-disciplinary action for engineers

CITY Engineer, Colvern Venture has reported that all pumps and sluices in Georgetown are up and running to cater for the usual May/June rainy season.

He was called upon to provide an update on the situation at Monday’s statutory meeting after a number of complaints were received that some of the kokers were not in working order.

“I am pleased to report that all of the pumps and sluices are in operation. The two that were down, the Forestry Pump and Princes Street Pump; those issues were corrected,” Venture reported.

According to him, delays in having the faulty ones rectified were due to major repair works that had to be carried out. In the case of one koker, he explained that a piece of wood had entered the impeller causing severe damages to many of its components.

Venture had recently written to Mayor Patricia Chase-Green and complained that he was not receiving cooperation from staff in his department. In the letter, which Chase-Green read during the meeting, Venture complained about the attitude of Deputy City Engineer, Ron Eastman, Assistant City Engineer, Rasheed Kellman and Engineer Technician Kabila Hollingsworth.

According to the Engineer, even follow-up memos did not bear much fruit from the officers. The Mayor thereafter asked that the matter be referred to the Human Resources Management Committee so that some disciplinary action can be taken.

The Mayor noted that it was unfortunate that the kokers remained out of operation for lengthy periods although officers were assigned to look over them.

“It should not have been brought to this level after weeks. And these officers are given tasks to ensure that this work is done. Why should we have to wait for someone senior to visit these pumps for action to be taken to have them working? It is unfortunate, and the persons that suffer are citizens.”

Just recently, the Mayor cautioned Venture to rein in the people in his department, lest the Council take action.

“The attitude of those in the Engineer’s Department stinks; their attitude towards citizens is unacceptable,” the Mayor lamented. She said it is high time that some officers from that department go home, because they are at work doing absolutely nothing.

“You have officers in the yard liming whole day,” she charged. Chase-Green pointed out that when these officers are picked up and taken into the fields, they produce the reports months after and worse yet, give the excuse that they have to revisit the location before submitting the reports.

“These officers are not doing what they’re expected to do,” she said. “I’m tired of hearing the same names over and over again. You have senior officers sitting down doing nothing.”

The Mayor also lamented the fact that despite their behaviour, the municipality has to find money to pay their hefty salaries every month.

“It is time the nonsense stops,” she said.

“If the Engineer cannot take control of the department, we will have to take control of him; he needs to stop sorrying for people.” Addressing the Engineer in person, Mayor Chase-Green said, “You need to take control of your department, and the Council will stand by you.”

With respect to allegations in the past of rampant corruption in the City Engineer’s Department, Chase-Green once famously said: “The only time you hear about the City Engineer’s Department, is when they are taking bribes all over the place.”