‘Sincere apologies to the city and residents for the mistakes made’

The Almere council of the mayor and aldermen endorses the conclusions from the final report of the council inquiry into the Floriade. The council, together with the municipal council, is eager to actively work on the lessons and recommendations outlined in the report. This is stated in the councils administrative response to the report Floriade Almere 2022: the project that did not come to fruition, which was sent to the municipal council today.

The council of the mayor and aldermen agrees with the balanced and sharp conclusions of the inquiry committee that the Floriade, despite the well-intentioned ambitions and objectives, did not achieve the intended success and cost the city far too much money. The council hopes that with this report, the chapter on Floriade comes to an end. It is essential that the outcomes are fully acknowledged. The council does that. For the mistakes made and the consequences they have had, we offer our sincere apologies to the city and its residents.

Sharing information and dilemmas with the council

In the administrative response, the council specifically addresses two findings of the committee. The council acknowledges that the information provision to the council could have been better at several points. It also points to dilemmas faced by previous councils. We believe that for good cooperation between the council and the mayor, especially in projects and initiatives with significant financial and/or societal importance for the city, it is essential that we share information, considerations, and dilemmas with each other.

The council agrees with the conclusion that the total municipal costs of the Floriade amount to 128.9 million euros. The council previously chose to allocate part of the costs to the yet-to-be-built residential area, resulting in a lower amount. We believed and still believe that there were good arguments for this and that the council was transparent about it. It would have been clearer if this different presentation method had been endorsed by the council at that time. The council emphasizes that this conclusion does not mean that new costs have arisen. Therefore, there are no consequences for the municipalitys finances.

Actively working on recommendations

The council responds positively to the three recommendations from the committee and is eager to actively work on them together with the municipal council. This particularly concerns establishing a regulation for large projects and the associated improvement of project management. The council emphasizes that projects in any form will be necessary to continue realizing the municipalitys ambitions.

Finally, the council notes that the lessons from the Floriade also require attention to organizational culture. If the municipality wants to successfully undertake similar large projects in the future, a culture of alternative thinking and dissent is essential. The council will take a leading role in this.

On May 22, the municipal council will discuss the final report of the inquiry committee and the administrative response from the council.