Three years on, City Hall is still moving to set up a car park for workers at the Public Health Department on land at South Road.
Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, at yesterday’s statutory Mayor and City Council meeting, indicated that the decision was taken since 2009 but the car park was yet to materialise.
She also noted that officers from the department are put at risk on a daily basis when they are forced to park their vehicles on the roadways, where they are constantly vandalised. She further asked City Treasurer, Andrew Meredith, if he was in possession of materials necessary for the project to be completed.
In response, Meredith said that all materials were procured and sand that would be used to fill the land was being transported from the Linden/Soesdyke Highway to the location. He pointed out that they were expecting 12 loads of sand.
Unsatisfied by his answer, Chase-Green said it should not have taken so long before any action was taken on the project and she asked that it be keenly overlooked.
Also up for discussion yesterday was the health of members of the city constabulary. Chief Constable Andrew Foo, when was asked by Mayor Hamilton Green whether the general situation has improved, noted that the constabulary is no different from any other organisation and persons will get ill from time to time.
However, when pressed for a more precise answer, Foo failed to deliver. Although shouts from other staff members present indicated that the situation was improved, with records proving that fewer constables were reporting sick but this was not acknowledged by the head table.
The meeting also scrutinised a case where a worker was hospitalised and had requested $25,000 from the Social Development Committee Fund to have a CT scan done. Chase-Green insisted than information be provided on the case, since the request was made about a month ago with the individual indicating that it was a matter of emergency.
Green then questioned the acting Town Clerk, Sharon Harry-Munroe, if the situation was indeed an emergency and she in response, suggested that Meredith provide an answer. Meredith stepped forward to the microphone and requested that the forum give him 30 minutes to confirm, upsetting the Mayor, who noted that he always pleads with officers to scan the minutes to be discussed before any meeting and that the failure to do so was sheer unprofessionalism and disrespect to the council.
The request was made on February 27 and it was noted that the matter was discussed by the Social Development Committee on March 2 and to date payment has not been processed.
“The Social Development Fund was formed by former deputy mayor Philomena Sahoye-Shury at a time when a mother who was a worker here came with a child in a similar situation,” Chase-Green recalled, and she asked that the Treasurer be excused to ensure that the payment was made to the hospital immediately. He returned later and asked that the cheque be signed before being sent off.
Also on the agenda yesterday was the possibility of the council purchasing a garbage truck. PPP Councillor Kamla Devi-Ross inquired which firm is usually used and Solid Waste Director Hubert Urling said that Puran Brothers Disposal is hired to carry out the task.
Meanwhile, three new members joined the council yesterday. They were Gregory Fraser of the Good and Green Guyana (GGG) party and Rudolph Atherley and Monica Thomas of the People’s National Congress (PNC), who were warmly greeted by fellow councillors and Mayor Green.
