The case in summary: • Brattås nursery school in Færder municipality, which was closed last week, is reopening after the municipality has entered into an agreement with the owner.• The municipality has entered into the agreement because they have a responsibility to offer nursery places, and because they think the best for the children is to return to the familiar kindergarten.• The parents are relieved at the reopening, even though the agreement currently only lasts until 3 November.• The owner of the kindergarten, Trygve Bjarkø, has handed over the keys to the municipality, but the municipality still demands repayment of 2, NOK 5 million from Brattås Barnehage AS. • Bjarkø says that the agreement has been entered into in the best interests of the children, and that this is a temporary solution. • The municipality covers the costs of electricity, municipal taxes and cleaning, but will consider filing for bankruptcy if the money is not paid . The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – We have entered into an agreement that the municipality can use the premises from 07:00 tomorrow. We are going to rig up a bit, and it is good news that the children can return to their kindergarten from 09:00 tomorrow, says municipal director Kristin Johannessen Kirsebom in Færder municipality. Municipal director Kristin Johannessen Kirsebom in Færder is happy that the children can return to their kindergarten. Photo: Fredrik Pedersen / news She says they have entered into the agreement because Brattås nursery school AS has discontinued nursery operations by closing the nursery, and that the municipality has a responsibility to offer nursery places. – We believe that the very best thing for the children is to offer nursery places in the nursery where they are familiar, with the familiar adults and the familiar toys. Closed at one day’s notice It was Wednesday last week that Brattås kindergarten in Færder was suddenly closed. The guardians received the notice of closure the evening before. Since then, 119 children have been without a nursery place, and desperate parents have had to resort to emergency solutions. Among other things, they have lent the facility to a sports team to be able to create an outdoor nursery where parents and children could meet. Tonje Rønning, who has a son in the kindergarten, is relieved that the children can come to the kindergarten again and not a makeshift solution at the school next door. – Yes, so delicious! I had hoped, but didn’t dare hope too much. but it is the best solution we parents could get. Tonje Rønning is happy that her son Dag Atle can go to the well-known kindergarten again. Photo: Fredrik Pedersen / news That the agreement currently only lasts until 3 November, she thinks is a good start. – I am very grateful to the employees who stand up until things are resolved. That kindergarten would have been nothing without them. Still demanding NOK 2.5 million Trygve Bjarkø, who is the owner, board and day-to-day manager of the nursery, gave the keys to the municipality last Friday so that they could continue to run it. The agreement that has now been concluded means that the municipality rents without paying for it because October has already been paid for. Færder municipality covers the costs of electricity, municipal taxes and waste disposal. But the municipality has not waived the demand for repayment of NOK 2.5 million from Brattås Barnehage AS by Monday at 12 noon. – It still applies. We are then in dialogue with Trygve Bjarkø about it, but it is still a requirement we have. – But what if this money is not paid? – Then it is a question of what the next step is, and then the municipality believes that it is close to filing for bankruptcy, says Kristin Johannessen Kirsebom. – Agreement in the best interest of the children Owner, chairman and general manager of Brattås kindergarten, Trygve Bjarkø, says this is an agreement that has been entered into in the best interests of the children. – It is important that the children get their kindergarten back and that parents get back a normal everyday life from yesterday. Trygve Bjarkø, who is the owner, board and day-to-day manager of the nursery, says the agreement is the best for the children. Photo: Hans Philip Hofgaard / news He says there has been a good dialogue with the municipality about the use of the premises and also praises the employees. Bjarkø adds that this is a temporary solution, but that they will look at a more permanent solution in the future. – But do you want to repay the 2.5 million kroner that the municipality is demanding by 12 o’clock tomorrow? – This money that the municipality paid for October has gone to salaries for the previous month, which the municipality is aware of. The municipality must make a single decision according to the provisions of the Public Administration Act. Background for the closure Already in May, the Husbanken petitioned for the forced sale of Brattås kindergarten, but this decision was appealed. The background was three defaulted loans totaling NOK 54,544,957, and that the nursery school should not have paid installments and interest on these since September 2023. In September, the Agder District Court also ordered a forced sale of the property. Owner and general manager Trygve Bjarkø has been in dialogue with the municipality about whether they can buy the property. Færder municipal council decided on 2 October that they do not want to buy the nursery at the sum offered – which they believe would have resulted in a total investment cost of 82 million with legal costs and the need for upgrading. Bjarkø claims he had no other choice but to close. He says he has a duty to act to stop losses for creditors under the Companies Act. The owner says that Tuesday evening was the first opportunity to have a meeting with the union and shop stewards, and that he could therefore not notify parents before. The owner also tells news that over two years ago he told the municipality that he could not run the nursery. He believes they should have found a solution. Parents news has spoken to describe that they have been told that everything will work out. The parents also describe an experience of being used as a means of pressure against the municipality in a political game. Bjarkø does not agree with this. He believes he had no other choice. Published 06.10.2024, at 19.36 Updated 06.10.2024, at 19.58
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Brattås kindergarten opens again on Monday 7 October – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
