Day: Youth lounge

  • Open Group meeting on 17 August 2025

    Open Group meeting on 17 August 2025

    On Sunday 17 August 2025, our open Group meeting took place. Some citizens took part and brought in their questions and suggestions – from the future of the youth space to the fairgrounds and the ‘Kappesgarten’ building area.

    Review of our committee work

    At the beginning, we presented an overview of the ongoing work of the committees as well as the main topics of the last Council meeting of 18 June 2025.

    Suggestions from Citizenship

    Afterwards, we asked the participants for feedback and asked the questions:
    What is important to you? Where does the shoe press? What should the municipal council deal with?

    There was a lively discussion. Among other things, the following were mentioned:

    • The impression that little has developed in the place for decades.
    • Insufficient shops.
    • Questions about the current state of the Building area ‘Kappesgarten’.
    • The idea of having the dismantled telephone booth creatively designed by young people.
    • The desire for more Exchange of information.
    • The feeling of being left alone with some problems.

    Youth room

    Also the Youth room It was discussed in the discussion. As ‘Together for Dernbach’, we are committed – including across political groups – to ensuring that the Youth Space is filled with new ideas, is better known and accepted . Mentioned Days of action for young people and parents or joint activities such as cooking activities – as one of several ways to foster encounter and community.

    Celebration and Jubilee 2026

    The fair is a highlight for Dernbach in the course of the year: three days celebration including live music, rides, stalls and many encounters of locals and guests.

    In order for it to continue to be a positive experience for everyone in the future, good preparation, including the participation of the community, is crucial. This includes:

    • Transparency and communication in advance – so that local residents know at an early stage which processes are planned.
    • accessibility – Ways and accesses should be designed in such a way that older people and people with disabilities can easily participate.
    • Transport and construction planning – local traffic must be affected as little as possible, but local residents should at least be able to rely on specific information and procedures.
    • It is already the case that the Jubilee 2026 keep in mind that an attractive program can be expected, which must be accompanied by the community.

    Construction projects and shopping opportunities

    An associate informed the participants, upon request, that a development of the construction area was not possible until the end of the year. 2027/28 It's realistic. This raises understanding, but also expectations – we stick to the topic.

    According to our information stand, the opening of the still to be built supermarket including bakery and beverage market on Ebernhahner Straße is delayed and should take about a year.

    traffic

    We informed that from now on the Bus (line 420 Hachenburg/Selters to Montabaur) Dernbach arrives every hour on Saturdays. Although this is outside the immediate area of responsibility of the municipality, the improvement is also welcome in the sense of people who like to use public transport or are dependent on it.

    payphone

    There is no longer a telephone booth in Dernbach. From the round, the suggestion was renewed that a public bookcase be set up and that young people could take over the design.

    Katharina Kasper and the Heilborner Linde

    Another suggestion, which has reached us in advance by e-mail, concerns the St. Catherine Kasper. In the meeting, it was added that a citizen kept wooden parts of the several hundred-year-old linden tree, which had recently been damaged and felled by a thunderstorm.

    Here it is important to follow up on ideas: For example, pieces of jewellery or memorabilia made of wood, but also ways to make the history and meaning of Katharina Kasper more visible for Dernbach – for example through a monument or an information board at the birthplace, a brochure, a theme day, etc. One Coordination with participating groups, including the monastery, appears to be expedient here.

    outlook

    The meeting showed: There are many topics that move the Dernbachers. Especially the Reviving the Youth Space and the Preparation of the fair 2026 They will keep us busy.

    We would like to thank all participants for their open contributions and suggestions. Only in a joint conversation do ideas emerge that advance our place.

  • Clean into autumn - Clean-up action in the youth room at the end of the holiday

    Clean into autumn - Clean-up action in the youth room at the end of the holiday

    At the end of the summer holidays, young people from the youth lounge tackled together again. They were supported by youth godfather Mario Geldner, a community worker, Alessa Bode (Together for Dernbach) and Thomas Burchards (CDU).

