Hamina must decide fate of 100-metre flagpole before winter

Hamina is due to decide next week what to do with its 100-metre flagpole, whose cracked coating could break off in large pieces and endanger people nearby, Yle reports.

The Russian-made pole has been at risk of removal since a condition inspection in March found cracks in its coating and damage to the paintwork. No new damage has been reported, but the pole has not been inspected for more than six months.

Acting technical director Olli Sorvari said a decision was becoming urgent as winter weather could worsen the pole’s condition. Snow, ice and wind all affect it, he said, adding that it cannot currently be used to fly a flag and is of no practical use in its present state.

Hamina’s urban development committee is scheduled to decide the pole’s fate on 18 November. A city estimate put repairs at more than 500,000 euros, compared with 120,000 euros to dismantle and dispose of the pole. Sorvari said the repair estimate was rough and could rise if unexpected problems emerge during the work.

Decision delayed by disagreements and staff changes

The urban development committee voted in April to dismantle the pole and recycle it as scrap metal. The city board overturned that decision and sent the matter back for further preparation. In May, a majority at a city council session supported removal on safety grounds. A proposal to dismantle the pole was withdrawn from the committee’s agenda in June because the technical director and urban development manager were not available to answer questions.

In August, the city board sent the removal proposal back to the committee and established a working group to consider a possible replacement attraction, which could also be a flagpole.

Staff changes have also contributed to the delay. Sorvari, who is chief executive of Hamina Water, became acting technical director in September. He said he needed time to learn the background before presenting the matter for a decision. Technical director Sari Paljakka and urban development manager Toni Puustinen resigned during the summer.

Both former officials said the flagpole issue did not directly affect their decisions to leave. Paljakka said the pole had been commissioned and approved for conditions it was not designed to withstand, but that the discussion around it had not been especially unpleasant or burdensome. She also said Hamina had its own decision-making culture, which might not encourage staff to stay.

The pole’s original proponents have also left the city’s employ. Former city manager Hannu Muhonen resigned and took early retirement, while former technical director Matti Filppu retired. Yle reported that the idea of a giant flagpole and a “flag world” built around it has been attributed to MP Kimmo Kiljunen.