The Lipik City Council held its 12th session on 24 September, presided over by Slobodan Katunar (HDZ). All 13 elected councillors attended, and all proposed agenda items were adopted without a single vote against.
The central part of the session was dedicated to decisions on public awards for individuals and business entities. The Lipik City Award for life’s work will be awarded posthumously to Professor Stjepan Benković, for his long-standing work and achieved influence in the field of culture. The award will be presented at a special session of the City Council on 2 October.
The annual Lipik City Awards for 2026 will be awarded in three categories. Dr Gordana Nikles will be awarded for achievements in the field of health and social care, while Vedran Kelemen will receive a prize for his contributions to the development of sport and physical culture. In the business sector, the company ZIV – TICA d.o.o. will receive a prize for its long-standing work and achieved results supporting the city’s economic development.
The council approved the second amendment to the Statute of the Lipik City Library and Reading Room. The amendments align the institution’s general acts with the regulations on public procurement, and they increase the monetary threshold up to which the director may independently conclude contracts and manage assets. Amendments to the regulation on simple procurement were also accepted at the session.
The agenda concluded with the adoption of the report on the implementation of the Asset Management Plan for the period from 1 January to 31 December 2025.
The session began with the question period, during which councillors put questions to the mayor regarding ongoing projects, municipal infrastructure, and local economic developments. Milan Vlajković (HDZ) opened the discussion with a question about the start of construction of a new residential building near the new nursery in the Topol area. Mayor Vinko Kasana clarified that the project is in the phase of preparing the project documentation, and that the building is intended for residential accommodation. The city has provided the land, while the relevant ministry is handling the project documentation.
The questions posed by councillor Mihaela Žili Petrović (SDP) concerned unconfirmed reports of the possible closure of the Studenac shop and the Pivac butcher’s in Lipik, and she requested a reaction from the city. The mayor stated that there was no knowledge of a planned closure of the mentioned branches, and that they were private companies operating according to market logic and their own business interests. He added that the city was making significant efforts to create a favourable environment for private investment, noting that the close proximity of Pakrac, a traditional trade centre, was influencing investors’ decisions. The councillor also requested information on the status of negotiations for the purchase of the pool complex and the real estate of the Wandelbahn and the Kursaal; it was clarified that these negotiations were in the initial stages. It was also clarified that since 1 January, the city of Lipik no longer issues payment orders for the water infrastructure fee, as the collection has been fully taken over by Hrvatske vode.
Nada Sohor (HDZ) raised a question about the progress of the construction of the sewage system in the Marini Sel area. The mayor reported that all agreements had been agreed upon, and that the company Prom gradnja had been selected as the contractor. The construction of the sewage system in the Marini Sel area is valued at two million euros, and is co-financed by the city of Lipik, Hrvatske vode, and the Recovery and Resilience Plan. Work on site is expected to begin shortly, with the technical inspection of the wastewater treatment plant in the Poljana settlement to follow. The next in line is the construction of the sewage system in the Antunovac settlement.
