The Mayor and City Council continues to face difficulty in garbage collection, specifically in schools throughout Georgetown.
Councillors discussed this ongoing issue yesterday at City Hall when the statutory meeting was called under the chairmanship of Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green.
“Under the activities for schools, I have a concern for the school compounds which are running over with garbage. Take the St Gabriel’s [Primary] School for example. We are talking about littering but the garbage is not being picked up,” Councillor Gwendolyn Mc Gowan stated.
Chase-Green called on Director of the Solid Waste Department Hubert Urling to respond to this concern and he explained that schools within the Queenstown and Alberttown areas are cleared on Mondays and Tuesdays respectively.
He said the challenge faced in collecting garbage at schools lies in the fact that it will accumulate more rapidly household garbage and as a result, schools should be provided with a sufficient number of receptacles.
He also stated that his department is currently working to start clearing garbage from school compounds twice a week in order to reduce this build up.
Also addressed was the garbage collection problem at the Stabroek Market, which was raised by Councillor Ranwell Jordan.
He recalled that a decision had been taken that Urling would submit to the council a document of the contractor’s—Cevon’s Waste Management—work and also that of collection by the council.
Jordan said this proposal was made so that a decision could be taken about whether or not the M&CC should take on the responsibility independently.
“Did the officer [Urling] submit that document and was a recommendation made?” Jordan enquired before being told that the document would be available at the next statutory meeting.
He then asked that an emergency meeting be called by the Solid Waste Management Committee to address the issue.
Town Clerk Yonette Pluck-Cort stated that the committee would be unable to conduct the meeting this week but that the Markets and Public Health Committee has planned a meeting for next week Wednesday. Chase-Green urged that members be sure to go through with the meeting.
The Deputy Mayor also placed emphasis on the importance of proper security at the city’s incinerator, which is situated in the vicinity of Le Repentir Cemetery, after reports surfaced of a man who lost his life after he allegedly stole scrap metal. The body of Keith Bowen, called ‘Bowie’ of 51 Norton Street, Lodge was discovered on Sunday morning at the Princes Street location.
“This is a matter we have to look at seriously and it must be addressed as urgently as possible. Immediate steps need to be taken so that matters like that do not occur,” Chase-Green advised.
