Hanover seniors chastise HMC for poor service
Published:Monday | December 2, 2024 | 1:41 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
Senior citizens in Hanover took the parish’s municipal corporation to task at their monthly Coffee and Conversation session last Thursday, accusing the municipal body of not meeting its mandate as it relates to road repairs, drain cleaning, de-bushing among other issues.
With November being observed as Local Government Month, the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC) was asked to send representatives to the session to answer questions the seniors had concerns about in relation to the corporation’s role and responsibilities, under the theme, ‘Local Government at work: Facing the future together’.
After presentations by the six-member HMC team, which was headed by Grace Whittley, the director of planning at the corporation, they were subjected to intense grilling by the seniors, who highlighted several areas of concern and perceived shortcomings by the corporation in the delivery of service.
“We cannot continue to live like this in Hanover, we have to wake up,” said Joan Christie, who expressed her displeasure with the current state of the parish capital, Lucea. “Lucea was looking better in the 1950s than how it is looking today.”
Another senior citizen, who sought to strengthen Christie’s point, lamented the poor state of the roads, which are littered with potholes, causing problems for motorists and pedestrians alike.
“I almost break a leg in a pothole outside my gate on leaving my home this morning,” said the woman, who was clearly not interested in hearing about whether the road was the responsibility of the National Works Agency (NWA) or the municipal corporation.
The seniors, who were drawn from communities such as Johnson Town, Copperwood, Haughton Court, Lances River, Kew, Clifton and Maryland, were unified in their condemnation of the bad road condition, uncleaned drains, un-bushed roadways, untreated water running along roadways, and lack of streetlights, which appear to be issues of concern across all the communities.
“Some of the roadways in the parish are disasters waiting to happen,” chimed in a not-too-pleased woman. “Every year you people claim that you spend millions of dollars on bushing and patching when nothing is done.”
The seniors also raised concerns about projects that are done without the requisite supervision and quickly fall into disrepair because of poor workmanship.
“Hanover is said to be 300 years old, but we are operating as if the parish is 400 years behind time,” said one man, who made it clear that he wants to see action, not hear excuses.
In defence of the HMC, Whittley outlined that the seniors need to understand the role of the corporation as opposed to that of the NWA, while noting that some of the harsh criticism should not be directed at them.
“The questions being asked are genuine and deserve attention, but they need to be directed at the relevant persons,” said Whittley. “What the parish of Hanover, and specifically the town of Lucea, need is a local sustainable development plan to chart the way forward.”
However, Christie refused to give up any ground to HMC representatives, raising concerns about their specific roles and how well they are managing the matters under their portfolio.
“I love Lucea, but we can do much better,” said Christie. “The condition of the street that runs behind the Hanover Municipal Corporation building is deplorable and it is right beside your building.”