By Angelo Laurence, Freelance WriterTHE LONG awaited refurbishing of the Manchester Parish Council's Chambers,
Hargreaves Avenue, is finally getting under way according to Secretary Manager, Winston Palmer.
As a result, the Council's administrative staff will be housed temporarily in the Caledonia Mall, while the nine-month refurbishing work is carried out at a cost of $30 million.
The work is being funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and is being administered under the Parish Infrastructure Development Programme (PIDP) of the Ministry of Local Government.
The contractors will be chosen through a tender process, in accordance with the terms of the IDB funding, by central Government and actual work is expected to begin before the end of the month.
Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate for the Mandeville division, Sally Porteous, is however, calling on Mayor Horace Williams and the Manchester Parish Council to ensure that an equitable employment process in the selection of workers be enforced.
Mayor Horace Williams has made it clear that it is not a Parish Council project and the matter of contractor selection, or worker employment, is within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Local Government. He further said that the Manchester Parish Council, under his watch, has never given out work based on party affiliation as is being implied by Mrs Porteous in a letter to media persons in the parish.
A very angry Mayor Williams said that, as far as he is concerned, regardless of whatever party one supports, if he or she can do the best job for the money that's the person or firm that gets the work as far as the Council is concerned.
"I cannot support this using of everything to benefit the people of the parish being used for political gain," he told The Gleaner. "If we really mean the people of this parish any good, then why can't we as a people work together for their good instead of this constant tearing down when we should be building," added the Mayor.
Secretary Manager of the Council, Winston Palmer, is assuring residents that services will not be affected during the refurbished period.
