Mayor Green charges special clique behind city deterioration
THE present garbage situation in Georgetown is due to the absence of a special municipal court in the city and the deficiencies of the relatively new Haags Bosch landfill site, Mayor Hamilton Green said on Thursday.
He made the statement at a City Hall news conference that was called to inform the public about what is proposed in the municipality’s 2012 budget, although none was presented for this year.
City Treasurer, Mr. Andrew Meredith spoke about the proposals, following which the Mayor commented that they represented a “very grim and dismal picture.”
Mr. Green pointed out that “dumping all over the city” takes place because Haags Bosch, which replaced the Mandela dump site in Le Repentir, closes at 17:00 hrs each day. 
He said:“The Government failed to implement the programme which was proposed in the original Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) project.”
According to him, when the IDB plan was first conceived, an important component was public relations and education, because the Council knew that going outside the city would have created certain difficulties.
Green disclosed that the municipality suggested an incinerator to the authorities, but that was turned down.
“At Haags Bosch, they close off at a certain time, which inhibits the movement of our contractors who we owe a lot of money,” he lamented.
About the request for a municipal court, Green said the then Chancellor and Chief Justice “sympathetically” agreed with the municipality that there was need for such a tribunal.
He noted that the court would see more people being dealt with for offences such as littering and not paying up their taxes.
“That (the Court) is yet to be a reality. It is clear that somebody, as happened before, wants the City to deteriorate so they can rebuild it…there is evidence of a clique that seems to be behind it,” Green charged.

On schedule
Meanwhile, in a recent press release, the M&CC advised that its garbage collection is back on schedule. Therefore, citizens can expect their refuse to be collected on time.
Last week, the Council had announced there was a delay in  provision of the service in certain areas, including East, North and South Ruimveldt and blamed it on certain mechanical problems with the trucks of one of the Council’s contractors.
“The Council is very troubled with the increasing number of garbage heaps in certain sections. Some people appear to want to continue with the old habit of illegal dumping on parapets and other thoroughfares,” the release said.
“Over the last few days, the Constabulary arrested 39 litterbugs in the city. They have been charged and placed before the courts. The maximum fine for littering is $10,000.00.
“According to reports from the Constabulary, some businessmen have been contributing to this untidy state of affairs. It is not good because it does not help the image of the city. Georgetown can do better.
“Council is appealing to all citizens to avoid illegal dumping of garbage on parapets, pavements and in canals. Residents of local communities should wait for our collection trucks; they will arrive,” the statement concluded.