Portmore Municipal Council Cracks Down On Illegal Building And Littering

The Portmore Municipal Council will be instituting an enforcement drive to cut down on littering and the illegal erection of buildings in the community.
Mayor of Portmore George Lee said the municipality hoped to launch the initiative in March as by that time, adequate staffing should be in place and the municipality would have taken over the full management of Portmore from the St. Catherine Parish Council.
“We are going to draw the line; we are going to have a zero tolerance on new illegal buildings and begin tackling the backlog of existing violations,” he stated.
The Mayor, who was speaking at the official opening of the Portmore Pines branch of the St. Catherine Co-operative Credit Union on Saturday (Jan. 24), also announced the implementation of a beautification programme in February, to involve landscaping areas and planting trees. “It will be a sustained programme in which we will be asking the full input and cooperation of the citizens and business community,” he stated.
He said a fully staffed office to house the municipality should be in place next month. “The Ministry of Local Government (and Community Development) recently gave us three senior staff members,” he informed.
The Mayor also pointed to the need for a hospital and a tax office in the community, and raised concern about the poor condition of drains.
On the matter of indiscipline in the society, the Mayor said persons in authority had encouraged indiscipline by their lack of action.
“I appeal to all in authority, beginning in the homes, in the local authorities, in Parliament, in the courts, the police and businesses, to draw the line and deal with the issue of discipline. Otherwise, we are going to pay a greater price than we are paying now,” he stated.
Apart from Portmore Pines, the St. Catherine Cooperative Credit Union has other branches in Linstead, Old Harbour, Lluidas Vale, McMaster’s Centre, Portmore, and its Head Office in Spanish Town.