Let there be light: Hope Pastures saga continues

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I must congratulate Kelly Tomblin for making herself readily available to answer questions and to respond to challenges faced by the public about the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS).

In Hope Pastures, the initial underground laying of wires also included the laying of telephone wires and water pipes. Over the years, the telephone company and the National Water Company (NWC) have maintained and relaid their underground wires and pipes. The telephone company changed cables at least twice, and on the last occasion conduits were constructed to accommodate the cables. Connections to the residents were made without cost, which is reasonable, because they continue to profit from the use of their upgraded systems.

The JPS may not have laid the initial underground network of wires 50 years ago, but it made its connections to the network and profited from its use after the residents paid for the system with the purchase of their homes.

Hope Pastures is NOT a privately owned community. In privately owned communities, the residents do not have the ability to tap into city services and have to reach a consensus about everything associated with maintaining and paying for streets, roadways, sidewalks, landscaping, street lighting, telephone and water supply, gates and security, parking hours, speed limits, plus any number of unforeseen difficulties.

With that said, utility companies like JPS are paid to provide service to non-privately owned communities like Hope Pastures and Standpipe, and according to the CEO, the provision of an overhead supply is in keeping with its current operational licence.

My questions are:

• Isn't undertaking the capital investment to erect the overhead supply system in Hope Pastures a responsibility of the public power-supply company in keeping with its current operational licence, or is it a favour to the community?
• Is a contribution of $35,000 plus nine per cent interest from each household a reasonable demand to the residents of a public community, noting that thereafter JPS continues to collect for the use of the system?
• Tomorrow, if there is a problem in Standpipe or Waterhouse, will each residence in these communities be asked to pay $35,000 plus interest for stanchions to upgrade its power service?
• Is this a consequence of a monopoly supplier, and would a second power-supply company drive the rates down and provide a better service?

Mrs Tomblin in her response, mentioned that "there was one isolated incident of a pole damaging some cabling based on incorrect information", but that information given to her is not correct. At least two other poles have damaged NWC pipes. Both were reported to the JPS , Kingston and St Andrew Corporation and the NWC. The NWC responded, the JPS did not, and one was fixed by NWC four weeks after the problem occurred.

As I write this response, the other pole that was installed months ago still sits in a pool of water and has NOT been fixed. The included photograph speaks for itself. Yes, some poles have been beautifully erected into the NWC pipes under the sidewalks.

Each Hope Pastures residence now faces a bill of $35,000 plus nine per cent interest and a possible increase in residential rates of at least 17 per cent, if JPS's application for an increase of 21 per cent is approved. Lord, have mercy!

Since each residence still has an individual contract with JPS, it is still the responsibility of JPS to contact each contract holder to determine how many agree to sign new individual contracts with the utility provider, and if this is a majority. If this is not a majority decision, does an agreement with a minority group bind the other individual residents to the agreement?

The saga of 'let there be light, but not in Hope Pastures' continues.

JENNIFER MAMBYALEXANDER

Hope Pastures

jensy_ja@yahoo.com