Hold building official accountable

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I REFER to an article in The Gleaner of May 10 titled 'More KSAC vigilance, please' by columnist Dr Garth Rattray. While Dr Rattray is quite right, I think he needs to really look at vigilance, which means, among other things, the quality of being alert, guarding against danger or providing for safety instead.

The building inspector for the Golden Spring area seems not to have any regard for the above. How can he allow a four-storey building to be illegally erected and not report it to the city engineer?

After this building collapsed causing death and mayhem, how can this inspector be allowed to continue in his job without censure? This act must be condemned and the officer reprimanded and punished.

The public must know in which area this officer was working during the period he collected his salary plus his travelling allowance. Did he have a car to travel? It is a common thing these days for travelling officers not to possess cars, yet they collect travelling allowances.

Like the Manatt problem, let us see who is responsible. Is it the mayor, the town clerk, the city engineer? Let us request all the reports for Golden Spring by the inspector for the period that the house was under construction. Let us hear from the KSAC. Let us hear from the police, as someone died as a result of the house collapsing. The Corner's Court should address the matter to determine who is responsible for the person's death.

This inspector must be brought to book by the mayor and town clerk now.

I am, etc.,

Ludlow Harris

Kingston