Acting Town Clerk of the Mayor and City Council, Carol Sooba, says she has instructed that the six officers who have been sent on leave not be paid until they have properly handed over the positions to those appointed to perform their duties.
“I have instructed the City Treasurer not to pay salaries to these officers until they come in for a proper handing over,” Sooba said at Monday’s statutory meeting as she herself filled in for Yonette Pluck-Cort.
Pluck-Cort; City Treasurer, Andrew Meredith; City Engineer, Gregory Erskine; Deputy Town Clerk, Sharon Harry-Munroe; the Director of Solid Waste Management, Hubert Urlin; and the Personnel Officer Paulette Braithwaite, have all been sent on leave by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development pending the outcome of the investigation. Replacements have since been selected to act in the stead of the officers who have left their respective offices to facilitate the police investigation into the city’s operations.
Sooba explained that several phone calls have been made to these officers but to no avail. She was prompted by Deputy Mayor of Georgetown, Patricia Chase-Green to forward letters to these officers as it is the procedure to do so. “You need to write to these persons if you have failed to reach them by telephone… if you still do not get any response, then the council will take a decision on a way forward,” she said.
Chairman of the Finance Committee, councillor Junior Garrett, stated that handing over is a normal process and is in the standard operational procedures of any office, noting that this should have been done without the request of the acting Town Clerk.
“To write is like you begging people to do what they suppose to do. I don’t think they should write to them. They should see it fit to hand over immediately after being sent on leave… until they do so, their salaries should be held,” Garrett opined.
Sooba, after being advised by a junior officer, disclosed to the council that letters had already been sent. She further stated that since she was on leave, Pluck-Cort sent a document, described to be a handing over statement, with just the material items in her office.
“There is no responsibility named in the document, no files, no pending issues, nothing. Just things like the refrigerator, the desk, the computer, the material things!” Sooba explained.
Councillors subsequently agreed to have the letters personally delivered to the officers to avoid the possibility of any delay by post.
Councillor Ranwell Jordan later advised that the financial issues of the council must be taken more seriously, prompting regular meetings among the various committees.
“Finances are important matters and must be dealt with expeditiously and for this council to be told that meetings could not be held because of the absence of a particular officer is rather frightening. If they do not return, what would be the position of the council,” he questioned.
Acting in the place of City Treasurer, Ron McCalmon said that there was a recently hired accountant who is capable of dealing with these issues but they first have to get into contact with the absent officer to find out where the documents are before the work of the council can proceed.
“That response has frightened me. It is saying that our normal procedure is not in place. If any officer is going on leave, it should be procedure to hand over to someone else. That is why we are in the mess we are in. there must be a handover/takeover. This is not a cake shop,” Jordan emphasized.
Committees
Garrett took the opportunity to remind the council that the city’s operations are managed through the committees, most of which have not met in some time.
“Our predicament today is because we haven’t allowed due process to take place. Matters before were dealt by the previous Town Clerk acting on her own. Many committees have not had meetings; therefore, a lot of the issues of council have not been dealt with like for instance, the garbage. The committee that deals with that has not met in months. When you call the secretary, she says you have to get permission from the Town Clerk. We cannot function effectively if we are not allowed to do what we are supposed to do,” he explained.
Another issue which was addressed during Monday’s meeting was that of scrap metal traders operating at the council’s stone depot. Chase-Green explained that the previous Town Clerk had signed a document granting permission to the people, whose identities she said she is not aware of, to use a portion of the depot. However, she continued, after discovering that the persons operated during the nights, the arrangement was changed to having them operate only during working hours; 7:30am to 5pm.
In response, Sooba said that these persons will no longer conduct their business there until she has had the opportunity to study the legal document. Until then, she says, all scrap metal dealing will be ended.
“I wish to have my instructions recorded. No Town Clerk has the legal authority to give permission to a purported illegality so as such, this act must be ceased,” she posited.
Jordan also brought to the attention of the council the situation of the abattoir which he said the city cannot afford to clean. He stated that the M&CC is currently depending on the butchers who occupy the area and who are already paying a fee to pay private contractors for a cleaning service.
“We are in a terrible position where the facilities of the council are concerned. I hope to deal with a number of those issues and come up with recommendations at the next committee meeting which I hope is soon,” Jordan noted.
