October 16, 2026
Hello, everyone.
This newsletter summarizes the updates and topics discussed at the last City Council meeting, along with two additional updates.
- Cancellation of the development budget for Achi Eilat Street and its transfer to HaMeginim Street
- Discussion of a motion I submitted: An illegal Guesthouse complex at the corner of HaGefen and HaShaked Streets
- Discussion of a motion I submitted: Changing the garbage collection method and switching to underground bins
- Update: The plan to build a residential high-rise neighborhood in the Winery Complex
- Update: Fencing at the “Arugot Rivka” agricultural farm
- 🛑 Cancellation of the development budget for Achai Eilat Street and its transfer to HaMeginim Street
What happened? The mayor reported at the meeting that, following appeals and protests from residents of Achai Eilat Street who had been billed for development fees in accordance with local by-laws, he decided to cancel the collection of these fees and the development of the street (paving sidewalks, roads, drainage, and landscaping). His reasoning was the residents’ unanimous opposition to the street’s development. I didn’t know that residents decide on such matters and that the council head complies. Strange.
Budget Reallocation: Following the cancellation, the mayor requested to transfer the remaining budget of 1.7 million NIS to support the paving and improvement of HaMeginim Street, where residents are not required to pay development fees and are requesting the development.
My Position: I was the only one who abstained from the vote (the rest of the council members voted in favor), since, from a legal standpoint, something about the decision in question seemed fundamentally flawed to me. Since there is no point in asking the council’s legal advisor during the meeting—as it is clear he would find an “explanation” to justify the decision—I preferred to abstain.
2🏨 Discussion of a motion I submitted: An illegal guesthouse complex at the corner of HaGefen and HaShaked Streets
The problem: For the past two years, residents of HaGefen, HaShaked, and Yefeh Nof Streets have been suffering from a severe nuisance caused by a guesthouse operating in an area zoned for residential use (several adjacent houses purchased or rented by the same couple). The site hosts activities for dozens of guests on weekends, including catering services, lodging, and even a synagogue—in complete violation of the master plan.
Legal Status: The Regional Planning and Construction Committee has initiated criminal proceedings against the owners of the complex and is awaiting a court ruling. Numerous complaints to the 106 hotline and to the council head have yet to yield an active solution from the council. The mayor stated at a meeting that only after a ruling is issued will it be possible to take active measures with the assistance of the police.
Requested Construction Expansion: The owners submitted a plan to increase the number of lodging units, add a floor, and obtain additional building rights. The Regional Committee will file an objection to thus plan.
My proposal: I submitted a motion calling for the local council to file its own separate objection (in addition to that of the regional committee) to give significant and additional weight to the position of the residents suffering from the nuisance.
Voting result: Many residents suffering from the nuisance attended the current council meeting; their distress was impossible to miss. Nevertheless, all members of the plenary, except for me, decided to reject my motion. Why?? What’s wrong with the council helping the residents and filing another objection to the plan? It’s true that the regional committee decided to file an objection, but it is a legal entity separate from the council. In the past, the council has filed objections separately from the regional committee, and this has practically contributed to the acceptance of objections to plans when the council submits a separate proposal.
3. 🗑️ Discussion of a motion I submitted: Changing the garbage collection method and transitioning to underground trash bins
Background: At the Council plenary session on October 31, 2025, an increase in the capital budget was approved to upgrade the waste management system and facilitate a gradual transition to underground trash bins. This solution, which is suitable for multi-story buildings, creates serious sanitation problems and nuisances in som single-family neighborhoods where residents have built standard waste bin shelters at their own expense (such as the Tizmoret neighborhood).
My request: I asked the council to reconsider the decision to replace household trash cans with underground bins in the Tizmoret neighborhood and other neighborhoods, based on professional recommendations, updated inspections, and approvals.
How the meeting unfolded: ❌This proposal, which was intended solely to reconsider a previous decision, (once again) drew the mayor's wrath. He condemned me and the proposal I submitted with harsh language, which I will not repeat here. Notice how low the mayor has sunk—
Abutbul: “You’re taking a single case of a disappointed person. By the way, I have some advice for you: never rely on casual customers. It doesn’t pay off—believe me. These are the kind of customers who, in the end, will get angry with you too.”
I admit that at this point I was very angry; I banged on the table and replied, “The word ‘clients’ is an ugly word—they are residents who deserve the protection of a council member.” The word ‘clients’ is an ugly word. They’re not my clients—do I get paid for this work?”
Abutbul: “You don’t just slam your fist on the table like that. You speak politely—you’re a doctor of ethics; you’re supposed to speak politely.”
It’s hard to believe—the mayor's remark is misogynistic and threatening. And I’m the one who’s supposed to speak politely? The fact that the mayor allows himself to lash out like this at a councilwoman doing her job, And the fact that all the council members remain silent—some apparently out of support and others perhaps out of fear—is a disgrace to the mayor and the council members. It certainly won’t deter me. I’ve never been afraid of bullies, not even those who are elected officials.
Voting results: My proposal was rejected (I was the only one who supported it), and the residents were left without a solution to the severe sanitation problems they’ve been reporting (foul odors, flies, maggots, and animals drawn to the trash piling up outside the overflowing bins). 😠
4. 🏗️ Planning Update: The Residential Tower Neighborhood in the Winery Complex
According to the minutes of the Regional Planning and Construction Committee (September 18, 2026), the Winery Complex plan was removed from the agenda pending coordination with the local authority.
📌Problematic aspects of the plan noted by the Regional Committee:
- The plan includes residential buildings on the grounds of the historic winery, despite an explicit prohibition in the master plan against residential construction in this area.
- It proposes an exceptionally high density of approximately 33 housing units per dunam, compared to the 4 housing units per dunam permitted in the comprehensive master plan, along with high-rise construction consisting of numerous stories.
- There are additional privately owned plots at the eastern entrance to the community, so it is necessary to examine how this plan integrates with them—both in terms of overall planning and access routes, as well as public spaces.
What’s puzzling: At both the council meeting and the public hearing, the mayor stated that he had reviewed the plans with the developers. In other words, is this his opinion?? Massive deviations from the master plan, high-rise buildings? Now that the plan has been submitted and the mayor has endorsed it, it will be brought before the council for discussion? After the horses have bolted from the stable? ⚠️
The good news: The regional committee has acted to shelve the plan at this stage. A plan like this must not be approved.
Zichron Ya’akov’s public representative on the regional committee, Mr. Itzik Bela, has finally taken office, and I hope he will know how to protect the residents’ interests against the developers.
I’ll continue to monitor the situation and report here. 📢
.5🛡️ Update: Fence Repairs at the “Arugot Rivka” Farm
I am pleased to report that following a request I submitted in March 2026 regarding the damaged fence at the “Arugot Rivka” educational institution, the issue was included in the work plan and approved for funding by the full council.
Over the past month, a new, code-compliant fence has been installed in all necessary sections around the farm to ensure the children’s safety and well-being.