Littering still heavy, but city much improved from six months ago – M&CC

Though the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is being hampered in its efforts to clean up the city by citizens who continue to litter, it said the city is in a better condition today than it was over the last six months.

At a press conference held yesterday at City Hall, Mayor Hamilton Green, who referred to the rush to have Georgetown prepared for the Guyana leg of Cricket World Cup 2007, interspersed with exchanges with his councillors, said work was being done in an ad hoc manner with no effort to deal with the inherent problems through strategic execution, and no regard for a Cabinet-endorsed plan.

Cleaning up is therefore frustrating for the M&CC, the Mayor said, because citizens mess up as soon as the municipality cleans up. Efforts have continued, however, with last week’s programme to distribute rubbish bins to minibuses and taxis. As a result, the Mayor believes drivers and conductors are now a bit more conscious. The mayor later said he believes the M&CC has achieved more than a pass mark and Georgetown was in a better condition than it was over the last six months.

Deputy Mayor Robert Williams, who reported that the city has expended some $300 million on drainage and roads, said in response to a question on the percentage of the city’s readiness that citizens should the ones to judge. Concurring with the Mayor, he said that looking at areas cleaned two weeks ago one might not note the difference, as citizens do not maintain the cleanliness.

Green later announced that there was an impending crisis with the Mandela dumpsite because of a contention between the government and IDB which means the Hague Bosch site would not be ready in the stipulated time of 14 to 18 months. “God knows when Hague Bosch would be done. It looks as if we would have to wait another 18 to 24 months,” Green said, noting that the stipulated deadline had already passed.

“At least two times a day people complain to me,” Green said, adding that an odour has been emanating from the Mandela site.

Turning to the issue of the Stabroek Market vendors, Green said he wanted to curb the “charade of nonsense” surrounding the issue that he views as a problem that cannot be solved and has been ongoing for several years. He said vending should be seen in the context of a report the M&CC has in its possession.

Green expressed the opinion that the situation should be administered with more compassion for the human condition. The council, Green recalled, had said that if vendors followed certain rules they could do their business. He added that in the tropics market places were characterized by hustle and bustle. He mentioned also that vendors had been told of improving their presentation and were even pursuing the possibility of using uniforms.

Three ministers, he said, turned up to put a different set of vendors in place applying the same laws, following the eruption between the city and vendors at Stabroek Market.

An important aspect of the clean-up efforts by the M&CC, he said, was that it was working along with communities in the public and private spheres. “It is clear the municipality and government alone cannot secure the city,” the Mayor declared.

From the onset, Green said that he and the deputy mayor had given the assurance that the city would be in a state of readiness for the CWC and beyond.

As part of this preparation, a Special Enhancement Committee was created to which private and public bodies came on board. The mayor said some stuck to their word while others have not. He attested to Chris Fernandes’s work to clean up a section of Water Street including the Toolsie Persaud vending area. Demerara Bank, he said, was over the weekend scheduled to commence revetment at the corner of South Road and Camp streets. He also lauded the work of Orin Phillips and the Bent Street Action Group who have cleared the Bent Street area.

It was pointed out at the press conference, attended by a number of councillors, that the M&CC is sprucing up City Hall as well. The work is being done in phases including temporary work to ensure the building looks good and major structural work, both inside and out. Town Engineer Beverley Johnson said the M&CC has been doing maintenance of bridges, benches on the avenues, traffic islands, roads and drainage. Replacement of guardrails on bridges at Regent and Charlotte streets as well as at North Road have been targeted.

Drainage work, Johnson pointed out, has been done in areas such as Prashad Nagar, Bel Air Springs, and Lacytown among others some of which are being revisited. She said funds have constraining the efforts but said maintenance would be employed to ensure work is kept at an acceptable level.

Some of the areas targeted for further drainage work are Queenstown, Alberttown, Bourda, Lacytown, Stabroek, North and South Cummings-burg, Werk-en-Rust among others. The City Engineer singled out Albouystown, where Jackson Street and Indepen-dence Boulevard were being desilted and the Tiger Bay area. The Mayor pointed out that a car and old fridge were found in the Sussex Street canal and have to be removed.

Johnson said work has been done on Orange Walk and other places in conjunction with the Ministry of Public Works. The M&CC is filling potholes, while ministry workers come afterwards to finish the job; some of these roads are Oronoque, New Garden, Leopold, and Cross streets.

Johnson referred to the M&CC’s tree trimming efforts, prompting the Mayor to comment immediately after that citizens were complaining about this issue. He informed the media citizens were not satisfied with maintenance of trees and there have been appeals to the Cubans for assistance with a botanist.

Green said that by the second half of the year, a public health practitioner and a draftsman could also be provided by the Cubans. Ad-ditionally proposals are also being accepted from some overseas bodies to do various things in the cemetery.

Commenting on various questions raised by the media Green said there was a perennial problem of vandalism and crassness in the city, as a result of which he is meeting City Constables to talk about their production and excessive sick days. Addressing the contentious issue of the Lamaha Street railway embankment, Green said one third of the residents have their places in order and it was an area the council would have to revisit. The idea was not to move them immediately, however, it was drawn to the attention of the Ministry of Housing. Because of socio-economic problems, Green said, urban housing has been a problem for successive governments.

Green also expressed disappointment with the M&CC’s campaign to remove derelict vehicles and buildings saying he did not agree with the offhand approach to the removal of signs particularly along the Camp Street Avenue that Stabroek News Editor-in-Chief David deCaires has been maintaining for years and which were not obstructing traffic.