    Untidy toilet room with lots of boxes, paint buckets and toys
    Toilet room before cleaning
    Clean and tidy toilet room
    Toilet room after cleaning

    Unnecessary rubbish was disposed of together, useful things were seen and sorted – and the ladies’ toilet was refurbished so that it can now be used again. Thanks to the active support and good cooperation, the action was successfully completed in a short time.

    A few small things like a new toilet lid or a toilet brush are still worried. What is still missing is a new cabinet for the proper storage of the existing materials. If you want to donate a well-preserved cupboard from the village, you can send an e-mail to alessa.bode@dernbach.de report – the Youth Room is happy to receive any support.

    Distidy washbasin area with lots of boxes, paint buckets and toys
    Toilet room before cleaning
    Clean washbasin area in a small toilet
    Washbasins after cleaning

    Many thanks to all those involved for their commitment – a successful start to the post-holiday period!

    And now the following applies: The Youth Room is ready – so come by, bring life to the booth and start the autumn together with us!

  • Derwischer Jugendlounge - meeting place for young people in Dernbach

    Derwischer Jugendlounge - meeting place for young people in Dernbach

    The Dervish youth lounge – the youth room in Dernbach – gets a new impetus! Together with Alessa, Thomas Burchards (CDU) and Youth godfather Mario Geldner In a short time, new promotional material was created to bring the lounge back to the centre of village life. With fresh flyers, colourful design and targeted public relations, the lounge is intended to revive – to a place of encounter, leisure and community for young people from Dernbach.

    The Dervish Youth Lounge is the perfect place for anyone between the ages of 12 and 18 who is looking for a place to hang out, meet people, listen to music or just have fun. Whether you have been living in Dernbach for a long time or have only recently moved here, you are welcome here. The lounge offers numerous possibilities to design your free time: A pool table, a music system, a big screen with projector, game consoles and cozy sitting areas for talking and relaxing are waiting for you.

    The youth lounge is accompanied by Mario Geldner, Our dedicated youth sponsor. He always has an open ear, is happy about new faces and supports you and others in realizing their own ideas and implementing small projects or actions. Thus, the lounge not only becomes a retreat, but an active part of village life.

    The Dervish Youth Lounge is open Tuesdays and Fridays from 18:00 to 21:00 in the building on Burgweg 3, directly at the castle sports complex. If you have any questions or interest, you can contact Mario Geldner (tel. 0171 / 776 74 19) turn around.

    So: Come by! There is always something going on in the Dervish Youth Lounge, and the fun is guaranteed!

    In the future, too, ‘Together für Dernbach“ together with Thomas Burchards and Mario Geldner actively work to strengthen the youth lounge and to maintain it as an integral part of village life. The focus is on new ideas, youth participation and an open, lively community. Because a strong youth is the best investment in a strong village community.

  • News from the Municipal Council 2/2025

    News from the Municipal Council 2/2025

    On Wednesday last week, the most recent meeting of the Dernbach municipal council took place. Our group Together for Dernbach This time, too, he has been involved and accompanied some important issues critically, but constructively. Here is an overview of the items on the agenda:

    Item 1: Announcement of non-public decisions

    The mayor informed about two decisions from the non-public part. Both concern property matters.

    Item 2: Budget 2025

    A key issue was the 2025 budget. As the mayor explained, this is not balanced. The main reasons are upcoming investments and increased expenses, especially for the day care centre, which is run by the Diocese of Limburg. The increased payments are retroactive and affect several municipalities.

    The focus was on the following investment items, among others:

    • €663,250 for land purchases in the new construction area Cap garden. Some of these investments are to be more than counterfinanced by subsequent land sales.
    • Expansion of Ebernhahner Straße in the area of the future Norma-Markts (walking path, crossing aid, turning lane).
    • Participation in Martin-Luther-Straße (extension to Dernbach area), which has already been expanded by the city of Wirges.
    • Creation of the Friedgarten, which could be implemented more cost-effectively through own contribution and donations.
    • Setting up an emergency meeting point, in particular by means of an emergency generator. A grant of €7,500 was granted for this purpose. The discussion revolved, among other things, around the question of which equipment an emergency meeting point should at least have (e.g. heat supply), with the mayor stressing that no high quality of stay is foreseen.

    Another point was the second purchase price for the community centre.

