WESTERN BUREAU: Montego Bay's new mayor, Councillor Charles Sinclair, says the premier tourist destination faces a good chance of losing that title, because it is surrounded by filth, disorder and "to some extent" chaos.

"Montego Bay, as the premier tourist resort, suffers from improper waste disposal," Mayor Sinclair said. "Our streets, after having being cleaned, are littered in a matter of hours. If one were to visit Montego Bay on a Sunday morning through to Monday morning, the street and lanes in the city appear clean to an acceptable level, due to the closure of most stores. However, by mid morning on Monday, we would experience large volumes of waste strewn along the roadway and at various collection points."

He said much of this was brought about by a lack of civic pride from the Second City's citizens as well as problems with collection.

Mayor Sinclair, who assumed office less than a month ago, was addressing members of the Kiwanis Club of Providence at their weekly general meeting at the Wexford Court Hotel on Wednesday.

under siege

Questioning the legitimacy of the popular 'Friendly City' terminology, which is used to describe Montego Bay, he argued that the town was literally under siege from the escalating murder rate of the past years.

Not disheartened by the plague confronting the town, he claimed he was now the 'boss' and intended to bring Montego Bay to a state in which it can be called the premier tourist destination and the best place in Jamaica to live.

Promising to take the bull by the horn, Councillor Sinclair warned that owners of commercial or industrial premises, and anyone engaged in improper disposal of their garbage, will be fined up to $50,000 on the first offence and $50,000 per day for repeat offences.

He said The Public Health (Saint James Parish Council) (Garbage Collection and Disposal) Act 1998 was critical for his goals to be attained.

Under these regulations the local board of health can determine how, and in what manner, garbage is to be stored on premises and to be put out for collection by a contractor.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com