Community Access, Restoring Essential Services Being Prioritised in St. Elizabeth

Mayor of Black River and Chairman of the St. Elizabeth Municipal Corporation, Councillor Richard Solomon, says that restoring access to communities and essential services is being prioritised as relief and recovery efforts continue across the parish.

“Some of the activities that we would have been doing up to now is to ensure that we have access to all our major and minor thoroughfares across the parish,” he told JIS News.

“The reality is that in order for us to give support to our people, we have to have access. So that has been a priority, and that is an ongoing exercise,” he noted.

Mayor Solomon indicated that inland roads have been cleared of debris, while major thoroughfares have been restored to at least single-lane traffic through collaboration with the National Works Agency (NWA), to facilitate the movement of aid and services.

He told JIS News that both government and non-governmental agencies have been mobilised to distribute water across the parish.

He noted that the efforts by the Government include the installation of generators at pumping stations to fast-track the reactivation of these sites.

“[Also], we have been in collaboration with National Water Commission (NWC). They have been trucking water into areas, and we are still appealing to persons who have water trucks that are sterilised; we need that service now,” Mayor Solomon said.

“Residents, we do crave your patience, and our commitment is that we are not only focusing on those that are on the main. We want to ensure that those persons who live off the main are getting support as well,” he added.

Meanwhile, as it relates to the municipal corporation building, which suffered significant damage during the passage of the hurricane, the Mayor pointed out that plans have been implemented to keep the organisation operational.

He said that meeting rooms and any available space on the compound are being repurposed, with temporary tents being erected to support day-to-day services.

He noted that while the conditions are not perfect, the municipality is focused on practical and immediate solutions that will enable the entity to fulfil its responsibilities.