Kaunas panel probes observation wheel’s location and public funding

LRT reports that Kaunas’ anti-corruption commission is seeking answers about the observation wheel on Nemunas Island, including why the location was chosen and who paid for its installation.

At a commission meeting on Wednesday, Kaunas municipal administration director Tadas Metelionis said officials had considered three or four possible locations and selected Nemunas Island in the final days of July because it was already popular with tourists. He said the wheel is mobile and could be moved, but relocating it frequently would not be practical.

The wheel opened on October 2. Kaunas IN director Tadas Stankevičius said it had attracted 14,500 visitors in its first three weeks. The average ticket costs about 10 euros, including VAT, and sales have totalled nearly 150,000 euros. He said the company would look for ways to attract visitors as the weather gets colder.

Commission chair Andrijana Filinaitė asked about the 52 piles installed on the island and how they were paid for. Metelionis said the property belongs to the municipality, while the head of the municipal construction management department, Paulius Pachomovas, said all the work was funded from the municipal budget.

Metelionis said the municipality considered an impact assessment on a cultural heritage object unnecessary because the wheel is a movable structure. He said approval from heritage specialists is required for permanent structures, but that the municipality nevertheless commissioned an assessment as a precaution. Stankevičius said its conclusion, received before the wheel opened, was that the attraction complemented the urban complex and would not have a significant negative impact on the area.

Metelionis also said the institution authorised by law to assess the legality of design and construction work had checked the procedures and found no violations. The commission has asked the municipality and Kaunas IN to provide documents related to the installation, including contracts, designs and payment information.