Chamber) and divided into subgroups – which according to the House’s regiment are five, but the City Hall suggests seven – we know that there will be a lot of discussion. That will be the biggest challenge. There is also the challenge of making this year a productive year, voting on important projects for society, for the municipality, and that it be a year of less political and verbal aggression and more production. That’s not what happened in the first four sessions, but the expectation is that we can really produce more. There are many projects in the House, projects in the committees, I would like them to go ahead.

JC – What themes do you consider important to be appreciated?

Sossmeier – One of them is the Master Plan. And I understand that the councilors’ projects need to go ahead, and there are all kinds, in the area of ​​safety, health, accessibility. I am always in favor, as long as it does not generate costs for the State. As I say to councillors: it’s great to show courtesy to other people’s hats, right? Especially because we have to be very clear that there is no public money, the State does not produce money, it is the people who produce it. It is the people’s money that is put at the service of the citizen. So, when you end up burdening the State, you are burdening the citizen. This is a care we have to take. And there are projects from the Executive, which are also important, but, for now, nothing practical has arrived. I don’t know if the DMAE (Municipal Water and Sewage Department) issue will come up, which is controversial. We would like to beat these guidelines.

JC – It is a challenge to be in the presidency in the year in which the Master Plan can be voted on. Do you have a perspective on how your work will be carried out?

Sossmeier – A commission was created, which is not ready yet. Possibly the former president of the Chamber, (Idenir) Cecchim (MDB, proponent), as leader of the government, will chair this commission, formed by the coefficient of the benches, and will carry out the work. We have the direction (from the Executive), which suggested seven guidelines. There is an internal questioning that has to be only five, which is part of the House’s internal regulations. We will discuss this plan and bring it to plenary. We should start in March so that we can try to overcome this agenda in October, at the latest.

JC – Does the Chamber hold its own hearings, in addition to those held by the City Hall?

Sossmeier – There are requests, because there may be an agenda that the Cuthab (Urbanization, Transport and Housing Commission), for example, will want to get involved, Cosmam (Health and Environment Commission), because it involves the environment. I would like the entire program, the entire project for the councilors to be detailed, so that there are no doubts, there will only be doubts in those who have not read the project. But the idea is that during the first half of the year these committees themselves will work, develop and that when they get there (for voting) the project will be ready. It happens a lot here in the Legislative, the project arrives without the councilors being aware of it and then a lot of discussion, amendments, some amendments even that mischaracterize the whole project. This is the function of the (specific) committee, to make this working group discuss what it needs to discuss and then go to plenary and be voted on.

JC – Will the presidency’s effort be put to the vote this year?

Sossmeier – Putting the vote this year, that’s our commitment. But there are things that don’t depend on us. You know how the Legislature is, there are projects that we look at and think: “we’ll kill this project in half an hour”, and then the whole afternoon goes by and we don’t vote. The Master Plan is controversial, we know that there are ideological issues, very complex issues, which will demand a lot (from the Legislature).

JC – In your opinion, what should be a priority in the Master Plan?

Sossmeier – I understand that practically (the Plan) as a whole, has the 4th District, the Historic Center and also the occupations. Porto Alegre is the second largest rural area (of the capitals) in Brazil, it has the issue of real estate speculation in rural areas and occupations. The housing issue is a demand from the city that I guarantee, in my honesty – which sometimes even harms me – that it will not be resolved. Until there is a national project for a housing system that works… I spent two years at Cuthab just putting out fires, to solve occupancy problems, but with the Master Plan that already helps.

JC – Do you believe that this is an opportunity to integrate housing projects into the already structured city?

Sossmeier – It is cheaper for the public power to invest where it already has structure than to build a whole new infrastructure. I have even discussed with Melo, if he can do a job of getting people to come to regions where the structure already exists, it will make it much easier for them and for the public authorities. You have to bring people, it gives the feeling of security, people working, people living in the place. The idea is to work so that the Center can be inhabited again.

JC – How do you imagine that the Master Plan can carry out this action? The mayor speaks at greater heights than is allowed today.

Sossmeier – That’s one of the ideas. Many people are against it, but it makes the infrastructure viable, concentrates more people and the quality of life improves. Those of us who walk the city from end to end realize that there are (inhabited) places that are increasingly distant and the public authorities have to go there, and then come the complaints, many of these occupations are in private places, so there is no way to get in, but the demand (for infrastructure and services) arrives. It is a challenge, but this subject has to be dealt with and discussed without ideological questions, really thinking about people.

