Audit Office: Significant Parks in Krasnoyarsk are Serviced with Violations
Rewritten Article:
The Damning Report on Krasgorpark's Operations Exposed!
In a stunning revelation, Krasnoyarsk's City Council listened to a report from the Audit Chamber on the review of Krasgorpark's work. The audit, conducted for the first time in five years of the organization's existence, uncovered a slew of violations.
Krasnoyarsk boasts over 300 public spaces, most of which contain yards of undeveloped land (UDIsB). However, in March 2020, the management of notable city sites, previously handled by the Center for Social Project Implementation, was handed over to the newly formed Krasgorpark.
Last year, Krasgorpark was responsible for 21 spaces: 7 parks, 6 squares, 4 plazas, and 4 waterfronts. Auditor Vitaliy Gabaluk discussed the deficiencies in Krasgorpark's operations during a budget, property, and economic policy commission meeting of the city council.
The operation lacked standardized citywide guidelines for the design and maintenance of public spaces, a unified system for managing common use territories, and an overall strategy for developing parks and squares. Despite this, the provision of spaces for citizens fell 19% short of meeting defined standards.
As of now, Krasgorpark lacks a development plan for the organization, with plans only set to be drafted in 2026. Eleven spaces do not have plans for future improvement.
Deputies were puzzled by the situation, given the presence of seven deputy directors at Krasgorpark, including one responsible for development, who should have prevented such a predicament.
For the 2022-2024 period, Krasgorpark's revenue reached a staggering 1.7 billion rubles. The majority of the funding (approximately 90%) came from subsidies. The auditor noted that the proportion of income from revenue-generating activities was minor and insufficient to allow the organization to grow beyond budget support.
Krasgorpark officials revealed a decline in revenues, which they attributed to the transfer of paid parking facilities to UDIsB in 2023 due to a court decision by antitrust authorities: revenue from self-generated activities fell from 90 million in 2022 to 73 million in the following year.
The financial result (revenue minus expenses) for 2024 was 800,000, while it was approximately 2 million in 2023.
One of the reasons for this is the unprofitable skating rink on the Peace Square, where losses amounted to 600,000 in 2023 and 1.5 million rubles in 2024.
Krasgorpark bears the costs of maintaining the skating rink from its own funds. Revenue from souvenir sales and ice cream sales during the summer season barely reach one million, and the organization primarily earns income through rental agreements.
Additionally, the authenticity of data about the number of green plantings was called into question, with their passports not being developed. On five city redevelopment sites, trees and shrubs are not included in the inventory.
The Audit Chamber also raised concerns about the storage of attractions purchased for Central Park in 2023. As they remain in disassembled condition and are stored outdoors, this increases the risk of damage to the property and potential harm to the city to the tune of 90.8 million rubles.
At present, this issue concerning the attractions is being addressed.
On several land parcels of Krasgorpark, property belonging to third parties (pavilions, attractions, etc.) has been found without lease agreements. Krasgorpark began addressing this issue: for example, a lawsuit has been filed against OOO "Zelenyi Mir" about the restoration of eight plots and 23 items of property, demanding compensation of 4.86 million rubles for damages.
According to Gabaluk, "In addition to the claimed damages of more than 16.4 million, which should be refunded,"
Questions were raised about the electric scooter parking lots found on most Krasgorpark sites. Over 150 electric scooters were found on the Central Embankment alone.
Legal documentation for these parking spaces was absent, and no agreements were signed.
Deputies paid particular attention to this issue. It was discovered that the management of such scooter parking lots should be handled by UDIsB, which the city council recommended should manage this situation.
The Audit Chamber also scrutinized procurement contracts, selecting six contracts totaling 286 million for review. Here too, violations were found. For example, in the tender to develop the Kirovskiy Square, contrary to the law, a collective bid involving ten legal entities was declared the winner.
The auditor concluded that the work to rectify Krasgorpark's errors has begun, and Krasgorpark provided a plan to address the violations with specified deadlines.
Andrey Sigida, deputy head of the Department of Social Development of the Mayor's Administration, came to the defense of Krasgorpark. He claimed that Krasgorpark faces a colossal workload and yet manages to maintain all spaces in a high-quality, problem-free manner.
According to Sigida, several violations have already been rectified, and two employees received warnings and salary deductions.
Furthermore, a preliminary decision has been made to reorganize Krasgorpark:
the economic part will be transferred to other structures, and a "Directorate of Mass Events" will be created.
Calculations and economic reviews are currently underway, which will lead to a shift in economics and UDIsB, with only economically viable activities being transferred to the mentioned structures. Sigida explained that, despite performing similar service functions on different spaces, the same municipal entities perform these services with varying costs.
The final decision on the division of Krasgorpark's functions, likely to be made this year, aims to address these issues.
Photo: "Krasgorpark," DELA
Note: Krasgorpark, as a municipal entity, is subject to oversight by the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation, the Krasnoyarsk Control and Accounts Chamber, and local audits, focusing on budget execution, compliance with procurement laws, and asset management.
Budget shortfalls, infrastructure decay, and staffing constraints are common challenges faced by municipal entities in Russia, making public green spaces a recurring issue of concern.
Environmental groups in Krasnoyarsk and regional media often document these challenges amid the city's air pollution crisis and the ongoing scrutiny of municipal spending due to economic pressures from sanctions and military expenditures.
To gain more insights, it's recommended to investigate city budget execution reports on the official website (admkrsk.ru) for the "Budget" section, search the Accounts Chamber's database (ach.gov.ru) with keywords like "Krasnoar... (controller)
The audit of Krasgorpark's operations in 2020 uncovered deficiencies in the organization's operations, including the absence of standardized citywide guidelines for public space design and maintenance, a unified system for managing common use territories, and a strategy for developing parks and squares.
Despite the presence of a development director, Krasgorpark lacks a development plan for the organization, with plans only set to be drafted in 2026.
In 2022, Krasgorpark's revenue reached 1.7 billion rubles, with the majority of funding coming from subsidies, and a small proportion from revenue-generating activities such as souvenir sales, ice cream sales, and rental agreements.
Krasgorpark officials revealed a decline in revenues, with losses amounting to 600,000 rubles in 2023 and 1.5 million rubles in 2024 from the skating rink on the Peace Square.
The auditor also raised concerns about the storage of attractions purchased for Central Park in 2023, as they remain in disassembled conditions and are stored outdoors.
On several land parcels of Krasgorpark, property belonging to third parties, such as pavilions and attractions, were found without lease agreements.
Deputies paid particular attention to electric scooter parking lots found on most Krasgorpark sites, with over 150 electric scooters found on the Central Embankment alone, and without any legal documentation or agreements.
