Work To Get Underway On New Westmoreland Parish Council Building

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Noel Arscott, on Wednesday (July 29), broke ground for work to get underway on the new building to house the Westmoreland Parish Council.

The modern two-storey structure, to be constructed on lands at the intersection of Murray and Great George streets in Savanna-la-Mar, is slated to cost $74.8 million.

The new building will provide adequate space for staff and customers, and will also feature a council chamber that can accommodate 60 people. It will utilise energy-saving technology including LED and solar panels.  The project is to be completed within 10 months.

Minister Arscott, in his address at the groundbreaking, said the provision of comfortable working conditions, where Local Government representatives can effectively serve citizens, is “part and parcel” of the Local Government Reform initiative.

“You are the elected representatives and if you are not treated with respect, then we will not receive the level of respect we ought to receive from the public,” he pointed out.

Minister Arscott noted that the reform programme, which started in 1993, “is now moving at a rapid pace.”

He said a number of Bills have been passed in Parliament, among them the Disaster Bill, which has been enacted, and the Entrenchment of Local Government in the Constitution, making Jamaica the first Commonwealth country to entrench local governance.

He further informed that the Financial Accounting Bill and the Human Resource Bill have been tabled, while the Governance Bill is being debated and is expected to be passed in September.

Also participating in the groundbreaking were Mayor of Savanna-la-Mar and Chairman of the Westmoreland Parish Council, Bertel Moore; and Secretary/Manager of the Council, Opal Beharie.