Chaos erupts at St Catherine municipal meeting over garbage crisis

THE MONTHLY general meeting of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation descended into chaos on Thursday, as a heated debate on poor garbage collection sparked a fiery exchange between opposing councillors.

Waterford Division Councillor Fenley Douglas opened the debate by expressing displeasure with a report from a representative of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), demanding that Executive Director Audley Gordon appear before the council to answer questions.

Decrying the mounting garbage crisis in St Catherine, particularly in Spanish Town, Douglas referenced a report by Dr Prosper Chen, chief medical officer for the parish, which described the garbage pile-up as a serious health hazard.

“In every organisation, managers are graded based on their performance, and, if the NSWMA were given 100 trucks, it means that the resources for performance were provided. However, these resources are not being managed properly, and heavy is the head that wears the crown, hence the executive director should tender his resignation,” Douglas declared.

He added, “I am recommending that he go and give a competent person a chance to run the organisation.”

The comments provoked an uproar from Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillors, who accused Douglas of using the platform for political grandstanding.

“Shut up! Sit down! You are rude!” shouted Minority Leader Theresa Turner Flynn and Mt Industry Councillor Correl Davis, as other councillors joined in the outcry.

Mayor Norman Scott eventually restored order, allowing Douglas to continue. “I refuse to be muzzled this morning while I represent the rights of the people. If fighting for a cleaner parish to prevent the outbreak of an epidemic [is campaigning]. then I will always be campaigning. If talking about nastiness means that I am campaigning, I will be campaigning, Chairman,” Douglas said.

Angel’s Division Councillor Patricia Harris circulated videos and photos of uncollected garbage at Angel’s Primary School, claiming that repeated reports to the NSWMA had gone unanswered.

In response, NSWMA Executive Director Audley Gordon told The Gleaner, “It doesn’t seem right for Harris, who is also a teacher, to take picture of a situation that can be corrected with a phone call to him, and waited for a general meeting to brandish the pictures.”

He added, “I am surprised that they keep the picture and waited until they go to a parish council meeting. Obviously, they don’t think it is as urgent, hence they wouldn’t have waited for a general meeting to wave that picture.”

Gordon acknowledged ongoing challenges with public disposal habits and called for greater citizen responsibility. He said a school collection programme is in place, though not perfect, and that additional receptacles will be placed in townships. He ignored calls for his resignation, saying, “I refuse to dignify such utterances”.