Dear Editor,
Please refer to a letter which appeared in the Saturday, February 17, of Stabroek News captioned ‘Town Clerk is in control with the blessing of the Mayor and some Councillors.’
As we examined the contents of the letter written by the Councillor, we recognized that it is riddled with inaccuracies and it is not a true representation of the facts. Further, its contents have the potential to mislead the citizens of Georgetown.
Citizens would recall in 2015, the council had commenced massive drainage works in all local communities and residents from the local communities were employed to carry out these works. However, the reality of the issue is that council must seek to maintain a strict maintenance regime so that the works done can be sustained. We recall that before 2015, almost all the drains and canals were clogged with silt and garbage. The intervention of the administration through the City Engineer’s Department brought about much needed relief to many communities.
Also, the Councillor mentioned that all the city’s buildings have been falling apart for years. This suggests that the Georgetown City Council of which the Councillor is a member, is not concerned about its properties. This is totally untrue, the council has an ongoing building restoration programme, which aims at restoring all of its facilities. To date, the council has repaired and restored the City Engineer’s City Building, Constabulary Building, Sexton Building, Albouystown Heath Centre, and East Ruimveldt Day Care Centre.
Currently, the two buildings that are under repair are the Solid Waste Management building located at Princes Street and the Mayoral Complex. The council will continue on this path until all buildings including City Hall have been restored. Mr Kuppen’s information as relayed in his letter is inaccurate and in fact untrue. For the year 2018, the council projects to restore seven more municipal facilities.
The Councillor mentioned about mismanagement of the city’s resources. Our records at City Hall would show that all the reports done including those by Sandra Jones and Keith Burrowes revealed that mismanagement and misappropriation of funds were not included in their findings, but rather a serious shortage of resources was flagged up and also the need to prioritize the work of the council.
Also, the issue with the hiring of private contractors was one which was inherited by the new administration. In any case, the council does not have the wherewithal to manage solid waste in the city. However, the council is working to take on a greater percentage of the collection and disposal of the city’s waste.
Yours faithfully,
Debra Lewis
Public Relations Officer
Mayor and City Council