JC – The idea is to receive the demands of society, hold this debate throughout the year and vote in 2023…

Sossmeier – It is our expectation. The interest of the Chamber is to discuss everything that has to be discussed and voted this year, not to leave it for next year, because… We know the history, it is a political (electoral) year. Not that the Chamber does not work, but the focus becomes another.

JC – The previous administrations of the Chamber created the tradition of returning resources to the City Hall. Do you believe that in 2023 it will be possible to make this economy?

Sossmeier – I believe so, it is already a tradition of the Chamber, although I have an understanding that much of this value involves an inability – not of the presidents – to manage. There’s a lot to be done and it wasn’t because the projects take a long time to happen, to arrive, then the deadline and the money that was to invest in it pass… It’s the vice of the public structure, we suffer a lot from it. I was in the private sector, where you create the project and make it happen. In public life, no, you do the project, but it will come out, it will come out and it doesn’t happen, so the investment is not made. Part of this is our incompetence, not the president’s, but the operation’s.

JC – And what can be done to resolve this?

Sossmeier – End job stability. People in public life think that, because they have job stability, they can do it on their own time and nobody bosses them around. That’s the problem with functionalism, I’ve already bothered to talk about it, but it’s my view. Tell someone who has job security that he has to produce, he will get more and more attached. This is a big problem, it’s a vice in Brazil. Not everyone, but unfortunately we live with it and it is a hindrance for things to happen. Brazil could be much better, processes moving forward, cities being developed, with projects under way. I really believe in meritocracy. Produced? Beauty. So, repeating, it will be returned because councilors save money and because there is an inability to carry out projects. Unfortunately that’s it.

JC – Is there any project that you would like to advance this year?

Sossmeier – Many. One is from the halls of the Chamber. It feels like you’re walking into a warehouse, the alderman’s offices are ridiculous. It already has projects practically ready, but they are skating. A building that even this one couldn’t be ready in a year. This legislature has a very good characteristic, the first year President Márcio (Bins Ely, PDT) was in charge of taking care of the IT part. President Cecchim started messing with the stalled works, of which there were many. Our idea is to continue this work. We would like to leave this building in condition and then just do the maintenance.

JC – What is your assessment of the Sebastião Melo (MDB) government?

Sossmeier – Melo surprised me positively. In two years (2021-2022, the Executive) brought more projects than in the entire past legislature. This is one of the proofs, not only of the Executive’s alignment with the Legislative, but also of someone who wants to do it, the mayor is going to fight. He wore the shirt, he’s very good at dialogue. I will quote an episode: on Avenida Juca Batista there was a project to make the bus corridor; we had a meeting with the merchants there who hated the idea, because it turns out that not even on Avenida Protásio Alves, which kills commerce, where are you going to park your car in front of commerce? And with that complaint from the trade, he came and said: “Look guys, you don’t want the bus lane, so the bus lane won’t come out”. This ability to listen to the community, to find an alternative that is less harmful… This dialogue is important, Mayor Melo surprised me positively in this regard: dialogue, he wants to find solutions. I’ve lived with mayors where his idea prevails. Not with Melo, he listens, ponders.

JC – Should your party continue to support Melo or are you thinking about your own candidacy in 2024?

Sossmeier – This year the parties do not move on this point. They start talking, of course, but not decisions. So it continues at the base of the government.

JC – Do you intend to remain in the new party “Mais Brasil”, a merger of PTB and Patriotas?

Sossmeier – Let’s study. I’m chatting with Podemos (destination of many former PTB members in the state). Me, Giovane Byl, Fernanda Barth…

JC – Will you wait for a window to change parties?

Sossmeier – Next year’s April window, which is the last one. Can’t take the risks.

JC – The PTB has decreased in recent years. What assessment do you make of it?

Sossmeier – To begin with, it didn’t even pass the barrier clause. It was a strong party, but today it is very difficult to get back on its feet, because the party depends on a strong leadership, on a strong national structure. I was state president of the PSC and I know how difficult it is to set up a party structure. You have to travel, administer, study the bases in the municipality. It is complicated. And then Mais Brasil was formed (together with Patriotas), another party that also had no structure. It’s like two miserable people getting married and begging for two. If you don’t have structure, you don’t have space. People don’t have the capacity to arrive and stay in such a party.