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ACTING Town Clerk, Carol Sooba yesterday announced that the vacant positions for City Engineer and Solid Waste Management Director have been filled at the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC). The Head of Solid Waste is now Mr. Walter Narine, while Mr. Colvern Venture has been appointed City Engineer, Sooba informed at the Council’s fortnightly statutory meeting at City Hall.
Former City Engineer, Gregory Erskine and Solid Waste Management Director, Hubert Urlin were two of the four persons who government recently dismissed. The other two were Town Clerk, Yonnette Pluck and City Treasurer, Andrew Meredith.
The vacancies for the remaining two positions are yet to be filled.
The dismissed officers were alleged to have been at the helm of massive fraud in the municipality. In 2009, it was found that City Council was not delivering on its services. Government then tasked Commissioner of Inquiry, Keith Burrowes with investigating the goings-on at the municipality.
Burrowes and his team, subsequently, made 40 recommendations that, if implemented, could have solved many of the issues at City Hall. However, from 2009 to 2012, the council still was not delivering.
Consequently, in 2012, with the approval of Cabinet and the City Council, Raymon Gaskin, a management consultant, was identified to head the ‘Burrowes Implementation Committee.’
The ‘Gaskin’s Report’ found that not one of the 40 key steps recommended by Burrowes was implemented but, instead, pointed to deficiencies.
On the basis of that compilation and, again with Cabinet’s concurrence, the ministry decided to forward the compendium to the police and the Auditor General (AG).
Having studied the findings, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development announced its decision earlier this year to sack the officials. Their services were terminated as of December 31 last.
Mayor Green had said the decision brought the municipality relief and closure to what seemed to be a cycle of misdeeds, misdemeanours and apparent corruption.
Meanwhile, according to Minister within the Local Government Ministry, Norman Whittaker, the evidence provided against the fired officers in the AG’s report had revealed several acts of transgressions of policies, rules and regulations and negligence in the execution of duties.
Former City Engineer, Gregory Erskine and Solid Waste Management Director, Hubert Urlin were two of the four persons who government recently dismissed. The other two were Town Clerk, Yonnette Pluck and City Treasurer, Andrew Meredith.
The vacancies for the remaining two positions are yet to be filled.
The dismissed officers were alleged to have been at the helm of massive fraud in the municipality. In 2009, it was found that City Council was not delivering on its services. Government then tasked Commissioner of Inquiry, Keith Burrowes with investigating the goings-on at the municipality.
Burrowes and his team, subsequently, made 40 recommendations that, if implemented, could have solved many of the issues at City Hall. However, from 2009 to 2012, the council still was not delivering.
Consequently, in 2012, with the approval of Cabinet and the City Council, Raymon Gaskin, a management consultant, was identified to head the ‘Burrowes Implementation Committee.’
The ‘Gaskin’s Report’ found that not one of the 40 key steps recommended by Burrowes was implemented but, instead, pointed to deficiencies.
On the basis of that compilation and, again with Cabinet’s concurrence, the ministry decided to forward the compendium to the police and the Auditor General (AG).
Having studied the findings, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development announced its decision earlier this year to sack the officials. Their services were terminated as of December 31 last.
Mayor Green had said the decision brought the municipality relief and closure to what seemed to be a cycle of misdeeds, misdemeanours and apparent corruption.
Meanwhile, according to Minister within the Local Government Ministry, Norman Whittaker, the evidence provided against the fired officers in the AG’s report had revealed several acts of transgressions of policies, rules and regulations and negligence in the execution of duties.
