This week we asked residents of Linden what is their role in ensuring that public works in their community are done to a satisfactory standard. These are their responses.
Derron Adams – `We all have an important role to play in the development of our community, I believe that good performance is the result of high quality. We should be more responsible in managing works that are assigned to contractors in our community so as to ensure they meet a satisfactory standard.
As such I believe special community groups should be responsible for guiding and managing the performance of persons employed to do public works, both as individuals and as a team. I recommend that we set performance objectives, provide feedbacks, appraise performance, guide development and ensure employees are rewarded for good performance so as to meet satisfactory standard for future projects. Performance that is not actively managed is nonetheless influenced by default.’
Shamaine Haynes – `I think that I have been performing my role as a citizen to ensure that public works are done at a satisfactory level but the question is how successful are these efforts. Many times we have to take drastic measures of going out in the streets and protesting before anything gets done in the first place. I have never ceased to allow my voice to be heard as it relates to any public works. What we need more than anything is strong leadership and leadership with a voice that gets thing done. So often we see roads being done without drains, council not picking up garbage and these things and the more we talk about it the more it keeps recurring.’
Maurice Jr. Prescott – `The saying goes that charity begins at home. When we go to other countries we see that they have systems in place and we follow those systems. The same thing goes for here; we need to set standards and systems and follow them. That is what we are lacking. We as a people have become complacent and we need to get back in line. More than that we need to see those persons who hold the Holy Bible in the hands vow to serve and stand by the wishes of the people. If we, the people make recommendations they should follow those recommendations. ‘
Candist Williams – `My role at this point is to express my dissatisfaction about the way this government is not paying attention to our needs and they are our servants. My role also right now is to try and mobilize the residents of Wisroc Phase two B to confront the authorities about the infrastructure we paid for in this scheme and we are not getting it. Look how long this new scheme here in Wisroc has opened up, so many persons have put up their dream house bought their vehicles and can’t enjoy it because the vehicles getting damaged by this atrocious road and we who don’t have either have to walk through the mess or pay exorbitant fees to taxi. This is nonsense. ‘
Valarie Adams-Patterson – `As a resident of Linden, my role is to ensure that whatever monies are appropriated in the national budget for projects in Linden are properly spent giving us ‘value for money’. I would like the gov’t, RDC and M&TC to make the scope of works for any project, particularly roads to be made available to the residents of those communities so that they can monitor the progress of those roads and ensure compliance to the scope of works by the contractor. I would also like to see gov’t empowering communities by setting up “watchdog” groups with authority to stop any project where sub-standard work is being done by the contractor until the authorities conduct inspections to determine the continuance of the project.’
Kevin Barron – `I am satisfied within myself that I am performing my role as a member of this community to ensure that I do my part in ensuring that public works are done at a standard. I volunteer my services through the Region 10 Association council and the Linden Road Safety Council which are both working through and with the Ministry of Public Works to ensure the safety of our roadways and implementing a line system on our mini bus park.
We are working on having the reflector lines all the way from the Soesdyke junction all the way into Linden. In some cases we have to put ourselves in the middle of the system to ensure that things are done in our interest and for the benefit of all and volunteering is a great way to do so.’
Olton John – `As a member of the IMC of this Municipality (Region #10) my responsibilities/ roles is to ensure public works in my community are done at a satisfactory standard. I would therefore have to ensure I meet the needs of the community by having a public meeting, listen to their concerns, have them suggest what can be done to solve their problem/s, implement a strategic work programme in the various areas, meet with various stakeholders and propose the same work plan and even have them suggest further ideas to better the community at large and build community trust.’
Coleen Stephens –` I am a resident of Wisroc phase 2 ‘B’. What we are experiencing in that new, second largest community looking all nice and dandy with the nice houses is total neglect especially in the area of infrastructure.
All the talks and actions and representations by our leaders are about Amelia’s Ward, that place where the contractors making a mess of taxpayers’ dollars. Here in Wisroc nothing is happening and it doesn’t seem as if anything will ever happen in the near future. Having said that my role and that of all the others living here is to get up from our laurels and start making a lot of noise because it seems like that’s the only way things get done’.
Hilton Lyle Jr. – `As a child growing up I can remember when neighbours look out for each other. Persons made it their responsibility to clean the drains, throw stuff in holes in the street, when work was done infrastructural wise you use to see the entire neighbourhood coming out and pitching in their part or offering the workers swank and keeping their company. We don’t have that happening these days, where has the spirit of community gone. This is equally a community thing as it is individual.’
Lulu Scotland – `There is so much we can do as individuals to ensure that certain things are done in the correct manner, we have been doing it ever so often but what is lacking is the respect from our national leaders especially those in certain ministries, Ministry of Public Works being one of them. Let’s look simply at the situation with the messed up roads they are doing in Amelia’s Ward.
Our regional and town leaders listened to the complaints of residents. They investigated and found that the concerns were valid and they condemned what happened. Just look and see their voice will fall on deaf ears and those roads would not be re-done.
It’s the same thing happened in Block 22, One Mile and all the other areas, millions spent and no proper work done. Residents spoke out individually and as a community and yet they are disrespected by the national authorities by not correcting those malpractices.’