Bitola's local Prevention Council, chaired by mayor Toni Konjanovski, held a session. On the table were problems every citizen lives daily - but which are rarely discussed in one place, with all the relevant institutions present. At least on paper, that's how local government is supposed to work.

Several topics were opened, and among the most notable - minors in venues during the night hours, thefts, fraud, drugs, and disturbances of public order. Present were representatives from the Bitola police, the Center for Social Work, the fire brigade and the public utility company. Minors in bars at night isn't a new phenomenon - but the fact that it's finally being discussed institutionally is a step forward.

A large part of the discussion also went to topics that plague every city today: electric scooters, mopeds, improper parking and traffic chaos. The councillors offered their proposals. The question, as always, isn't whether the problems have been recognized - they're obvious - but whether action will follow the session, or whether it will remain only minutes for the next session.

Prevention councils like this make sense only if they move from words to measures. Identifying the problem of minors, drugs or wild scooters is easy; solving it takes coordination, resources and persistence. Bitola at least gathered everyone at the same table - which is more than many larger municipalities do. It remains to be seen whether the talk will bring change on the ground, or whether citizens will live the same problems again until the next session.