    Our group welcomed the planned investments in principle, but called for a careful assessment of the financial situation. Manuel emphasized that the upholstery built in recent years has now been largely used up. It is true that around €100,000 per year is left for investment – a positive aspect. At the same time, it pointed to possible risks, such as if expected revenues (e.g. from land sales) were lower. A conscious use of the available resources therefore remains important.

    Item 3: Tax rates 2025

    The background of the consultation was the real estate tax reform, through which Dernbach will in future be around €54,000 less revenue has to expect. To compensate for this decline, the property tax would have to be increased by about 100 percentage points. However, the mayor proposed to wait for further development first.

    Stefan Görg pointed out that differentiated lifting rates – e.g. for undeveloped land – are also possible and thus the aim can be pursued to close building gaps more quickly. This variant was rejected by the CDU faction with inconsistent arguments about a possible increase (heirs would be burdened). This is despite the fact that – just under a year ago – she was the only political group to have voted in favour of such a model herself. There was also talk of not putting more money into the pockets of citizens, which is not comprehensible in the context of the decline in revenue. The CDU group leader also referred to an increase a few years ago and spoke out against a further increase.

    Manuel criticized the waiting so far and the contradictory reasoning: The amount of a revenue-neutral increase had already been known since the end of last year and forward-looking planning would have been appropriate. The non-adjustment of the rates de facto means that the municipality's financial room for manoeuvre is noticeably reduced. Ultimately, it was decided by a majority to leave the lifting rates unchanged for the time being. There were four abstentions.

    Item 4: Amendment of the Cemetery Fee Regulations

    The cemetery fee regulations have been adapted to reflect the newly created possibility of urn graves in the Friedgarten. The mayor presented the planned fees orally (approximately €800) and compared them with other municipalities of the Verbandsgemeinde. He stated that the administration could not have prepared a cost calculation in time.

    Stefan and Roswitha criticized in particular the lack of written draft resolution and short-term information. Unlike the CDU parliamentary group, Together for Dernbach had not been informed in advance. Especially when it comes to a sensitive topic such as funeral fees and a change in the statutes, we consider transparent and sufficient preparation to be essential.

    As far as the matter was concerned, we considered a moderate fee to be acceptable in principle. Manuel pointed out that no funeral form is cost-covering and a reasonable orientation value makes sense.

    Despite these concerns, the amendment to the statutes was adopted unanimously; There were two abstentions.

    Item 5: Photovoltaic system for the nursery

    The planned photovoltaic system on the roof of the day care center was unanimously approved. The planned self-consumption makes the project economically viable in the long term – profitability is currently estimated to be achieved after about 11 years. Funding is also expected. A future agreement with the kindergarten for the use of the generated electricity is conceivable.

    Item 6: Population Question Hour

    A resident suggested posthumously appointing a deceased person as an honorary citizen of Dernbach. The mayor accepted the proposal and announced that he would discuss the matter with relatives.

    Item 7: Communications and enquiries

    In the last part of the meeting, several topical issues were raised:

    • Fibre optic expansion: The course so far has been critically commented on. The delays continue and the execution is partial and still deficient. The mayor announced that he would check with the relevant authorities. Since it is a self-employed project of Vodafone, according to the VG administration, there are only limited rights of intervention.
    • Level crossing main road: The road surface should be repaired if the train traffic is suspended due to construction work. The state authority for mobility has not yet given any feedback on this.
    • Photo mountain: This is to be used again as a photo location. According to a request, the vegetation should also be removed and the wall painted.
    • Invasive plant species Hercules perennial: It was announced that possible countermeasures are under consideration.
    • Industrial area: An associate asked about remaining development opportunities. The administration is examining the situation.
    • Noise pollution from railway announcements: One member of the Council was critical of this.
    • Access road Grillhütte: When asked by a council member, the mayor admitted that the path serves as a rescue access to the emergency exit of the ICE tunnel.

    conclusion

    The meeting once again showed: Dernbach faces significant challenges, both financially and infrastructurally. Our group Together for Dernbach will continue to work to ensure that decisions are well prepared, comprehensible and made for the benefit of all citizens. We see open communication and early involvement of all political groups as a central prerequisite for functioning community work.