Hanover’s municipal building crumbling, stakeholders concerned

WESTERN BUREAU:

Amid mounting complaints from staff and councillors that the aging Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC) administrative building is deteriorating around them, calls are growing for national intervention to address what has been described as a dangerously dilapidated structure.

The renewed concern follows a troubling episode last year when employees labelled the facility a “sick working environment”. Several staff members reportedly fell ill after being exposed to mould found on the walls of multiple offices.

The situation was compounded by a leaking roof, broken windows, and malfunctioning bathroom facilities.This latest situation comes sharply in the wake of another troubling situation, which unfolded last year would staffers described the building as a “sick working environment” after some of them became sick after being exposed to mould on the walls of several offices, as well as leaking roof in several areas, and broken windows and bathroom facilities.

At the time that the mould was discovered, an assessment was done by environmentalists from the Ministry of Health, who subsequently recommended that work should be done to make the building more environmentally friendly and comfortable for the staff.

Very little has been done to address the concerns of the staff, and the passage of Hurricane Melissa last October has worsened the conditions at the century-old building, which has sparked further safety concerns.

“I wish to highlight a matter of urgent national importance regarding the physical condition of the municipal corporation building, which is very old and is in a deplorable state of disrepair,” said Lucea’s Deputy Mayor, Andria Dehaney-Grant, during the most recent monthly meeting of the HMC.

“As a very ancient heritage structure, the building has deteriorated significantly over time and could soon collapse like other buildings did during Hurricane Melissa,” she said.

CONTINUOUS LEAKING

Dehaney-Grant expressed special concerns about the roof of the building, which she said continues to leak despite being repaired on several occasions within recent times.

“The perfuse leaking persists repeatedly, causing damage to office spaces, files, and equipment whilst also creating an unhealthy and unsafe working environment,” she said. “The situation of the building at present undermines the ability of the municipal corporation to deliver efficient public service, especially during periods of heavy rainfall.”

“We are, therefore, making a strong appeal for the urgent construction of a new and modern municipal corporation facility that is safe, resilient, accessible, and fit for purpose,” she added.

While noting the heritage heritage value of the existing building, Dehaney-Grant said the building was no longer suitable to support the operational demands of local governance in the parish.

“A new building is not a luxury. It is a necessity,” she said, while making an appeal to Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie to treat the need for a new municipal building as a priority investment in public administration, disaster preparedness, and service delivery for the people of Hanover.

Considering the current condition of the municipal building, some stakeholders are suggesting the temporary removal of the municipal corporation’s activities from the current location to two buildings on the town’s Watson Taylor Drive, which is owned by the corporation.

editorial@gleanerjm.com