Central Government needs to stop City Hall’s ongoing failures

Jan 29, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
Well the much touted launch of the infamous parking meter system got off to a rather bumpy start, indeed expectant motorists were quite confused this week when they failed to see any parking meter maids, any constables and the meters standing idle. Hardly the fizzle and pop that was expected.
It is only at the Georgetown Municipality that such incompetence, such stupidity, such venality could occur. But then again there may be some other plausible reason for what occurred. As the boys would say, “there seems to be more in the mortar than just the pestle.” Maybe someone is dissatisfied with the whole deal.
It is unfathomable that after all of those months of publicity, promotion and advertising that the administration would have failed to submit the requisite municipal by-laws for ministerial approval until the day before.
What were they expecting? The Minister blindly signed these new regulations the same way they recklessly signed the contract; which instead of being prepared by them as any sensible city would do, but which was instead created by the contractor that was skewed considerably in his favour? The time spent by municipal officials flying all around Latin America and posing in front of parking meters and dining with officials from the parking meter company, could have been better spent by them doing their work including drafting the new by-laws that were needed.
And why is the Council spending millions of dollars engaging and retaining the services of high priced and fancy law firms when at the end of the day they are made to look so ill-advised? Will the parking meter project be another colossal failure like the many other miscarriages that we have become so accustomed to coming from City Hall such as The Green Conference and Expo, The Flea Market on Regent Street, The Presidential Park, The Parliament View Mall, The Petting Zoo and the list goes on and on
Citizens realize quite clearly the lack of good sense and judgement shown by the Council in entering into this contract which gives the city whose roads, parapets, sidewalks, street lighting it is, a paltry 20% return whilst the contractor whose only investments are some old second hand meters, some galvanized pipes, some cement, some signs and stickers a whopping 80 %. What more will it take to make the Councillors, the Minister of Communities and the President to realize that the administration of the Council is filled with square pegs in round holes and get rid of them. The Council should hire a retired City Manager from one of the cities in a developed country, who would have the experience, the knowledge and would stand apart from the corruption to pull our capital out of this complete mess it has found itself in. There is just no other way out.
Nadine Jerrick

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