Spanish Town mayor says no drain cleaning funds disbursed to municipal corporations

Mayor of Spanish Town, Norman Scott, has stated that no money has been disbursed by the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development to the St Catherine Municipal Corporation for drain cleaning.

Speaking during a meeting of the St Catherine Disaster Preparedness Committee on Wednesday, where the parish’s emergency operations centre was activated ahead of Tropical Storm Melissa, Scott, who is also the president of the People’s National Party (PNP) Caucus of Councillors, further stated that no disbursement had been received by other municipal corporations.

“As president of the PNP Caucus of Councillors, I can categorically state that no money has been forthcoming to municipal corporations,” Scott declared.

He explained that, based on checks with local authorities islandwide, the last tranche of funding received by municipalities dates back several months.

“All the municipalities that we have checked, the latest funding that they have gotten in some instances was August, and others as late as July,” he stated.

Scott added that funds received for August went towards allocations to councillors for work already being done, leaving municipal corporations strapped for cash as they prepare for the possible impact of the approaching tropical storm.

“Funding for August that has already been received was used to pay salaries, so the municipal corporation is strapped for funds at this time,” he said.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, with responsibility for Works, Robert Morgan, told a press conference on Wednesday that he was aware the local government minister had allocated funds for drain-cleaning activities by municipal corporations.

In response, Scott said he is hoping that the September allocation from the Parochial Revenue Fund (PRF) will soon be released to facilitate urgent mitigation works.

“We are expecting and hoping, as the Minister has stated, that the Parochial Revenue Fund for September will be used for drain cleaning, so we are hoping that those funds will be sent to us very soon so that mitigation work can be done,” Scott said.

The mayor also called for the temporary opening of the toll plaza to allow free movement of people during the storm period in the event that the system impacts Jamaica.
Meanwhile, the St Catherine Disaster Preparedness Committee has activated its Disaster Management Centre at the municipal building in Spanish Town, amid growing concerns about accessibility and emergency response capabilities in some divisions.

Councillor for the Mount Industry Division, Corell Davis, voiced fears that residents in her area could be marooned if roads become impassable due to heavy rainfall.
“The last hurricane we had to climb over rocks, ride bicycle to get into the division,” Davis recalled, adding that communication challenges compound the difficulty of relief efforts. “Phones do not work in the area after a hurricane,” she said.

Davis requested early coordination from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to ensure that relief personnel are able to access the area.

She said she wanted “a heads up on who the Ministry of Labour will send into the division to render assistance to the residents.”

Concerns were also raised during the meeting about the control and reopening of the Bog Walk Gorge in the event of closure by the police, particularly regarding access to keys that determine when the corridor can be reopened.

With forecasters showing various storm models that place Jamaica within the potential path of a system expected to reach hurricane strength, the chairman of the Parish Disaster Preparedness Committee, Dr. Kurt Waul, said the team is racing to ensure emergency readiness despite funding constraints.

He said all stakeholders are in full preparedness mode.

- Ruddy Mathison

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