By Roy Sanford, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
COUNCILLOR NOEL Donaldson, Mayor of Montego Bay, has vowed to address what he describes as the 'vexed issue of the North Gully' and to have it cleaned as soon as possible.
"We at the St. James Parish Council are not prepared to have the North Gully remain in its present condition," Mr. Donaldson said. Recently the cleaning of the gully became a contentious matter between the local government body and the National Works Agency (NWA), with both organisations accusing each other of having the ultimate responsibility for maintaining and cleaning it. Mr. Donaldson said the matter remains unresolved and his administration has decided to do something about the gully's present condition. "As city fathers we have the ultimate responsibility to the citizens of Montego Bay and the parish of St. James," he said.
He pointed out that the NWA and the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NWSMA) have contributed $200,000 and $300,000 respectively to the cleaning project, but an excess of $1 million is needed to get the job done. The mayor noted that the finances needed to complete the job must come from the coffers of the council.
A SERIOUS ECONOMIC CRUNCH
"We are in a serious economic crunch but... whatever the source have to be within the council, whatever we need to forego, the St. James Parish Council have to step up to the plate." Mr. Donaldson disclosed that he has held discussions with Portia Simpson Miller, Minister of Local Government, and Robert Pickergill, Minister of Transport and Works, with the aim of devising long-term solutions to the gully's maintenance. "We have to determine two things," he stated. "First, who is responsible for the cleaning and secondly, what is the source of the funding going to be to ensure the North Gully is kept and maintained in a clean manner."
He also said the council hopes to sensitise residents who live along the gully about the proper disposal of their garbage and to hold discussions with the NSWMA on providing proper garbage collection that meets the demands of the citizens.
