…at yesterday’s statutory meeting
DAMNING allegations were once again made about officers in the City Engineer’s Department of the Georgetown City Council (M&CC), who are allegedly using ‘Council time’ to engage in private work. It was at the M&CC’s fortnightly statutory meeting, held yesterday at City Hall, where Councillor Gwendoline Mc Gowan declared herself “fed up” with having to address issues from the Engineer’s Department over and over again.
The councillor questioned why the City Engineer’s officers could not yet begin work on several municipal buildings that were in urgent need of repair, even as she pointed out that, at the same time, the Treasurer’s Department asks for vouchers for almost everything.
Councillor Kamla Devi Ross then rose to say that it had been a while since the council had been pleading with the Engineer’s Department to look after certain municipal buildings. She said she had personally observed that workers from the Engineer’s Department were, often times, working on private properties.
“How do they get the time to do this? What are the workers in the Engineer’s Department doing? And whenever they do some work, it is at a substandard level. There must be some sort of commitment to the job,” Ross charged.
In responding, Georgetown Mayor Hamilton Green said the issue had been raised for a long time now, and he suggested that the council appoint a small group to look into it. He urged those present to back up their words with actions, charging thus: “Don’t come and treat this (the statutory meeting) as free entertainment.”
Members of the City Council recently drew attention to what they called “blatant and presumptuous” violations in regard to certain structures and buildings being erected in Georgetown without approved plans. One Councillor, Anthony Boyce, charged that City Engineer Gregory Erskine and building inspectors were encouraging the breaches.
Concerns have been mounting over the growing number of illegal structures popping up in the City, and a proposal to have the City Engineer’s Department investigated was even tabled at a statutory meeting last year.
“These violations will continue because the builders know exactly that they can offer something to these officials to have things done. I’m saying this without fear or favour. There are facts to substantiate this,” Boyce declared.
Citing examples of such illegalities, he spoke about erections ongoing at the former premises of the Central Garage on Avenue of the Republic, and “most presumptuous” at Fifth and Sixth Streets in Alberttown, where Tony’s Auto Spares is building.
About the last, Boyce said this establishment was infringing on the Council’s reserves and drainage. “I informed the engineer and others; and when we went there, it was nothing, it was just a joke. And the Council can do nothing about it. The builders are saying the Council has no tools to demolish the structures.
“I sit on the City Works Committee, and even if a plan is not approved, the building goes up. They are encouraging blatant and lawless violations in the city,” he lamented.
The City Engineer’s Department was accused of rampant corruption, and according to Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, “The only time you hear about the City Engineer’s Department is when they are taking bribes all over the place.”